There have been many attempts through the ages to articulate what Christians believe and why we do what we do. Although we subscribe to these basic statements and doctrines, we as a movement are particularly compelled by what we call “The Big Story.”
Everything was created for good
We believe that from the very beginning God created everything good and whole. We believe that God’s initial intent for people was that we would be in harmony with creation, with each other, and with God himself. Everything just worked! And this is what God wanted from the start and is what He still wants for us today.
We rebel against God
It was simple. If we lived life the way God wanted us to, all would remain good and harmony would be maintained. However, we chose to do it our way, and everything was thrown out of balance. We began to brutalize the resources on the earth, fight with and subjugate one another, and ultimately cut off our relationship with God. We continue to reject God’s way to this day, which explains many of the pains and problems of the world.
God intervenes
However, God loved his creation too much to let it stay this way. Because of his great love, God came down to earth in the form of a man, Jesus Christ, and died on a cross so that our relationship with creation, each other, and God could be restored. His death on a cross gave anyone who wanted it a chance to step into a new kind of living where we take care of creation, love one another, and speak face to face with the living God.
We are sent to heal
But the story doesn’t end with us! Because there is still so much more work to be done, Jesus actually sends us out in community to be healing agents to the world. Just like Jesus invites us into a new kind of living, he sends us out with His authority to invite others into this kind of living! This is an invitation into an exciting adventure in partnering with God, and its this invitation that ultimately drives everything we do on campus.