Source: scottericksonart.com
RENEWAL
As a church, we value Renewal. In other words, we will make peace, show compassion, and pursue justice.
Wherever we gather for weekend worship and weekday community, groups, our desire is to be a community that shows up to serve the people of Oakland.
We can't wait until we are well-established and secure before we engage in compassion, mercy and justice for people in our city. Service isn't another thing that we tag onto our pursuit of Jesus, but it's an integral part of it. Jesus himself said, "whatever you did for the least of these, you did unto me" and "whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do unto me." (Matthew 25:31-46)
As we discover the best ways to show God's compassion, mercy, and justice for others in our city, that will clue us in to what our global service to others should be.
(See: When Helping Hurts, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert; Slow Kingdom Coming, by Kent Annan; Serving With Eyes Wide Open, by David Livermore; Generous Justice, by Tim Keller; Good News About Injustice & The Locust Effect, by Gary Haugen; The Irresistible Revolution & Jesus for President, by Shane Claiborne)