Our Tribe
Core Values
1. Authenticity – we desire an authentic relationship with Christ: without hype, pretense, or religious rituals
2. Vulnerability – we speak honestly and openly about our struggles and failures. Christ-likeness is the goal, not perfection
3. Truth – we want preaching, not pep talks; God’s Word, not man’s opinions.
4. Belonging – we want to be accepted for who we are and continually challenged to become who ought to be in Christ.
5. Transparency – we want leaders with integrity; masks are not allowed.
6. Courage – we want to live our faith out loud; to live with purpose and conviction; we don’t care what’s trending, or popular, or socially acceptable.
7. Devotion - we want worship, not staged performances; we want answered prayer, not worldly solutions; we want God's presence, not good vibes, or demonic charismatic delusions.
Our Story
We Are A Church Committed to Becoming
Once upon a Sunday morning, I attended a church that gathered in a small shopping center on the south end of town. I arrived a couple of minutes late and noticed there were still plenty of open parking spaces and plenty of open seats. Yet, the congregation didn’t appear discouraged or even concerned by their small attendance. As I looked around, I saw radiant smiles and cheerful laughter. I watched as they embraced each other with glad hands and warm hugs.
As one who frequently attends churches, there was nothing spectacular about this congregation. The room was small, a recently converted retail space. The music wasn’t trendy. The songs were recent, but not from the list of today’s Top 40. The praise team seemed rehearsed and dedicated but lacking in performance quality. In fact, they sang with eyes closed and hands raised as if they were singing to God himself, and not to an audience.
Then I experienced the weirdest thing. They stopped singing and started gathering in small circles to pray. Taking the hand of someone else to pray felt strange to me. So, I stood there silently, respectfully, and listened to their prayers. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This church prayed together as if they were a family. As they prayed, they voiced their prayers as if they knew God was listening and ready to answer.
After another song, or two, I don’t remember. The preacher began his sermon. He seemed nervous at first but moved quickly to his text from the Bible. Like other preachers, he spoke with passion and enthusiasm. Every word given to persuade his congregation to put their trust in Christ. As he preached, the congregation responded with an occasional, “Amen.” After a half-hour or so, his sermon was over. Unlike other preachers, this pastor preached the Bible. That’s it, just the Bible. It was refreshing to hear an inspiring sermon, preached directly from the Bible, without opinions and unnecessary rhetoric.
This was a congregation, yearning not merely to belong, but to become. They weren’t defined by where they stood, but by the direction their hearts faced—toward Christ, and toward each other. There was a sense of genuineness among them.
Authenticity was more than a word hung on a wall. It was the foundation of every conversation and every prayer. The people were seeking a faith that was real, unvarnished, unplugged, stripped of hype and religious ritual. Their worship was raw, honest, and they required nothing more from anyone than their true selves.
They allowed themselves to be vulnerable. They didn’t pretend to be flawless; instead, they shared their failures and doubts, believing that Christ-likeness was the ultimate pursuit—each confession a step closer to the One they followed. Their stories, sometimes trembling with pain, were answered with a gentle embrace and powerful prayers.
Truth was clearly their compass. The pulpit was a place of preaching, not performance, where God’s Word was the only thing that mattered. The pastor delivered a sermon that cut through cultural noise and nurtured souls, revealing the mystery and meaning of what it means to live in Christ.
Belonging was a seed they watered with grace. Each newcomer was received with open arms—not for mere acceptance but for transformation. They challenged each other. Sometimes with a word, other times with just a look. Not with eyes of judgment, but with encouragement to grow into what Christ imagined for them.
The pastor and other leaders led with integrity. Like bearing lanterns through the fog. Masks were left at the door, integrity was cherished above image. When mistakes came—and they came often—they were met with forgiveness and a resolve to walk in light.
Courage was the banner they lifted as they stepped into the world beyond the sanctuary. They did not measure their faith by popularity or trends. Instead, they devoted themselves to living their faith out loud with purpose and conviction.
This church felt like what church was always supposed to be. A people on a journey with Christ. Drawn together by the hope of becoming all they could be in Christ. Living out their daily lives between the reality of now and the promise of tomorrow. Striving with every breath to reflect the heart of Christ, to walk humbly, love deeply, and shine with a light that beckons others home.