New Life Church / 1083 Cool Springs Industrial Drive / O'Fallon, MO 63366 / 636-240-3567 / office@nlchurch.org

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Passions provide the foundation for formulating goals and setting the direction of a church’s ministry. They are the foundation upon which the church is built. Passions are consistent, biblical, and distinctive convictions that determine our priorities, influence our decisions, drive our ministry, and are always demonstrated by our behavior.

OUR PASSIONS ARE:

RELEVANCE: We will strive to communicate, live, and minister in relevant, meaningful, and contemporary forms that speak to circumstances, needs, and challenges people face in today's world. We will speak to our peers in a way they understand, in the language of today’s culture, in order to communicate who Jesus is and the love he has for each of us. We will do everything with the excellence that the world expects and that God deserves. (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

EXPERIENCE: We desire that every person have a powerful, life changing, personal encounter with God. The core of a relationship with God is experience with Him and of Him. We prize worship that is inspiring, a prayer life that is active and vibrant, and study of the Bible that is dynamic and life-giving. These activities we believe will lead us to encounter God’s presence in our lives. We desire for every person to experience the awe, the wonder, and the love of God in their life. (Isaiah 6:1-8)

CONNECTION: In a rapidly changing culture that often alienates and isolates us from others, we value the building of relationships. We will reconnect people with God, helping them to find a saving relationship through his son Jesus. We also will connect people to one another for support, healing, embracing, resourcing, serving, and learning. We believe that every person can make a difference for God, especially in the lives of others. The church is not a building but individuals who are forever being changed, connected, and joined together by His love and grace. (Ephesians 2:11-22)

WHOLENESS: In a world of brokenness, we value wholeness in our lives, our families, and our relationships. We value heart wholeness – the restoration and renewal of our lives through the Holy Spirit living in us. We uphold the Bible as the guidebook for healthy, successful, victorious living. We will help each person to grow and be like Jesus in attitude, action, and heart. Our desire is that each person be transformed into the image of Christ: not to judge but to love, not to separate but include, not to condemn but to forgive.  (Ephesians 4:12-13)

AUTHENTICITY: We value living transparent lives as we share our joys and struggles in life. None of us is perfect. Rather than hide from one another and from God pretending to be something we are not, we live with openness and honesty. In all that we do, we value being real and authentic.(Philippians 3:12-14; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

CHANGE: The world around us is in constant change. Rather than fear it or feel threatened by it, we embrace change as necessary and desirable in our relationship with God, our relationships with one another, and in life. Change moves us from where we are to where we ought to be. With change comes the hope and the opportunity for our relationships and our lives to be enhanced, to be stronger rather than weakened.  (Matthew 18:3)

PEOPLE: You have never looked into the eyes of a person for whom God did not care. Whether a person is following Jesus with their whole heart, opposed to God, skeptical, or giving up on faith, God passionately loves us and longs for every person to know him better. Like Jesus, we especially treasure those who have not committed to a relationship with Jesus Christ and have not found a place to worship. We commit to do whatever it takes to reach those who are not yet Christian and see them come to have a relationship with Christ.   (1 Corinthians 9:19)