We exist to help people follow Jesus and find Community for the Good of the City.
As the church, we are called to change the world by helping people meet Jesus, follow Jesus, become like Jesus, and live for Jesus through unique spiritual encounters, journeys of spiritual exploration, biblical, ministry equipping, and empowered opportunities for local and global impact.
THE NAME
The creation story found in Genesis tells us that, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” The word “good” in the Hebrew language is, “tov,’ and it sets the tone and trajectory for the whole rest of the story. The Bible goes on to tell us that Throughout the scriptures and humanity’s turning away from God, his call to his people is to return to him and the “good” that is intended for his creation from the beginning.
The beautiful thing about how the story ends is that through Jesus and his “good news,” God’s people are truly given new life and brought back to what is truly “good,” which is a restored relationship with the Creator, a life lived and filled with his Spirit, and an eternity secured by the finished work of Jesus on our behalf.
THE VISION
We see a Church that is one house with many rooms across the nation and around the world. It’s a church that is big enough to change the world but small enough to feel like home. We see a church filled with people who are devoted to prayer, committed to prioritizing the presence of God through powerful worship both corporately and privately, and who pursue Jesus through living as his disciples.
We see a church where the Holy Spirit is welcome and Jesus is honored; where altars are full of people receiving ministry and where people are equipped and empowered for the work of ministry.We see a church where the Word of God is preached boldly and passionately, and the gospel of Jesus is articulated clearly and unapologetically. A church reaching people far from God, teaching people how to follow Jesus.
We see a church that is intentionally making disciples of the next generation - raising up future leaders who love and follow Jesus.We see a church that reaches the homeless, orphans and widows, the poor, and those excluded and on the fringes of society. We see a church that engages the world through the arts to creatively connect the culture to Christ and community - a thriving, world-changing church that buildings can’t contain and the world can’t ignore.
We see a church that is following Jesus for the Good of the city.
OUR VALUES
Jesus
Tov City Church is all about Jesus. We are Jesus people! It’s not about religion or the vision of a man. Our methods will come and go, but our message will stay the same.
People
We exist for the glory of God to be revealed to people and through people to the world. Our goal is to facilitate ministry that helps people follow Jesus and find community.
Excellence
We are going to do the best we can with what we have. We express excellence in how we do what we do. We leave places better than we found them. We make the world a better place through “micro-progression.” We don’t do anything half-way. If we are going to do something, we’re going to do it to the best of our ability. If excellence is not possible, we will wait to do something until it can be done excellently. A very specific expectation for our team is that we want to be on-time, engaged, and prepared.
Servant Leadership
If you will commit yourself to serving God’s children, you will find yourself thriving in God’s kingdom! If you’re too big to serve then you are too small to lead. We believe the greatest leadership is service to others. Every leader is a servant first. From the parking lot to the pulpit, everyone serves. Every role is different, but they are all important.
Compassion
We believe that compassion is an invitation into God’s power. Jesus is moved with compassion, and we want to reflect that aspect of his nature to those around us. While we can do a lot of things and meet a lot of needs, we want compassion to be the motivation behind our movement.
Honor
We are vocal with honor, meaning we are not stingy with our words. The only thing we should compete with one another in is outdoing one another in showing honor. We operate with a heart of gratitude and preference to one another because of the value each person carries in God’s kingdom.
Generosity
God has given us more than we could ever repay; however, our response is to reflect his character in being generous. Generosity is about having a spirit of plenty. God owns everything, and his resources are not scarce. We don’t give out of compulsion, but we’re also not reluctant. We see generosity as a privilege as it is a demonstration of how God can work through us to further his purposes in the earth until he comes. We’re generous with our time, talents and treasure. We go first in our giving. God has given richly towards us, and it’s our honor to be generous in response.