1) We place a high priority in knowing God personally and loving Him with all our heart, mind, body, soul and strength. We therefore emphasize repentance, personal faith, and growth in Christ-likeness through an abiding relationship with God (John 15, Matt 6:33), which is maintained through daily prayer, study of the Word, obedience, devotion and worship.
2) We believe lost people matter to God and therefore reaching them with the Gospel of God’s love is our urgent privilege and duty. We therefore eagerly seek to befriend, love and clearly communicate with unbelievers the message of salvation encouraging them to put their faith in Jesus Christ.
3) We believe God made us for fellowship with Him and with one another, and that spiritual growth and life-change happens best in relationships. We therefore encourage connection to a small group, knowing people, forming healthy Christian friendships, holding each other accountable, having strong families, and creating loving space for newcomers to belong within the Body of Christ. We welcome people from all races, cultures and socioeconomic groups to God’s family at CRCI.
4) We prioritize Sunday worship when we celebrate God’s goodness, hear God’s Word, through expository preaching, welcome visitors, and fellowship with one another.
5) We believe that the work on ministry is done by lay people who have been equipped by pastoral leadership. We therefore seek to train members to recognize their gifts and use their time and talents to minister. At CRCI we emphasize that all members are ministers and that faithfulness is what God and the church expect of us.
6) We seek “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” in obedience to the Scripture and the prayer of Jesus (John 17). As a non-denominational church with people from different theological heritages, we all agree on the essential foundational doctrines of the Christian faith and yet hold differing opinions on peripheral issues of doctrine and practice. With that conviction, we seek unity with diversity. We follow the principle of the church fathers, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” We do not talk negatively about members or leadership unless they are present or as members assigned to find a solution.
7) We recognize giving as one of the most tangible expressions of faith and love for God. We also recognize that ministry takes money. We therefore encourage generous and sacrificial giving to the ministry of CRCI and and the use of biblical principles in management of personal finances.
8) We value partnerships with other churches in the mission of achieving God’s purposes on earth and in the fulfillment of the Great Commission. We seek to enlarge God’s kingdom through church planting and other missions
9) We support creativity and innovation in the ministry. We believe that the message of the Gospel and mission of the church is absolute and unchanging, but that, its forms and styles may change in order to effectively communicate and minister to a changing culture and community. We therefore encourage a spirit of creativity, innovation, and freedom in ministry. We encourage people to dream great dreams for God’s kingdom and to attempt great things for God, and to look beyond the boundaries of current activities for new ways of extending the kingdom of God to the ends of the earth.
10) Because we serve an awesome and loving God who has given all for us, we know He deserves our best. We therefore seek excellence in all we do in service to God, applying our best effort, passion and commitment for His honor and glory.