WHO WE ARE
CHANGED BY CHRIST TO LOVE LIKE CHRIST
CHANGED BY CHRIST TO LOVE LIKE CHRIST
We rely solely upon the grace and truth of Jesus — lived together in wholehearted community and formational practices — as the biblical path to joyful, meaningful life.
OUR MISSION
To experience and express the Biblical grace and truth of Christ that transforms all people into fully devoted followers/disciples.
OUR VISION
A GROVE is a place where individual trees grow with others until they ultimately become exponentially more healthy and fruitful together through an intentional process of planting, protection, and pruning carried out with excellence and care.
OUR MIDDLE APPROACH TO WIDE BELIEFS
Seventeenth-Century Lutheran theologian, Rupertus Meldenius, wrote, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” Godly love is not just religious rhetoric; it is the theological throughline that marks the path of true and transformational discipleship. When we abandon a perspective of love and unity, especially toward other believers, we abandon the true essence the gospel itself. This is a non-negotiable of the gospel (I John 4:8-21)
To that end, there will always be peripheral doctrines upon which Biblically-rooted and committed Christ followers disagree, so we strive to focus upon the central, gospel-informed theological perspectives that have marked the Church universal since its inception and throughout the centuries to follow. Thus, we recognize the importance of having defined framework around which we grow in maturity and relate to one another as a community of believers. We hold the following values and creeds to be at the core of who we are and what we believe.
OUR VALUES
BIBLICALLY BASED
We believe God’s Word is our guide, authority, and conscience in everything. We stand firm where it stands firm and remain flexible where it is flexible. (2 Timothy 3:16)
GROUNDED IN GRACE
As fully devoted followers we acknowledge our complete dependence on the goodness and grace of God. We believe that this choice is what transforms individuals and sets them on a path to full devotion. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
PASSIONATE ABOUT PRAYER
As fully devoted followers we believe the action of prayer is essential in every aspect of our lives. (Colossians 4:2)
AUTHENTIC IN OUR WALK
We will be defined by authenticity, integrity, openness, and sincerity. Allowing God’s transformative grace to be expressed through our lives. (1 Timothy 1:5)
COMMITTED TO THE UNCOMMITTED
As fully devoted followers we believe that lost people matter to God; therefore, they matter to us. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and has left us here, in part, to do the same. Our individual lives and church efforts will reflect this Kingdom Minded Value. (Luke 19:10)
COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY
As fully devoted followers we believe life-change happens best in the context of relationships. Belonging to the Body of Christ requires a commitment to being intentionally with others in accountable, encouraging relationships. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
FOCUSED ON MINISTRY AND SERVICE
We believe that through grace each individual has received a gift and should use it in serving others. We believe excellence honors God and reflects His character and we strive for excellence without compromise in all areas of our ministry and lives. (1 Peter 4:10)
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Our beliefs are in alignment with the Church universal throughout history, best expressed through the ancient Apostles' Creed that believers have ascribed to for almost 2000 years.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy universal* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
*originally written as catholic - meaning universal, or the true Christian church of all times and all places
RACIAL JUSTICE & RECONCILIATION
Acts 17:26 says "And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth…
Racism in any form is a grave sin against God and man. Mankind is made in the image and likeness of God. Racism stands vehemently against this truth by attempting to subjugate, suppress and destroy His image in humankind. Like all sin, racism is destructive, divisive, and ultimately demonic. It is never benign, respectable, or acceptable.
Racism has been part of the human condition since sin entered the heart of man. Death, strife, and turmoil follow in its path. History proves that where racism is sanctioned by those in government or in power, grave suffering follows. In the United States, we have seen its impact historically through systemic slavery, segregation, and subjugation of minority peoples. In modern days, though many laws have changed, many negative effects remain. Civil unrest from racial tensions has again risen to a fever pitch. Prejudice and bias can be found in many sectors of society, even in the Church of Jesus Christ.
Because the Church of Jesus Christ has been complicit in the sin of racism, the Church must now repent of racism and take a stand against all of its forms and expressions. Racism has no place in our lives, families, churches, government, or nation. Each culture and ethnicity is made in God’s image and therefore bears inestimable, God-given value.
We recognize that religion has been used as a means to affirm and support racist ideologies. Today, as the Church of Jesus Christ, we repent of racism and reject any “religious movement” that embraces it. The church of Jesus Christ must express the values of love, unity, empathy, and forgiveness, which are critical components of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, in faith that our actions today will shift the spiritual climate that has emboldened religious separations and racial divisions in our nation, we affirm the following:
The Imago Dei and the Gospel
We believe that cultural reconciliation is inherent to the gospel of Jesus Christ and it is only through the gospel that reconciliation between cultures is possible. There is no power other than the power of the cross of Christ that is able to destroy historic cultural divisions and systemic racism, bringing unity and peace.
Therefore, we reject and renounce any “supposed gospel” that divides people across cultures, genders or Christian denominations. We commit to faithfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, which espouses the values of righteousness and justice, the reconciliation of God and man, and the reconciliation of man, one to another. We commit to stand against racism in every form, never again allowing it to gain a foothold within our spheres of influence. We also commit to publicly and privately declare that all people are made in the image and likeness of God, through preaching and practice, respecting the dignity and value of every person.
Oneness in Christ
We believe that our identity as brothers and sisters united together in Christ across cultures, ethnicities, and denominations, as expressed in the Word of God, supersedes any public, private, or personal ideology, race, gender, religion, political affiliation, culture, or creed.
Therefore, we reject and renounce any philosophy that exalts any human affiliation above our shared oneness and identity in Christ. We commit to identify ourselves as members together of the body of Christ and ambassadors of the kingdom of God above any cultural, social, political, or economic identification or affiliation.
Christian Responsibility
We believe the Church of Jesus Christ must take responsibility to lead in the effort to see unity exalted and racism destroyed in this generation so that the other spheres of culture and subsequent generations may stand in the blessing of reconciliation.
Therefore, we reject and renounce passive acceptance of social norms that lend toward disunity and division. We commit to engage in works of redemptive justice that espouse and affirm our belief that the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to impact the spheres of our society.
(These statements are not exhaustive and have been adapted from the Atlanta Covenant. Full statements available here)