OUR VISION

We are an independent, inter-denominational, and progressive church, drawing from many different traditions within the Christian faith. Progressive means our faith is always evolving and changing. We are Christians today because groups of people throughout time have progressed and evolved in their understanding of God. We embrace many different styles and expressions of worship and belief. There isn’t one right way to worship. The history of church is a never-ending journey of discovering who God is.

(Read our Forefront 1.0 doc for more info)

Who we are, what we do, and who we want to become is deeply rooted in our faith in Christ. Jesus is at the center of everything we believe. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is vital to our faith, practice, and spiritual journey. The values of our church community are drawn from the life of Jesus. We desire to emulate Him, so that Christ’s prayer of renewal "on earth as it is in heaven" may become a reality.

We believe that we’re helping to usher in the next 500 years of Christianity. Every 500 years we see a major historical shift in the way that Christianity is embodied amongst cultures, nations, and communities. We believe that we’re in the midst of another historical shift that will renew and revitalize the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We do this through our three core values and our five theological distinctives.

VALUES

WORSHIP RE-IMAGINED

There isn’t one right way to worship. We embrace many different styles and expressions of worship. We celebrate the mystery of Jesus, of our Scriptures, and of our faith. We are more interested in asking questions than prescribing all the answers in the spirit of the ancient Jewish practice of Midrash. Every Sunday we preach from our Scriptures, but sometimes we will say, “I don’t know.” We sing about God every Sunday, but don’t be surprised when we use different pronouns to refer to God. We take Communion every Sunday, where all are welcome at the table, but taking communion is not required. There are no doctrinal or belief requirements to volunteer or lead in church. We re-examine and reimagine beliefs in sermons and through community. We are here to reclaim the “good news.”

UNCOMMON KINSHIP

We are a diverse community that is committed to generously caring for one another no matter who you are or where you are in your journey. Valuing unity over uniformity means we are united by our shared values and out of those come a variety of beliefs. Our value of ‘uncommon kinship’ means that unexpected friendships form across various identities, whether in person or virtually: We might generously coordinate meal trains or grocery drop-offs for a congregant whom we may have never met. We might meet someone of a different political party in a small group. We might find ways to embrace the concept of a chosen family when our biological family refuses to affirm our identity. We might celebrate coming out at church with our chosen family. We believe in co-existing and growing together with people who have different views on prayer, scripture, and other topics. Our Kinship Cafe and Meet & Greet Time bring people of various political and theological views together, as well as various races and genders.

RADICAL EQUITY

We aspire to change the world first by changing people’s lives. For starters, anyone can preach, lead, get married, and be baptized regardless of your gender identity or sexual orientation. But more than that, we believe in more than equal opportunity but equity of outcomes. We preach that Jesus didn’t treat people equally, but he treated people equitably, with particular care for the marginalized. We understand the gospel to be political. Fully living out the Gospel includes engaging the world through politics. We are intentional about racial, gender, and sexual diversity in all levels of leadership and our community as part of our commitment to being an anti-racist, affirming, gender-equity-centered church. With each message, each relationship, and each conversation, we aim to contribute and collaborate to a more just and generous expression of the Christian faith.

FOREFRONT CHURCH BYLAWS

To view Forefront Church’s bylaws, click here to download.

PALESTINE LIBERATION

We call for a permanent ceasefire, freedom for all captives and hostages, and an end to all occupation, oppression, antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and US-funded war in Palestine and Israel. We repent that we have failed to speak up louder and sooner. We’ve had to do the work of discussing and organizing within our congregation, so we can now speak loudly with one unified voice against the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. We will not be silent.

THEOLOGICAL DISTINCTIVES

Scriptural Interpretation: We believe that we’re growing in our understanding of scripture. Scripture is not dead. God still speaks to us through it. Our eyes are opened to all of the ways that scripture is a wonderful library of wisdom that still teaches us to this day. We take scripture too seriously to take it literally. We read scripture in context and with commentary. We believe it’s relevant for us today and is authorized by the Holy spirit. Listen more here.

Interpreting the Cross: We believe in a just and generous God who was never separated from us. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are so that we can change our minds about the goodness of God, not so that God can change God’s mind about our goodness. This is the good news of the Gospel! God’s Justice is restorative, not punitive. Sin is systemic, not just individual. Listen more here (Part 1 & Part 2).

LGBTQ Inclusion: We’re an inclusive church because we believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is generous and inclusive. Queer people are included, celebrated, and integrated into our church life, ritual and theology. We have queer people represented at all levels of leadership, and an active LGBTQIA ministry, Cheers Queers. Listen more here.

Anti-Racism: As an anti-racist church, we want to transform the way we see our neighbors. This goes beyond reconciliation and diversity, but about reframing our faith. “White Christianity” is primarily about one’s private relationship with God and not about external structures or systems that affect us. At Forefront, we strive to decolonize our faith, to pray, to educate ourselves, and to take action when it comes to anti-racism. We have had a white Anti-Racist Accountability group, People of Color Decolonizing Group, and an anti-racism weekend training. Listen more here.

Politics of Jesus: We believe Jesus is political, that he was always on the side of those who were marginalized and disempowered. Political doesn’t mean partisan (e.g. vote for this party), it means we will actively name and resist systems and policies of oppression that harm the poor, immigrants, LGBTQIA folks, and people of color, especially our Black siblings. We have a Justice Ministry that seeks to enable our church to take action. Listen more here.

OUR BUDGET / OPERATING COSTS

Each year, the Forefront Brooklyn Leadership Team releases our financial report and budget for the upcoming year. We're excited about all of the good things that God is doing at Forefront. We're thankful that Forefront Brooklyn has developed a culture of strong financial health and transparency. We're glad to share this with our community. 

We're incredibly grateful for your giving that makes this budget possible, and we welcome you to contribute to our continued growth. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact the members of our Leadership Team or Staff.