Ekklesia Portland

CHRIST

Declaration – If human beings are to be restored to a proper relationship with God, with humanity, and with all of creation then the gospel of Jesus must be proclaimed with words.  Likewise, if Christians are to grow in their faith and their obedience then the gospel of Jesus must be proclaimed with words.  The good news of who Jesus is and what he has done is the center of all of Scripture and therefore it must also be the center of all preaching and teaching in our corporate gatherings, as well as the fruit of our lips in our daily interactions with people inside and outside of the faith.

Demonstration – The declared message of the gospel is only as believable as the actions that accompany it.  The Church must demonstrate the reality of the gospel by imitating who Jesus is and pointing to what Jesus has done.  We demonstrate the gospel by imitating Jesus’ humility, service, love, self-sacrifice, mercy, and grace.  We also demonstrate the gospel by allowing our lives to point to the reconciliation, redemption, and regeneration that Jesus has accomplished through his work. 

Christocentrism – As Jesus Christ is the center of Scripture and the center of history he is to also be the center of everything we say, think, and do. All of life is to be lived for Jesus’ glory in response to who Jesus is and what he has done. This means that for the Christian no part of life is insignificant, or unspiritual, or ordinary because all of life is lived to the glory of Jesus Christ.  

COMMUNITY

Unity - The Gospel is not to be lived out in isolation but in the context of community.  As God redeems individuals he unites them into one spiritual organism that exists for one common purpose: his glory.  This spiritual community functions in this world as the Body of Christ, through whom Jesus continues to minister to the world; and as the Temple of God, in whom God dwells and makes himself known to his people.

Diversity – God’s community displays unique unity through its diversity of gifts, personalities, culture, politics, peripheral beliefs, socio-economic status, race, and the like. It consists of men and women of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.  The local church should reflect the diversity of the Universal Church and serve as a small picture of God’s diverse Kingdom in the world to come. 

Discipleship - Those who have responded to the Gospel of God’s Kingdom desire to live as their King would have them live.  This life-long process of abiding in Jesus, learning from Him, and putting His words into practice is called “discipleship”.  We believe that discipleship is essential for every Christ-follower and that Jesus intends that it occur in the context of His redeemed community.  Thus, it is the responsibility of the church community to help one another learn to abide in Him, learn from Him, and follow Him; and the duty of church leadership to facilitate this.

CULTURE

Mission – As Jesus was sent to Israel so the Church has been sent to the world.  Jesus has already completed his mission of dealing with the sin problem and restoring human beings to a right relationship with God.  Our mission is simply to declare and demonstrate that Jesus’ mission is accomplished.  In the same way that Jesus was incarnational by becoming like us and coming to us in order to save us, we are to be incarnational by becoming like the people in our culture and going to the people in our culture in order to reveal Jesus to them.  Also, just as Jesus hospitably welcomes us into his community and into the presence of God we are to welcome others into our communities and our lives with hospitality.

Integration - The Gospel is never to be segregated into religious categories – it is to permeate all of life.  This is equally true of the individual and the culture.  The Gospel’s truth and power are to be fully integrated in an individual’s intellectual, emotional, volitional, and relational life. Integrated individuals then work to integrate the Gospel into the beliefs, customs, language, and artistic expressions of the culture.  To do so the Church must be involved in its surrounding culture, not merely critiquing its evils, but actively celebrating its goodness.

City – Culture is shaped in the city by the diverse people who live there and bear God’s image. Christians are to seek the peace and prosperity of the city and the people within it that God loves.  To do this we must live in the city, work in the city, and give our time and our gifts in service to the city.