About Life Church
We want Life Church to be a distinct church that makes a real and tangible difference in people's daily lives. Everything we do is geared towards creating an atmosphere that will most effectively connect the bold life-changing good news of Jesus Christ to the people of our community and world.
Life Church is a different type of church. Since its beginning, the church’s approach has always been to offer a relaxed and informal atmosphere where people can come just as they are, regardless of their background, and experience a bold relationship with Jesus Christ!
Because we believe that the Scriptures reveal who Jesus is and how to effectively live and experience life, our style is unique. We focus more on teaching than preaching – more on how and not just what – more on explaining and not just expecting. Our goal is for every child, student, and adult to be equipped to live a bold life in Jesus Christ every moment of every day.
Our Purpose
Sending everyone to live a bold life in Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 - NIV)
Jesus offers us a full life, not an empty one – a bold life, not a boring one!
Our Strategy
Our purpose at Life Church is to send everyone to live a BOLD Life in Jesus.
How do we accomplish this?
We do this IN 3 directions, THROUGH 2 environments, FROM 2 sources TO 2 relationships.
3 Directions
• UP: God
• IN: Church
• OUT: World
2 Environments:
• Gathered Church – campus ministries, groups, mission projects
• Scattered Church – BOLD Life where we live, work, learn, & play.
2 Sources:
• Church-Facilitated
• Christian-Initiated
2 Relationships:
• Followers of Jesus
• Not Yet Followers of Jesus
Our Desired Outcomes
A BOLD Life looks like...
Spending time with not yet followers of Christ to generously express the love of God.
Demonstrated by:
• Creating space in your life (not just your calendar) for those who are not yet followers of Christ.
• Actively cultivating meaningful friendships with those that are not yet followers of Jesus, recognizing them as individuals placed in our lives by God. (Sent List)
• Regularly bless others by sharing God’s love through faithful presence, meaningful time with them, encouraging words, and generous acts of service.
Genesis 12:1-2; James 2:14-17; Numbers 6:22-27; Philippians 2:3-4
Experiencing the presence of God and relying on the Holy Spirit for direction.
Demonstrated by:
• Eliminating life’s distractions to better hear and follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit.
• Continually seeking God’s presence through prayer and Scripture for awareness of His work within us and guidance in His work through us.
• Sharing insights from the Holy Spirit with others for validation, accountability, support, and encouragement in obedience.
John 20:19-22, 14:26, 16:13; Galatians 5:22-25; Acts 8:26-39; Luke 4:18-19
Growing in knowledge and wisdom by tangibly living out the way of Jesus.
Demonstrated by:
• Continually examining the life of Jesus in the Gospels and emulating his priorities and posture in everyday life.
• Reflecting on every action and experience to foster a greater likeness to Jesus and alignment with His mission.
• Seeking ongoing input from fellow believers on ways to more effectively embody the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus
Luke 9:23; Matthew 4:19; 1 John 2:3-6; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Showing and telling all people about King Jesus and His Kingdom.
Demonstrated by:
• Perceiving the way things are meant to be according to God’s intention and doing something about it.
• Recognizing and acknowledging the presence of God’s Kingdom in the everyday moments and people where we live, work, learn, and play.
• Sharing about King Jesus and His Kingdom by taking the next natural relational step at the pace determined by God.
Luke 17:20-21; Matthew 6:9a, 10; Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15; John 20:21
Our Values
• Jesus came eating, drinking, and having fun with others, encouraging us to do the same!
• In Jesus Christ, we receive a life of contagious joy overflowing to where we live, work, learn, and play.
• We don’t take ourselves too seriously because we take God very seriously.
• We enjoy living God’s great purpose, so we laugh and exude a fun vibe in all we do!
John 15:11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (NIV)
John 2:1-12 (Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding)
Luke 7:34 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’” (NIV)
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is…a matter of…joy in the Holy Spirit. (NIV)
Galatians 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy… (NIV)
Nehemiah 8:10 “…the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (NIV)
Ecclesiastes 8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun. (NIV)
• Jesus gave his life for us in the ultimate act of love, calling us to join him in sacrificially loving all people, regardless of who they are or what they have done.
• In Jesus Christ, his supernatural love within us sees all people as created in the image of God and valuable, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or political beliefs.
• This boundless love sends us across the street and around the globe to continue the work of Jesus, no matter how risky, messy, or inconvenient.
• We want to be known for loving God and loving people.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV)
Revelation 5:9 “…with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom…” (NIV)
1 John 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. (NIV)
1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us. (NIV)
John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (NIV)
Matthew 20:28 “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (NIV)
• Jesus longs for all his followers to be transformed into his likeness.
• In Jesus Christ, real change is always possible, which means it is never too late for anyone to become who God wants them to be!
• The Holy Spirit works through God’s Word, service, suffering, relationships, and our everyday experiences to create genuine life change in us.
• We practice authenticity and accountability by owning our faults, learning from mistakes, receiving God’s forgiveness, surrendering to the way of Jesus, and maintaining humble patience with one another as change takes place.
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (NIV)
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (NIV)
Ephesians 4:24 …put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (NIV)
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all…are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (NIV)
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (NIV)
James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (NIV)
• Jesus was a master storyteller who used stories to point people to God and his kingdom, so we do too!
• In Jesus Christ, we all have a powerful God Story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration that needs to be heard!
• We share stories and listen with honesty, openness, and vulnerability, recognizing that this deepens our connection with one another and with Jesus.
• We openly share our experiences — victories, losses, successes, challenges, setbacks — acknowledging God’s continuous work in us at every moment.
Psalm 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story…. (NIV)
Deuteronomy 4:9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. (NIV)
Luke 8:39 “…tell how much God has done for you…” (NIV)
Acts 4:20 “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (NIV)
1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have… (NIV)
Revelation 12:11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony… (NIV)
Our Essential Beliefs
Life Church believes the Bible is God’s written message to humanity, which has been sovereignly preserved through the centuries. Although it was written over a span of 1,500 years and over 40 generations in various places by over 40 authors from diverse walks of life, the Bible has a central unity: God’s salvation of people. The Bible is both timeless and timely, relevant to common needs of all people at all times and to the specific problems of contemporary living. It was written by people, but inspired by God. The human authors were under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit so that what was written was the very Word of God. Because it is inspired by God, it is true and trustworthy without any mixture of error, and it has the power to transform lives. Therefore, it is the supreme source of authority for Christian belief and behavior.
God the Father: God the Father is God over us: the loving and powerful Creator and Sustainer.
Life Church believes there is only one God. God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is personal as opposed to an abstract force. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, and all-good. He is both transcendent and immanent, and he is both holy and love. He has eternally existed in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal, distinct, and are one. Jesus refers to God as Father.
God the Son: God the Son Jesus Christ is God with us: the sinless Savior and Redeemer of the world.
Life Church believes Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, is co-equal with God and has always existed. Because of his love for the world and obedience to the Father, he chose to lay aside the benefits of being God and come to earth in the form of a man. He was both wholly God and wholly man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Jesus lived a sinless life, taught with authority, and performed many miracles. He offered himself as a perfect sacrifice by acting as a substitute for people and dying on the cross in their place and for their sins. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate his power over sin and death and to secure the salvation of those who would believe in him. He ascended to heaven, was given all authority, and will return again someday to manifest his eternal reign.
God the Holy Spirit: God the Holy Spirit is God in us: the powerful Equipper and Transformer of believers.
Life Church believes the Holy Spirit is co-equal with God and has always existed. His purpose is to be a “Counselor” who assists believers. He is present in the world to make people aware of their sin and their need for Jesus Christ. To those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Spirit brings salvation and new life in the body of Jesus Christ. He lives in believers teaching and empowering them to be like Jesus Christ as they follow his leadership. The Holy Spirit also gives believers spiritual gifts for the purpose of serving others and building up the church. All of the spiritual gifts appear to be functioning today, though some are operating in a limited sense. The chief evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in a believer is moral, not miraculous or mystical. The litmus test for Christian growth is the fruit of the Spirit, not the gifts of the Spirit. The spiritual gifts are to be exercised in an orderly manner to build up and unify the church and are to be submitted to the overall purpose of the church which is reaching those who do not know Jesus Christ.
Life Church believes men and women are made in the image of God, meaning that they have a spiritual dimension allowing them to communicate with God and a moral dimension allowing them to differentiate right from wrong. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although people have tremendous potential for good, they have been marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin.” Sin separates people from God and causes a multitude of problems for people, both individually and corporately. The ultimate result of sin is spiritual death and eternal separation from God.
Life Church believes salvation is the solution to the sin of humanity. Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of all people. Jesus Christ is the only way people can come to God to receive salvation. If it were possible to obtain salvation by some other means, Jesus Christ never would have had to die on the cross. Salvation is God’s free gift to people, but they must accept it. People can never make up for their sin by their own efforts of self-improvement or any other good work. Both repentance (turning from sin) and faith (turning to God) are inseparable aspects of the single event of conversion. When people choose to repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ, they are converted, receiving salvation and a new life. Salvation consists of God establishing his relationship with individual believers (justification), beginning his work of making believers more like Jesus Christ (sanctification), and accomplishing his goal of making believers like Christ when they die (glorification). Therefore, though salvation begins at a specific time, salvation is best viewed as a process in time, not a point in time. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of Christians. Consequently, nothing a believer does can cause him or her to lose the gift of salvation.
Life Church believes the Head of the church is Jesus Christ. The church is both universal and local. It is universal in the sense that it is composed of all believers in all places who have ever lived. It is local in that it is a body of believers in one location who have united around a common faith in Jesus Christ and statements of beliefs, values, purpose, strategy, and vision. Church members are to strive to live lives of love and holiness as they model the life of Jesus Christ. Church members also care for one another and support the church with their time, talents, and tithes. The two ordinances of the church are baptism and communion. The two offices of the church are Pastors and Servants. Though the church utilizes these two offices, all Christians have equal access to God and are gifted to serve him as ministers. The leaders of the church are to model the servant leadership of Jesus. The church is an independent body, operating through both representative and democratic processes under the Headship of Jesus Christ.
Life Church believes that God, in his own time and in his own way, will bring the world to an appropriate end. Though some of the details of the events encompassing this time period are vague, there are many certainties. Jesus Christ will return to manifest the kingdom of God. At this time, the dead will be raised, and all humanity will be judged by God. Those people who have received salvation through Jesus Christ will be destined for heaven, the total presence of God. Those people who have rejected salvation through Jesus Christ will be consigned to hell, the total absence of God.
Both heaven and hell are real places of eternal consequence.