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Madison Church: Square Podcast
OUR SHARED VALUES
As Christians, our worth is not determined by wealth, power, or fame. We are determined to find stronger support to help us move beyond our fears, anxieties, and weaknesses. As we seek, day by day, to live out our faith, these aspects of life are held to higher standards. These important principles shape us as Christians and help us to live a full life, which is given to us by Christ.
DEPENDENCE ON GOD
We increase our dependence on God with the help of the Holy Spirit through hearing, studying, and living God’s word, and faithful prayer, worship, and fellowship.
Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5
AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY
We act with love and care in personal relationships, small groups, and ministry teams by encouraging and being accountable to one another under Christ.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” – Philippians 2:3-4
DIVERSITY WITH JUSTICE
We celebrate diversity in community as God’s gift to us, and pursue reconciliation with justice among ourselves and in our society and systems as our response to God.
“Christ’s purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” – Ephesians 2:15b-16
GIFT-BASED SERVING
We all are equally valuable image-bearers of God, regardless of ability, age, gender, and race, and serve God and one another with Christ-like passion and Spirit-conferred gifts.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” – 1 Peter 4:10
KINGDOM IMPACT
We advance Christ’s Lordship by developing disciples and leaders for serving in multicultural settings, and by reciprocal partnering with other congregations and ministries.
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” – 2 Timothy 2:2
LOCAL-GLOBAL OUTREACH
We share God’s love by actions and words in the neighborhood of each congregation, and with our neighbors throughout our city, our nation, and the world.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 22:37-39.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” – Matthew 28:19-20
Madison Church: Square Podcast
Citizens of a Scandalous Kingdom W/Pastor Andrea Bult
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It would seem that John the Baptist knew exactly who Jesus was... and yet when things did not go the way he had planned, and he is sitting in Herod's dungeon, he questioned everything he knew. John sent his messengers to Jesus to ask him, "Are you the one? Or should we wait for another?" There is a lot of heartbreak in that question. It represents some deep disappointments and some dashed expectations. But the Messiah did not arrive according to his expectations, nor does he always show up according to ours! Jesus ushered in his kingdom with service and sacrifice rather than storming the gates in power and force, which is often how we wish he would take care of things. "Blessed are those not offended on account of me," Jesus said. We are blessed when we are not scandalized by the smallness, meekness, and self-sacrifice that Jesus leads us in on the way to the Kingdom being realized.