CORe VALUES

Our core values define us as a church as we live daily in community with each other and the broken world around us.

Our core values are the heartbeat of who we are as a church.

The Gospel confronts us with the reality that we are sinful, rebellious and spiritually dead, and only the redemptive work of the Son of God through His death, resurrection saves us. The Gospel does not merely allow us to escape hell and enter heaven. The Gospel is the power that drives holy living. In the Gospel, we are free to admit our weaknesses and sins, while resting in the truth that we are dearly loved children of the King. Through the Gospel, we are free to pursue new relationships, serve, and to live new lives which can change our community, culture and the world.

Prayer is the driving force for God's Kingdom to grow and expand. We are a church that prays expectantly with childlike boldness for God's gracious power to be made evident in and through us. We pray that our Father's name would be glorified in our community. The early church devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 2:42) and so do we.

Through the Gospel we are freed to serve our neighbors humbly, joyfully, and anonymously. We believe that Word and Deed ministries together reflect the incarnation of the Son of God to our community and the watching world. Our passions must be captivated by the heart of God in his love for the orphan, alien, and widow. God calls us to live as a community of his followers in our neighborhoods. Therefore, we seek to bring God's peace to our neighbors. We believe that the most effective ministry occurs in our community with our neighbors and coworkers, therefore we are a church for and in our community.

We believe that Christ is glorified most, and represented best, when every member is equipped, trained, and mobilized to serve in the ways that God has gifted them. The Church is weakened when the saints are not serving one another in love. Therefore, developing the gifts of service and love is a priority so that we can serve our church, our community and our world as God calls us. Each member is called by the Lord to works of love and service. The Church is healthiest when every member is using their gifts and talents in service of their King (Ephesians 4:11-16).

We are a community of God's adopted children unburdened from the tyranny of self-seeking and manipulative relationships. As we follow Christ we  learn to love one another freely and generously. The Gospel reconciles God to his people and people to one another. In a world where authentic relationships are hard to find, we desire to love one another in such a way that God's presence is readily seen. Our goal is that together we might know God's love, wisdom, mercy and joy (Ephesians 3:17-19).

In order to be a healthy church spiritually and emotionally, we  commit to one another in Christian unity and peace, bearing with one another in humility and grace. We neither shy from nor seek conflict, but are peacemakers speaking the truth in love. We are free to work through conflict with one another because through Christ we have been adopted into God's family. Therefore, Christ compels us to view each other as brothers and sisters, not as enemies and adversaries (Matthew 18:15).

In response to the grace that has been lavished on us through Jesus Christ, we are a church that is committed to encouraging each member to use the gifts and resources entrusted to them.
ODCF views stewardship as a whole-life issue that includes sacrificial generosity in the use of spiritual gifts, skill, time, and financial resources for the proclamation of the gospel to our neighbors and around the world, for the help and support of the church, and for the care of people in need.