House of Hope Core Values
Houserville UMC House of Hope
CORE VALUES
Connect , Grow, Serve & REST!
Connect – ALL People Matter To God
God’s priority is people and – guess what? The House of Hope
values people! We are a healing community. We welcome and
respect all people. We value our differences. Because Jesus gave a
direct command to go out and make disciples of all people, our first
priority is to those who do not yet know Him. As Jesus gave himself
for others, so we sacrifice in order that those who don’t have faith
would come to know Jesus and experience a life filled with hope.
Connect – Loving, Hopeful Community
The House of Hope values loving relationships and unconditional
love. Accountability, belonging, care, and spiritual growth happen
best in community. Christian community is marked by love,
acceptance, authenticity, fellowship, service and grace.
Grow – Continual Growth in Discipleship
The House of Hope values spiritual growth. Christianity is not a
destination; it is a journey with Jesus as leader. All Christians are
called to grow in faith and knowledge in order to be more like Jesus.
Grow – The Transforming Power of the Arts
Though the message of Jesus never changes, the world and the ways
we communicate do change. The House of Hope values the arts as a
way of sharing the GOOD NEWS. We believe that the Gospel is
brought to life through music, drama, dance, and other art forms.
We sing. We dance. We laugh together. We celebrate life!
Serve – The Ministry of All Christians
All Christians are called by God to be in ministry in the world. The
term minister is used to describe any Christian who responds to
God’s call to reach out to the world and its people through loving
acts of service. We are all called to serve as ministers in a variety of
ways, sharing our gifts (talents) and resources to build up the church
and God’s world. God calls all people to minister by following the
example of Jesus, who led by becoming a servant to all.
We could all use a little REST:
R – Reason
We use our reason to read and interpret Scripture. Reason is the tool
we use to inform our daily choices so that we can live out our faith
every day, in good times and in bad.
E – Experience
By experience we mean especially the “new life in Christ,” which is ours
as a gift of God. Such rebirth and personal assurance gives us new eyes
to see the living truth in Scripture. But we mean also the broader
experience of all the life we live: its joys; its hurts; its yearnings. We
interpret the Bible in light of our life experiences. We interpret our life’s
experience in light of the Bible’s message.
S – Scripture
In thinking about our faith, we rely on the Bible. The Bible is sacred. It is
the decisive source of our Christian witness and the authoritative
measure of the truth in our beliefs. When we study the Bible, we
interpret individual texts in light of their place in the Bible as a whole.
With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the input and support of others,
and resources provided by Biblical scholars, we work to discern the
original intention of the text and its meaning for our own faith and life.
T – Tradition
Throughout history, God has sent countless witnesses. Through their
words in creed, hymn, discourse, and prayer, through their music and
art, and through their courageous deeds, we discover Christian insight
that illumines our Biblical understanding. This living tradition comes
from many ages and many cultures. Even today, Christians living in far
different circumstances from our own all over the world are helping us
discover fresh understandings of the Gospel.
