We are a group of people trying to figure out what it looks like to live in the way of Jesus with the heart of Jesus today.
We do this through three pathways: environments that feel like coming home, experiences that help people encounter Jesus and take next steps, and by becoming a church our city and world would miss if we were gone. We are built on the values of presence, practice, wholeness, family, renewal, and roots. We are grounded in the lives and faith of those who have gone before us, but also we believe Jesus has a beautiful mission for us in the present.
01
PRESENCE
God is here. He’s all around us and dwells within us. We believe there is no greater delight than experiencing God’s presence. Life, peace, freedom, and joy come when we experience and respond to Jesus’ nearness through his Spirit. Our prayer is that of Moses, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” Therefore, we posture our hearts to be attentive to God’s presence as we gather to worship and scatter this good news.
02
PRACTICE
Learning grace is the process of transformation. We are convinced transformation happens by grace as we align our lives with the gospel, and ‘tune our hearts to see God’s grace’. It is our desire to be a learning community that embraces spiritual practices with joy. We participate in worship, prayer, scripture reading, memorization, sabbath, generosity, silence, solitude, and more because we believe actively training ourselves through healthy spiritual rhythms directs our whole selves toward being formed into the image of our Lord and Rabbi, Jesus.
03
WHOLENESS
The gospel is hope for healing our relationships with God, others, ourselves, and all creation. Jesus models what it means to be a whole human being and we long to live in his way. We believe God wants to bring about a new humanity by redeeming every part of us and our stories. Therefore, we want to be a colony of hope reminding the world all of life is sacred and all of our fears, failures, and brokenness can be restored and made whole. This means we value being fully integrated people — Physical, Emotional, Mental, Spiritual, Relational, Vocational, Financial — offering all of ourselves to God.
04
RENEWAL
Our church does not exist for ourselves, but to join God in his redemptive work. Jesus calls his church to be a compelling force for blessing in the world and we see ourselves as agents of God’s kingdom for the betterment of His world. We believe the church is at its best when it serves, sacrifices, and loves, caring about the things God cares about, and equips people with vision and tools for joining in God’s redemptive plan. That’s why we are passionate about relieving suffering, fighting injustice, and holding out the gospel as the hope of renewing all things.
05
FAMILY
We acknowledge and value the image of God in all people, everywhere. We believe all of us are created to live deeply with one another, to carry each other’s burdens, to share our possessions, to pray for and confess our sins to each other, to suffer and celebrate together. In a harsh and often unforgiving world, we believe the church must always be the place where people can find, receive, and give grace. In these honest, loving relationships God transforms us and truth becomes a reality. One of the primary metaphors for the church is that of a family. As family, each person has a part to play and a gift to share that contributes to the whole. The way of Jesus cannot be lived alone – we need people of different ages, backgrounds, and passions to shape our community.
06
ROOTS
We affirm the central truths of historic orthodox Christian faith. We see ourselves in a long line of generations taking part in the ongoing conversation between God and humanity. The Scriptures are the voices of many who have come before us, inspired, and carried by God to pass along their poems, stories, accounts, and letters of response in relationship with each other and the living God. We are part of an ancient stream moving toward a glorious future, and always want to remember God’s faithfulness in our stories and in the lives of those who have walked before us.
All Are Welcome
At South Fellowship Church, we welcome people from all backgrounds and at any spiritual level. Our functions and services are open to any person who is willing to come and explore the Christian faith. Our aim, in everything we do, is to help people live in the way of Jesus with the heart of Jesus. We believe that Jesus’ life was not only necessary for our salvation but it was also an invitation to live as he lived. We long to become more like him and help others do the same because that is ultimately what the world needs.
What We Believe
As a community of faith, we ground ourselves first and foremost in the Scriptures. We also have great respect for the lives and faith of those who have gone before us. Both the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed provide an overview of the essentials of our Christian faith and the doctrine we believe is foundational to following the way of Jesus. While we believe the essentials are contained within the Creeds, we also have articulated our position on a number of key doctrinal issues in our short statement of faith. If you have questions about where we stand theologically or if you’d like our full statement of faith, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Financial Accountability
South Fellowship is accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, which requires high standards of biblical accountability, board governance, financial transparency, integrity in fundraising, and proper use of charity resources. This membership provides an extra level of accountability, helping demonstrate our adherence to strict guidelines and openness with regards to our finances.
