Our Philosophy: "We Come Together"

We come together...

We come together in a spirit of respect, curiosity and warm welcome.

We come together in faithful fellowship not with the desire to change another’s opinion, but in the hope we will find in another a connection.  We welcome all our thoughts, stories, hopes and concerns and do not want to pressure each other.

We come together to inquire rather than debate; to share rather than shape; to connect rather than confront.  We pray to be open to the Holy Spirit and whatever surprises we may find in new insights and greater understanding.  We allow ourselves and each other the room to change or to remain where we are in any thought or decision.

We come together to share not just the unique thinking of our minds, but the authentic and vulnerable voices of our hearts.

We come together as one church knowing that no two Presbyterians are alike.  We strive to remember that we are all called to witness our faith uniquely within a common heritage and tradition.  We seek fellowship and realize that to do so may mean putting aside many preconceived notions; we open ourselves to see, hear, and experience each other as a new creation.

We come together to share ourselves.  We speak from the heart.  We speak truthfully.  We speak from our own experience, using “I” more than “we” or “you” or “they.”

We come together to speak and to listen.  We remember that one may need to talk as much as another and so we share the time with each other.  We listen gently, speak thoughtfully.

We come together knowing there are deep feelings, sometimes swirling around us like a troubled sea.  We accept that each of us may express strong views or passionate feelings at times.  We strive not to take these personally, but to listen for the vitally important value that lies beneath and to seek to understand.

We come together in our faith and with a leap of trust in each other.  We promise to hold what we hear in confidence.

We come together in faithful humility, mindful that our greatest certainty is only in God’s love and saving grace and mercy.  We remember the words Paul wrote to the early Christian community: outdo one another in showing honor.

We come together.