What really matters to us

Gospel of grace- The Good News of the gospel is that we are not only saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, but that the Gospel is our power for everyday living and sanctification. By it we are forgiven, freed from sin, transformed and empowered to be joyful servants of our Lord as we love and serve him and our neighbor. The gospel heals and restores broken sinful lives and therefore it is the central focus in our preaching, worship and church planting.

A multi-cultural church body open to people of all colors, languages, backgrounds- Although El Paso is predominately Mexican-American, we rejoice in the divine creative diversity of ethnic groups that exists. The gospel addresses the traditions and sins of every culture and heals ethnic tensions and divisions producing a unity reflective of Kingdom life.

A desire to see our community transformed- The gospel is the power of God, not only for personal piety but also for true community transformation. God will be glorified in our being salt and light in Christ and as we do the good works which God has prepared beforehand. Having received mercy, we extend mercy to our neighbors who are God’s image bearers too. Through truthful, compassionate and merciful service we will seek the social, economic and cultural renewal of our community longing for the manifestation of God’s Kingdom.

Reaching out through relationships- East El Paso is a dynamic mosaic of diverse cultures in various stages of assimilation and integration. This reality, along with internal personal conflicts regarding one’s identity, produces isolation and an atomized community. Building natural caring relationships in one’s relational network is a requisite for hope-filled evangelism and the means for inviting seekers into the Christian community. Though people may not share our faith, we are not afraid to maintain friendships with them.

Encouraging participation in small groups- In light of the atomization and isolation within the community, small home groups are especially critical for building trust and gospel authenticity, for demonstrating loving service and pastoral care, for facilitating discipleship to Christ, and for integrating new believers into the Christian community. Through diverse small groups we will welcome others to join us in our faith journey or to explore the claims of Christ.

Building strong families- In the history of redemption God has been pleased to work in and through families. In light of our adoption by God into his family, the church’s ministries will seek to strengthen and foster family unity, thereby serving as “models of grace” to our broken society.

True and Vibrant Worship- Worship is at the center of who we are as humans. Our worship will be characterized by truth, intimacy and joy. Truth because it will be rooted in the Scriptures; intimate because God draws us to himself; and joyful because as forgiven sinners we are loved and forever accepted by God through Christ Jesus. Though connected historically to the church of the past, we will express our worship in our time and place in history.