The Values of The Exchange Church
Actions reflect belief. These 4 core values of The Exchange permeate all that we do.
Experiencing God
Real Relationships
Biblical Truth
Missional Lifestyles
Experiencing God
Following Christ should never be mechanical. Life in Jesus is about a passionate and dynamic daily relationship with God. God wants us to exchange our life for His so we can experience His life and joy. We desire to teach and lead people into this kind of lifestyle.
God is not calling us to do more things for Him but to dwell in His presence and life.
When asked what was the greatest commandment of all, Jesus gave an unusual answer. He didn’t give a list of harsh orders. Instead, He spoke of a supernatural relationship with God.
Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind.’”
Christianity begins and ends with an authentic love relationship with God through the finished work of Christ. Real, vibrant Christianity flows from this way of living.
John 15:5 “I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him he will bear much fruit; Apart from Me you can do nothing.”
The Christian life is not hard. It is impossible. That is why Christ must live his life through ours as we abide in His love.
Real Relationships
We live in a culture that steeped in isolation. Many people feel alone and disconnected from deep, meaningful relationships. God never intended for us to live as “islands” all by ourselves.
At The Exchange, we care about people because God does. That is why we want to be real and accepting of others. The church, above all places, should be an environment of love and real relationships.
1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
We need each other! We are not called to do life solo and on our own. Jesus died on the cross to create a family of worshipers.
Galatians 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Our desire is to share life together through good and difficult times. True relationships are “burden-bearing” in nature. As believers in Christ, we are called to laugh together, cry together and relentlessly love each other. That is what life together in Christ should look like.
God has given all of His children spiritual gifts to build His family here on earth. Each child of God is incredibly important to the church body and needs to exercise these gifts within the community of believers. We are committed to equipping God’s people to function they way He intended them to function.
Romans 12:5 “So in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
Biblical Truth
Many believe that the Bible is just a book of fairy tales or a good philosophy for life. However, the Bible comes directly from God through men inspired by His Spirit.
2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
The Scriptures are the final authority on life and lead us to God’s wisdom. They are God’s revelation of Himself and contain the story of His work in the lives of His people throughout history. Our goal is to make the Bible come alive to people by the straightforward teaching of its content.
2 Corinthians 4:2 “Rather we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception nor do we distort the Word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”
Our culture and world are immersed in illusions and deception. The Bible deals with reality. It is the only book that truly sheds light on the reason for our existence and gives us the wisdom to find our life’s purpose.
Missional Lifestyles
People don’t need a church to help them: They need the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. As God’s people, we are called by God to be “ministers of reconciliation.” That means we are to lovingly engage our world with the truth of God. The only message that can change sinful hearts is the message of Christ’s death and resurrection.
2 Corinthians 5:20 “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors…”
We believe that every single follower of Christ is called to be a minister to this world and not a spectator who lives a passive lifestyle towards a hurting world.
Too many Christians live safely in a sub-culture that distills information and good theology but never attempt to reach out to those around them. We believe that theology without missions is unbiblical and incomplete.
We desire to be witnesses of the revolutionary power of Christ by our changed lives and by sharing His message of hope for a hopeless world.
It starts at home and then branches out across the globe.
Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Part of the Great Commission includes planting new biblically solid and culturally relevant churches. This will be a part of the “DNA” of The Exchange.
The Exchange is determined to be a light in our community and world by feeding the hungry, helping the hurting and restoring the broken. It is not enough to simply preach sermons: our lives must be sermons!
John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples - that you have love for one another.”