Biblical Authority: Our doctrine, methods, and message must by shaped by God’s word rather than pragmatics or any other alternate authority. This specifically applies to our ecclesiology (how church is defined and formed) and missiology (how we fulfill the Great Commission).

Spirit Dependency: We depend on God’s Spirit for power and guidance. God supplies the power by which churches grow and fulfill their mission. Thus, we prioritize depending upon the Spirit’s power through worship and prayer. God’s Spirit also supplies leadership consistent with God’s word. The Spirit is free to move in a manner outside of our original plans or paradigms, and we should maintain a humble Spirit that submits to His lead, testing all things by God’s word. We will seek the Spirit’s lead for right direction, timing, and methods through prayer and careful biblical application.

Disciple Making: Disciple making is our strategy for church planting. Our aim is not to secure a space, hoping lost people come to us. Neither is it our aim to start new churches by attracting Christians away from other churches. Our aim is to make disciples, gathering them into churches where they can grow to obey Christ in every area of life. Church planting is the derivative; disciple making is the goal.

The Local Church: Since the Great Commission belongs ultimately to the church, disciples should be made and churches should be planted under the authority and care of existing churches. Disciple-making movements should operate through and under local churches.

Church Health & Fidelity: We are not against rapid church replication as the Spirit moves, yet church health and fidelity should not be sacrificed merely for the sake of rapidity. Planters should be assessed and Pastors ordained on the basis of biblical qualifications and spiritual readiness. Our aim is to plant healthy churches that grow healthy disciples and glorify God long-term. That said, one measure of health for both a church and a disciple is replication.

Faith: The gospel demands faith not merely at a moment during our conversion but as a defining characteristic of our lives as Christians (“the righteous shall live by faith”). Church planting is costly; it costs time, money, and people. We believe God can be trusted to provide all that is needed. Those who sow bountifully will also reap bountifully. We will live by faith, which will require us to take risks and prioritize generosity.