pat loughery

More of our history, so that you can see where we’re coming from.

We started meeting as a home group on Nov 7, 2002 (if my calendar’s accurate, and who knows if it is). We opened our doors for public Sunday (evening) services on May 11, 2003 – Mother’s Day. Now 6 months in (tomorrow!). Our momma church is Mountain Vineyard in Kent, WA.

Our vision:

To be a growing community of authentic disciples of Jesus who transform the world through relationships with God and each other.

We’ve tried to unpack a lot of that meaning over the last year. I suspect that 80 years from now, we’ll still be learning about these things.

Growing: As a community of faith, we expect to grow in numbers as we’re able to the lives we live, and the life of God oozes out of our pores intrigues those around us and as some join us in the journey. And, we grow in spirituality – day by day, little by little and occasionally in leaps and bounds, we become more Christlike as we’re more in Christ and as we live God’s life through us.

Community: Perhaps an overused term these days, but only because it’s so important. We’re created to have healthy relationships, modelled on the relationship that God is, triune, Father-Son-HolySpirit. We grow most when we’re in living relationship with God and with people.

Authentic disciples: Call it transparency, regular life, what you will – we’re committed to being real about who we are, the struggles we face, and the victories we celebrate. Authenticity of character means that we win some and we lose some, but that we realize we’re all in the process of growing and becoming.

Transform the world: We are a missional people – called not just to grow inwardly, but to focus outwardly to accomplish our greatest purpose – helping others experience God too. We will do this in our local community by being good neighbor and ambassadors, and we’ll do this broadly through church planting and missions journey (short, medium and long-term), and primarily by being God’s hands and feet and voice wherever he wants us to be.

Relationships: Not through programs, or events, or TV shows. The world is changed as people interact with people.

– with God: Christianity isn’t a religion, it’s a relationship. At the core of our faith is relatinoship with the living God who created us, loves us and teaches us who we’ are. Rules, regulations, the bondage of (some) tradition which counteracts relationship isn’t worth pursuing, but Jesus is.

– and with each other: Back on that community track again. We’re dedicated to growing up together, over a lifetime. Evangelism, discipleship, marriage preparation, teaching – all of it is most effective when it’s relational.

That’s the goal, anyway. Of course that doesn’t make it easy to get there 🙂