INTRODUCTION
God has chosen Jesus’s church to be the primary vehicle for redeeming and restoring creation, bringing good news to a broken world that Heaven has invaded Earth as God had intended from the beginning through the work of Jesus. The Church is meant to be a new community that brings life and hope. Unfortunately for many, this has not been the case. The Church in the US has found pockets of success while corporately it has been in decline for sometime, but its mission, calling, and opportunity has remained the same. What will it take for the Church to reach the people of today? What is broken that needs to be fixed? What needs to change? It is not that the Church is no longer the answer or that it has lost its relevance to a postmodern world. It is just as relevant as ever and it carries the truth that surpasses all understanding. The Church…needs to be rediscovered.
Goal
It is our desire to build a church that impacts the city, brings people life, and glorifies Jesus. We dream of a church that is honest, reflective, relevant, authentic, creative, excellent, and one that people are proud to be a part of.
Vision
Rediscovering church. We believe that every person longs for a thriving and meaningful relationship with God, people, and creation. We believe that Jesus and his church have something to say about that.
MISSION
Our mission is to be and make disciples of Jesus. As part of this discipleship process we encourage everyone at Paradigm to partake in these core practices.
Weekly Gatherings
We get together weekly for authentic, meaningful, Christ-centered gatherings expressed through thoughtful reflection of scripture and a shared worship response that draws on sacred practices like singing, prayer, communion, and opportunities for the body to use their gifts.
Life in Community
Everyone at Paradigm should share their life with others in a way that feeds their soul. A great way to do this is by joining one of our community groups.
Partnering with God
We empower each other to use our gifts, talents, and abilities in and outside the church to bring the Kingdom and thus make the world better.
Personal Growth
Everyone is encouraged to cultivate their relationship with God through devotional practices.
CORE VALUES
TRUTH AND TENSION
We are captivated by Jesus. We pursue truth in the Bible, which we believe is a unified story that points to Jesus. As we honestly explore who Jesus is and what He teaches, there are things that are clear and things that we need to hold in tension. We value the reality of mystery and are committed to wrestling with scripture as we pursue God and the Bible together.
Story
We all make sense of our lives through story. From skeptic to believer, your story matters. We value and want to know your story: who you are, where you come from, and where you are going. We believe that the Bible and the good news of Jesus is the greatest story ever told, and if we allow it to, it will have a profound effect on the outcome of ours.
Authentic Transparency
Shame and brokenness are a painful reality of the human condition. They cause us to run away and to hide parts of ourselves from God and each other. Yet, we have a deep desire to be seen, known, and accepted. To be a community where true connection can happen, we must foster trust and provide a safe environment where we can take the risk of being vulnerable and transparent.
Creativity and Artistry
God has placed a special declaration on humans. We are image bearers of the infinitely creative God. This means we are creative and artistic in our nature. For generations, the arts have impacted culture and the church because of how the communicate beauty to the heart of every person. Simply put, art brings God glory. We strive to create an environment that values and honors the arts, so that they can move our souls and point us to Jesus.
City
Where we live matters. God has placed His children in cities for a reason. The greatest gift we could give our city is the good news of Jesus. We want to see the Kingdom of God come to our city through our participation in the life of our town. Our desire is for our city to be blessed, served, and we want to see it flourish. We love our city and so does God. It is an honor to call this place our home.