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Belonging
We are stewards.
At Becoming Church, we don’t think in terms of membership so much as belonging. We use the word Steward to name the kind of posture we’re growing into together, a way of living that reflects trust, care, and shared responsibility rather than ownership.
To belong here is to participate in what God is doing among us: offering your presence, your gifts, and your voice as we learn to follow Jesus and care for one another. It’s not about having it all figured out, but about showing up with open hands, willing to be formed and to help tend this community with humility and faithfulness.
We are believers in the Christian story.
The following statements of belief form the essential theological foundation of Becoming Church. They are rooted in the historic beliefs of the Christian church and have been shaped for this community by a multi-ethnic, multi-generational group of women and men stewarding this growing community. They are not intended to say everything, settle every question, or offer a complete account of our faith. Rather, they name the convictions that give shape and direction to our life together.
We offer them as an invitation: to explore, to question, to wrestle, to listen, and to grow. They are words meant to be affirmed through practice, held in conversation with Scripture, with one another, and with the Spirit who is continually forming us. In this sense, our theology is not simply something we possess. It is a journey we enter, a practice we inhabit, and a way of becoming —a way of becoming together, regardless of race, religion, culture, gender, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status.
On God the Creator
Because we believe that God, first person of the Trinity, created all things, and has been experienced by people throughout history; we seek to live in ways that help people recognize God's work in their lives and discover their meaning, value, and true purpose– profoundly loved, gracefully restored, and invited to join in God’s ongoing work of restoration.
On Jesus Christ
Because we believe that Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, God made flesh, existed in human history, fully human and fully divine, and that his life, death, and resurrection reveal God’s love and offer salvation to all people, we seek to live in ways that reflect that love and affirm that a relationship with God is available to everyone.
On the Holy Spirit
Because we believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity and the divine and personal presence of God who indwells, regenerates, guides, and imparts spiritual gifts for participation in God’s ongoing redemptive work, we seek to live in ways that are void of scarcity, sowing generosity in the midst of life’s struggles, trusting the Spirit’s presence and work rather than our own need for control and certainty.
On Scripture
Because we believe the Bible to be inspired by God, and that it speaks to all areas of life and the human experience, we seek to live in ways that are in accordance with our understanding of what it teaches, and serve all people through the relational, material, and spiritual gifts and opportunities we are given.
On the Church
Because we believe the church is the global body of Christ, comprised of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and gifts who gather in many ways to worship, to be edified, and to bear witness to the reality of the resurrected Christ, we seek to live in ways that cultivate beloved community as an alternative to rugged individualism.
On Human Dignity
Because we believe in the inherent value and dignity of all people, we seek to live in ways that encourage and support constructive engagement with all people, especially those who share a common belief in the inherent value and dignity of all people.
On the Justice & the Marginalized
Because we believe Jesus challenged the way religious and governmental leaders exploited the poor and marginalized people of his day, and taught his followers to satisfy the needs of those people he encountered, we seek to live in ways that challenge the exploitation of the poor and marginalized of our day, examining our own participation in systems of power, challenging those who lead us and working to assure their relational, material, and spiritual needs are met.