Developing Christ-followers who trust God, love people and serve the world

"From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Ephesians 4:16

Our lives are works in progress; filled with peaks and valleys, successes and disappointments, victories and setbacks. The good news is that Christ promises to be with us at every crossroad and with the Holy Spirit living within us we are sustained through whatever life brings our way. Because we believe the ways of Christ will lead us to the best life possible, we are committed to following Him wherever He leads. With a life centered on God, we can have victory over sin and circumstance. When we love people deeply, we can become the community God intends us to be, and when we serve unconditionally we become a reflection to the world of the love Christ has for us all.

We are committed to developing Christ-followers to do the good work that God prepared in advance for us to do, serving Him through equipping others to carry out the message and love of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 4:11-16, 2 Timothy 2:2

TRUST GOD

‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’ Deuteronomy 6:4

We believe that trusting in God involves offering everything – our minds, our hearts, our bodies, our marriages, our families, and our jobs – to God our creator. We hope to encourage each other on our journey, regardless of where we are as individuals, toward redemption and a relationship with our great and holy God. We grow and display our trust in God through artistic and creative beauty, exploring the character of God through Biblical investigation and relevant teaching, and understanding God’s purpose for our lives.

Trusting God with all of our lives is an ongoing process of transformation; putting off our old life and being renewed daily by Him. We meet together on Sundays to both celebrate who God is and what He is doing in our lives, as well as to be challenged to grow in our faith in Him and love for others.

Deuteronomy 6:4, Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 16:24

LOVE PEOPLE

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

To love someone deeply requires commitment, sacrifice, vulnerability and humility. We live in a culture that discards others when they are no longer useful to us, hurt us, or don’t see things the same way we do. Forefront is a place where we commit to love people deeply, through the good and tragic seasons of life, creating a community of people who love and are loved by others. Christ’s love within us creates a new community that not only nurtures individual hearts but also serves as a sign of God’s coming Kingdom. In community we see people from diverse backgrounds loving one another that could not have gotten along without the healing power of Jesus Christ. In community we see practices of caring and helping and sharing, practices of healing and celebrating, resisting and blessing and working. Through the power of Christ we are free to be vulnerable, broken, and authentic, opening the heart for personal and communal transformation.

The primary way we foster and cultivate loving others is through small groups. Groups become a place for us to explore faith, understand our role in God’s story, become open and vulnerable with others, and share in the great (and often not so great) things that happen in our lives. Community is formed as we commit to love one another throughout the seasons of life, bringing about a real sense of belonging and hope to each of us.

Matthew 22:37-40, John 13:34-35, Acts 2:42-47, Acts 4:32-35, I Corinthians 13:1-13

SERVE THE WORLD

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame."Isaiah 58:9-10

Though we lovingly invite everyone to faith in Christ, we are committed to serving our neighbors regardless of their personal beliefs. We do this by sharing our gifts and resources for the needs of others, especially the poor. And more than merely meeting individual needs, we work for justice for the oppressed and marginalized in our society. The life of a changed Christ-follower is marked by a willingness to serve, share and give freely of what has been given to us. Through serving others, our world is no longer defined by scarcity, but by a belief that God has and will continue to provide for us all. Scripture likens Christ-followers to a body, each with its own unique identity and function.

Forefront is committed to preparing people by empowering them for building the church as well as creating the Kingdom of God in our city and the world. We acknowledge the persons who sing on stage, lead a small group, or work with the homeless are contributing to something bigger; all are helping others connect to God’s story of redemption.  Being a part of Forefront is a commitment to sharing your time, talents and resources so that we can make the world a better place and connect people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 58, Proverbs 3:27-29, Matthew 25:37-46, James 1:27, Ephesians 4:11-16