Community is a way of life (and hard work)
Church of the Apostles seeka to actively engage Christian faith and intentional community, not as a set of doctrines we espouse, but as a way of life we are leading that mirrors and reflects what God is like as ‘a relationship of persons’ – Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Trinity).
We hold that ‘God is relationship,’ so as we engage community (forming, nurturing and sustaining good and right relationships with one another) we are not just pleasing to God, we are participating ‘in God’ and in God’s creative, saving, renewing and redeeming work in the world.
Just as God is made known to us in three persons, we engage community in three ways: community to you, you to community, and you in community in God.
God has invited you and we welcomed you to Church of the Apostles community and now you are asked to ‘engage.’
Engaging community hard work... It is hard work to allow yourself to become known and to know (being present with, available to, and mindful of others).
No one can do these things for you. In community you are called to both reach out and allow yourself to be reached. What church provides is a spiritually conductive environment for community to happen, but it is your holy work to help ‘make’ Chrisitian community together with others.
Community engagement happens as we practice faith together. 'Full, active and conscious' participation is key. Unlike individual philosophies that can be lived out isolation from others, our practices outline a common and intentional lifestyle and modus operandi (way of operating) together as a 'Jesus collective,' and as individuals in our daily lives and work as Christians in the world.
We engage community around Jesus with a set of common practices that have been core to Christian identity, life and mission throughout the ages. - By engaging in hospitality, worship, prayer, scripture reflection, tithing, confession, forgiveness, fasting, feasting, pilgrimage, mutual discernment and sabbath.