{"id":30,"date":"2016-04-18T16:19:54","date_gmt":"2016-04-18T21:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/covenantchicago.stadigital.com\/?page_id=30"},"modified":"2021-01-27T14:33:33","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T20:33:33","slug":"vision-values","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/covenantchicago.org\/about-us\/vision-values\/","title":{"rendered":"Vision & Values"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vision<\/strong><\/h2>\n
A church, a city, and a world\u00a0<\/i>continually made new by the grace of Christ<\/i><\/h5>\n

This vision comes from the Apostle John\u2019s vision of the Risen Christ in Revelation 21.5, where he writes that he saw Jesus, seated on the throne, saying, \u201c<\/span>Behold, I am making all things new.<\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the reality toward which God\u2019s people, and, indeed, the entire world, are headed.<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0Scripture is punctuated with the truth that in the incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, a new creation was started.<\/span>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span> The church is called both to <\/span>proclaim <\/span><\/i>this new creation as a present reality and to <\/span>make it evident <\/span><\/i>in this world by following Jesus\u2019 commission to make disciples and his command to love God and our neighbors.<\/span>3<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At Covenant, we play our part in that vision by living out the grace of Christ through <\/span>worshiping together<\/b>, <\/span>growing and learning together<\/b>, and <\/span>serving together<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Worshiping Together<\/b><\/h4>\n

We believe that humans are worshiping beings, made for communion with the Triune God, and that ordering our common worship around the Gospel on Sunday has a profound, formative effect on every part of our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Worship is how humans are made to respond to God.<\/span>4<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span> Covenant is committed to transcendent, grace-centered, sacramental worship that points us toward God and His magnificent worth and the grace that He offers us in Christ.<\/span> \u00a0<\/span>Our worship of God is centered on Christ, our Redeemer, and is empowered by the Holy Spirit.<\/span>5<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The central focus of our worship is always Jesus Christ and the boundless forgiveness and grace he secured for God\u2019s people at the cross. \u00a0We\u2019ll always have worship that is centered on this grace. In order to do this, we adhere to a pattern of worship the historic Christian church has followed for many hundreds of years: being called to worship, being called to confession and assured of pardon, hearing Scripture read and talked about, and responding with joy before being sent. \u00a0This is the rhythm of the whole Christian life. \u00a0It stands counter to lots of other rhythms that clamor for our attention and allegiance in this world, and we believe ordering our common life around it on Sundays strengthens our appetites, imaginations and abilities to live as followers of Jesus wherever we find ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Growing and Learning Together<\/b><\/h4>\n

We believe that learning about our faith and growing together in it are necessary for flourishing in the Christian life.<\/span><\/p>\n

We approach life not as experts, but learners. \u00a0We want to be humble in our approach to God and others, honest in our questions, and eager to learn. \u00a0We receive Scripture as the true story of God and our world, able to make simple people wise and bring life.<\/span>6<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span> Confident of God\u2019s care for all areas of life, we seek to learn how the Gospel re-frames everything around us: work, relationships, justice, health, culture, identity, our minds, and power.<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal of Christian learning is to form us into human beings who are fully swept up into the work God is doing in his world, reconciling all things to himself in Christ.<\/span>7<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0The Apostle Paul calls this maturity, or <\/span>growing up<\/span><\/i> in the faith.<\/span><\/span>8<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0Learning is more than simply knowing; it is the internalization of truth that leads to mature thinking and acting. \u00a0This maturity looks like growing in love for God and our neighbors. \u00a0Learning and growth are inseparable for God\u2019s people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our faith rests on the realities of God\u2019s works of creation and redemption. \u00a0God has revealed Himself in Creation, in His Word, and in Jesus, and the church has always placed a great emphasis on teaching – handing down, from one generation to the next, the truth we\u2019ve been given.<\/span><\/span>9<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0This happens most wholly and healthily in a community which is marked by love for one another.<\/span><\/span>10<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Serving Together<\/b><\/h4>\n

We believe the natural outcome of receiving and experiencing grace is to be propelled outward into mission and service.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Apostle Paul told the church that the natural response of being reconciled to God is for <\/span>the love of Christ<\/span><\/i> to compel us<\/span> to become ministers of that same reconciliation. He wrote that <\/span>God makes his appeal<\/span><\/i> through us<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/span>11<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0As unlikely as it seems, we are the ones who have been called to herald the good news in every place and at all times \u2013 the good news that if anyone is in Christ, they are a <\/span>new creation<\/span><\/i> and that in Christ God is <\/span>reconciling the whole world to himself<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Every one of us has been given gifts to use for the good of our common life and for the good of the broken world around us.<\/span><\/span>12<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0The Apostle Paul tells the church: <\/span>use them<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/span>13<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0Serving isn\u2019t something we do if we have some extra time and space in our lives; it\u2019s central to our faith. \u00a0We\u2019re called to give of ourselves because we\u2019re part of the story of God\u2019s reconciliation of all things. \u00a0Jesus\u2019 love, shown for us at his Cross, is the energy that propels our service. \u00a0We\u2019ve been made rich through Jesus\u2019 poverty; we\u2019ve been forgiven much, so we love much.<\/span><\/span>14<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0When we give of ourselves and our gifts for the good of others, we\u2019re being faithful to what\u2019s required of us by taking on the mind of Jesus.<\/span><\/span>15<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019re not motivated to serve by guilt or shame or bare duty; we\u2019re motivated by grateful love.<\/span>16<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Core Values<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. The Gospel.\u00a0<\/b>The Gospel is our most cherished belief; it is our identity. The Gospel is the centerpiece of the life and ministry of the church. The Gospel is the\u00a0<\/span>good news\u00a0<\/span><\/i>that God, in His infinite love, became a human like us in the person of Jesus in order to be our representative.\u00a0 <\/span>17<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>He lived a perfect life, suffered and died for our sins, and then rose and ascended to sit at the Father’s right hand to intercede for us and graciously rule the world.<\/span>18<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0The Gospel is the\u00a0<\/span>good news\u00a0<\/span><\/i>that if we repent of our sins and put our trust in the work of Christ, our sins are forgiven, we are adopted into God\u2019s family, and the Holy Spirit empowers change in us, growing us into the image of Christ.<\/span><\/span>19<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0The gospel is the <\/span>good news <\/span><\/i>that in Christ, God is reconciling the entire world to himself.<\/span>20<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span> This is the\u00a0<\/span>good news\u00a0<\/span><\/i>that the whole world needs to hear, and that we, as God\u2019s people, need to hear again and again. The Gospel is not just the way of entrance into the family of God, it\u2019s also the means of growth within that family.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. The Glory of God. <\/b>We believe that the purpose of all of life is to glorify God, our Creator and Redeemer.<\/span><\/span>21<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Everything that Covenant does is intended to make God\u2019s beauty and glory more evident to all people.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. A Robust and Practical Theology. \u00a0<\/b>Covenant is Reformed in both its belief and practices. \u00a0We believe the confessions and guiding principles of the Reformation are accurate representations of the truth of Scripture and are helpful for our formation. This heritage informs everything we do in our worship, teaching and common life.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. Strong Relationships. <\/b>Relationships are the context in which growth in the grace of Christ is both experienced and measured. We are all in relationships \u2013 with individuals, with communities, and with our Creator. As a church, we are in relationships with other churches, our neighborhood, and our city. Covenant wants to foster and support healthy, redemptive relationships both individually and corporately.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. The City. <\/b>God has placed us in the city for a reason. Loving our neighbors means that we work for the good of our city. \u00a0We\u2019re committed to having a local presence that is manifested through all of the particular ministries of the church, as well as in partnerships with other city ministries.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \n
            1. Gospel Outreach. <\/b>The good news of the grace of Christ is the greatest thing that any of us has ever heard. We are called to minister that grace not only to ourselves, but also to the city and the world in which we live, across lines of race, culture and socioeconomics.<\/span><\/span>22<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Covenant is committed to a robust and comprehensive gospel outreach that encompasses both the Great Commission (making disciples) and the Great Commandment (making peace and establishing justice).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Vision A church, a city, and a world\u00a0continually made new by the grace of Christ This vision comes from the Apostle John\u2019s vision of the Risen Christ in Revelation 21.5, where he writes that he saw Jesus, seated on the throne, saying, \u201cBehold, I am making all things new.\u201d This is the reality toward which God\u2019s people, and, indeed, the entire world, are headed.\u00a0Scripture is punctuated with the truth that in the incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":244,"parent":10,"menu_order":10,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/covenantchicago.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/covenantchicago.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/covenantchicago.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/covenantchicago.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/covenantchicago.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/covenantchicago.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/covenantchicago.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/covenantchicago.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/covenantchicago.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}