Our mission is to glorify God by collectively reaching the lost, making disciples and joining God in His mission to bring renewal throughout Durham, the Triangle area and the rest of the world.
Our core values help us stay on track to accomplish that mission. They are the non-negotiable commitments that set our church apart in the community and describe our true identity and purpose. These nine values each find their place within the overarching themes for our church: Gospel, Family and Mission.
GOSPEL
GOSPEL-CENTRALITY
We believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest news ever told about the greatest person who ever lived who offers the greatest gift anyone could ever receive! In essence the Good News of Jesus is the riches of God’s grace made available to all because of His sacrificial death for sinners. We believe that change or transformation of any lasting kind in a person, a family, or a city cannot happen apart from this Gospel of grace. So the Gospel is central to all we do at Trinity Life Church. We press the gospel upon our minds and hearts constantly so that we don’t view it as merely a set of beliefs, but as a power that changes us profoundly and continually. (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:5-6, 2:6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
DEVOTED WORSHIPPERS
We want to be people who are devoted to worshiping Jesus and not religious forms or structures. We want to carve out time daily to be alone for prayer, Bible reading and worship. We also make time to join with others to pray, study His Word and sing. We regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper and can’t stop thanking Him for His mercy. These are not obligations we try to squeeze in, but cravings we can’t live without. We do not require gifted communicators, musicians, big stages and bright lights for this; we just love to worship Jesus even in the most basic settings. It is the Object of worship that makes worship exciting to us. (John 4:23; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:1; Ephesians 5:18-20)
GOSPEL RENEWAL
We believe the Gospel does not only have implications for our private lives and Christian community, but also it affects all of our surrounding relationships, neighborhoods, communities and daily work. The Gospel is the story of God’s great, big plan to renew and reconcile all things to himself. As we build our lives on the foundation of the Gospel – letting it inform and shape our work (schools, business, the arts, the academy, government, etc.), it changes and renews the culture around us. The Gospel forms in us a new worldview, new inner motives, new conceptions and a new power for every area of life. As members of Trinity Life Church live out Gospel-centered, Spirit-filled lives within their spheres of influence we will see hearts, lives and cultures renewed by the Gospel for His glory, the good of Durham and the surrounding area. (Jeremiah 29:4-7; Matthew 5:14-16; Luke 10:25-37; 1 Peter 2:12)
FAMILY
LOVING FAMILY
Trinity Life Church is not a place or event, but a community of people. The gospel communicates that God is a Father who loves us so much that He did what was necessary to make us His children and bring us into His family. In view of that reality, Trinity Life Church is a place where people love each other deeply and display that through intentionality and sacrifice. We seek a bond that is only possible because of our common fellowship with Jesus and is not determined by ethnicity, social status, age or any other natural delineation. As a church we genuinely share our lives with each other and seek to obey all of the “one another” commands in Scripture. Christ wants us to be known for our love, and He also claimed that our unity would cause others to believe in Him. Therefore, our goal is not merely to get along or be acquaintances, but to love each other to the extent that Christ loved us. (Matthew 12:46-50; John 13:34-35, 17:20-23; 1 John 4:7-12)
GRACE ORIENTATION
We fully acknowledge that we are saved by grace and therefore, we are a grace-oriented people. Knowing that God has extended unmerited favor to us, we extend grace to one another in hopes of unity, growth, and witness. We presume good will, pursue unity and intentionally build each other up. We resist gossip, division and slander. Where there is joy, we seek to celebrate. Where there is conflict, we seek out reconciliation. Where there is need, we seek to help. We show grace to unbelievers in hopes that they will experience saving grace as well. Since we have received such a great grace in Christ, we are humbly resolved to extend that grace to others. (Matthew 5:23-24; Luke 6:27-36; Ephesians 4:25-32; Colossians 3:12-17)
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
At the core of our faith is this belief that an amazingly powerful and loving God humbled Himself and died for us. Therefore, at the root of our calling is a command to imitate Him and serve one another. In Jesus’ kingdom the way up is down. Just as Jesus came not to be served but to serve others, we will also posture our lives in that way. Consumers and takers are the most miserable people on the planet; God made us for so much more. When we gather, we take our eyes off of ourselves, use our God given gifts to meet the needs of others and see everyone mutually edified. The Holy Spirit has given every believer a gift that is to be used for building up the body; not just the rich, beautiful and overly talented. God desires to see all of His kids serving to their full potential and displaying His power and grace. One of the primary jobs of church leaders is not to do most of the work only using their gift, but to help others develop their character and gifting through modeling and teaching. (Matthew 20:28; John 13:12-17; Philippians 2:1-8; 1 Peter 4:10)
MISSION
SPIRIT-FILLED MISSIONARIES
We believe every believer is a missionary – joining God in his Kingdom work of renewing our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, city, nation, and world. Each of us (not just occupational ministers) has been gifted and called by God for good works that will make Him known to others. Therefore, with the help of the Spirit, we take ownership of this reality and want to be a people of supernatural character, focused on sharing the gospel with neighbors and coworkers. We want to be people who are not focused on survival or higher standards of living, but generous with our time, talents and treasures for God’s mission. Our goal is that each one of us becomes more like Christ, and develops the ability to lead others to Him, make disciples and help plant more churches. (Matthew 28:18-20; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; Colossians 4:2-6)
STEWARDSHIP AND GENEROSITY
We fully acknowledge that everything we have is a gift from God, therefore, we want to make everything we have available to God for the sake of the Gospel. Because God has given to us, we give the entirety of our lives to God. As an act of worship and stewardship, we discern how to utilize our God-given resources to edify the body of believers and reach out to our communities. We believe that giving is an act of faith, pleases God, and strengthens our trust in Him. So we make our time, talents, spiritual gifts and financial resources available to be used by God all for the sake of the Gospel. (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 9:23-25; 2 Corinthians 8:3-5; James 1:17)
SUFFERING SOJOURNERS
We want to be people who are ultimately and eagerly waiting for the return of Christ and the full establishment of his kingdom. This is what the New Testament urges believers to anchor their hope and purpose in. This current life is not our final destination and this fallen earth (as it is now) is not our ultimate home. We live as aliens and strangers here, waiting for a better city and life to come. Therefore, we refuse to focus on what we can see and ultimately pursue comfort, but rather thrive with joy in any hardship we get to endure for the sake of the Gospel. As modeled by the early followers of Jesus, we are willing and even want to suffer because our Savior suffered for us. This is a call for all of us as believers and not just for leaders or those serving in missions in persecuted areas of the world. (John 15:18-21; Acts 14:21-22; 1 Peter 2:10-12, 4:12-19)