About Us
Our Core Values
They define us. They inform us. They are our guiding principles...
Love, Unity, Faith, Commitment, Freedom and Change
Love
Love is our highest value. Love for God, love for the people God places into our lives. Including those who are harder to love. Y' know- the guy who's yelling into his cell phone at the movie theater. The boss from hell who hates you for no apparent reason. The lady who refuses go above 20 mph in the 45 zone on a no-passing road. Yeah, I'm still working that one.
We believe the people in our lives who are harder to love are there to teach us how to love beyond ourselves. They are a gift from God to teach us to love as God loves. And we believe in living out a real and authentic love towards everyone around us. A good definition of love is "seeking what is in the best interest of the other person, whether they deserve it or not- and even if it costs me something in the process." That's the kind of love God shows us. He sought out what was best for us- a relationship with him. We didn't deserve it. God's Word says that while we were busy laughing at and insulting God, Christ was busy dying for us ("God demonstrates his love in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.") And it cost God the suffering and sacrifice of his Son. That's real love. And that's the pattern by which we measure our love for others. Now if that slow-moving lady would just get out of my way...
Unity
All these different churches, all these different denominations, all this fussing and fighting between them. Last I heard, it "all comes down to a man dying on the cross, saving the world" (From of a Clay Crosse song I have now blantantly ripped-off). A core value of unity means recognizing that there will be no Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal or Brethren sections in heaven. No black, white or hispanic sections. No separation based on geography or political leanings. In Christ, all true believers are part of one family, with a common Lord and faith (Ephesians 4:4-6). Jesus prayed for unity among his followers that "the world might believe that (God) sent me." Is it possible that one of the reasons it's hard to buy the whole "faith" thing is because too often all we see are churches proclaiming that they are the only ones who have the full truth? And that everyone else is wrong? Ever wonder what God might think about that? We're committed to seeking points of agreement and finding reasons to work together, not split apart. Both within our own fellowship and in the larger community of faith.
Faith
Alright, look- all churches operate on something. Some operate on big budgets and lots of money. Some operate on strong personalities and the loudest voice at a business meeting. Still others operate on tradition and "the way we've always done it in the past." At Layman, we've chosen to operate on faith. We don't make decisions based on what's in the checking account or how much we think we can squeeze from the people who attend over the next 12 months. We pray, seek God and then make decisions based on his leading. Often, those decisions involve trusting God for what we will never be able to do on our own. And that's cool because it pleases God when we go out on a limb for him. "Without faith, it is impossible to please God..."
Commitment
Have yo'self committed dude! Commitment means, "I've got your back, regardless." Even if you make me mad, I'm still committed to seeking whatever is in your best interest. Commitment is a decision of the will backed by the integrity to carry it out over a sustained period of time. Commitment isn't commitment unless it stands strong during the tough times. We seek to be committed in 4 areas: to God, God's Word, God's people (each other) and to pre-Christians who haven't yet chosen to follow Jesus. To pre-Christians, we are committed to living out the truth of God's love in such a way as to demonstrate by our actions and our lives the change God makes in a life when we choose to accept his love expressed through his Son's sacrifice on the cross for each of us. By the way, that WAS a run-on sentence, right? Oh, well- shoot me!
Freedom
I'm as free as a bird now. And this bird you'll never cha-ange. Lord knows, I can't change. So won't you fly high free bird, yeah... Cmon- you gotta love Skynyrd.
We believe strongly in freedom. We don't give in to the modern-day Pharisees or the legalists (churchey word for holier-than-thou people who are more interested in imposing their rules on you than they are in living out the truth of the faith in their own lives). We can't give in to those people. God's Word says that "it is for freedom that Christ set us free. Stand fast, therefore, and do not be entangled again by a yoke of slavery." In other words, when it comes to my freedom in Christ: hands off, bud!
Freedom is the one value that churches trample upon most. Here's a good definition of freedom in Christ- the ability to be exactly who God made you to be, and to make your own decisions in areas that the Bible does not specifically address.
Can you dance? I don't know- can you? I mean, the bible doesn't say you can't. But then again, some of you guys probably shouldn't. I've seen it-and it ain't pretty. But...you have the freedom in Christ to dance should you decide you really want to.
Some churches teach that it is a sin to go to a theater or to watch an R-rated movie. And they try to discipline members who go against their teaching. The Bible says no such thing. Certainly, biblical principles could be applied concerning the subject material of some movies. But the choice of whether or not to go to the movies or see a certain movie is an individual decision that should never be dictated by one Christian to another. Setting arbitrary standards of Christian conduct based on a movie rating system developed by people who make no claim of faith seems, well- silly at the very least. The Matrix was a great movie. So was The Passion of the Christ. Both were rated R. And I've seen PG movies that were nothing but one innuendo after another and were for me utterly void of any entertainment value whatsoever. So why should I follow the rules of a bunch of legalists when it comes to my choice of movies to watch? Answer? I don't.
With freedom comes responsibility, certainly, but freedom is a gift from God that no Christian should ever allow another person to take away. Even the ability to be the unique individual God made you to be can be restricted by others if you are not careful. Scripture does not forbid jeans and t-shirts in worship services, for instance. Or long hair or shaved heads. God doesn't say you can't have a tattoo or a piercing (not in a New Testament church-age context, anyway). God made each of us individual and different, and a church that respects freedom will respect those differences.
Change
Turn and face the strange ch-ch-ch-changes! (Gratuitous Bowie reference.) God's Spirit is a Spirit of change. In Christ, New Testament Jews were set free to enjoy pork barbecue and ham sandwiches. Converts to the faith were set free from having to submit to circumcision (thus making sure many more adult men would be willing to become followers of Christ than might otherwise have- youch!). People who choose to follow Jesus begin a process of change that doesn't end until their last days on earth. "If anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. Old things have passed away (and continue to). All things have become new (and continue to)." Churches that refuse to change as God leads are churches that refuse to have Christ as the leader of the church. For instance, God always speaks in the language of the day. Yet some churches insist on using only the King James Bible with all it's "thee's" and "thou's" and strangely worded sentences. (Think Yoda- "Strong in the Word are you, Joshua. Strong and courageous you must be...")
Strangely, some churches even fight over the style of music. They believe that songs written 100 years ago with old-style tunes and King James words are somehow more spiritual and more accepted by God than newer praise songs with contemporary melodies. As if the God who inspired the music of 100 years ago or 1000 years ago is no longer at work inspiring worship music today.
Some churches believe that pews are more spiritual in a church building than are chairs. You gotta wonder sometimes... (All that being said...we have been known to do a hymn every now and then. But we ain't busy fighting over those things. Life's too short, you know?)
As a church, we are committed to following as God leads. We are open to changing methods (song styles, using powerpoint or video clips, dressing casually, etc) while holding fast to the truths of the original message of life in Christ. Come hang out with us and give us some feedback- you might just help us make some changes in our quest to become all that God created Layman to be!
