Enduring Principles
Our Enduring Principles have unfolded as our community's faithful response to our heritage and our continuing experience with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. While we believe these principles to be eternal, our expression of them will continue to evolve as our understanding grows.
Grace & Generosity
God’s grace, especially as revealed in Jesus Christ, is generous and unconditional. In response to God’s grace, we generously share our witness, resources, ministries, and sacraments. Our generosity is not based on obligation or formulas, but according to our true capacity as disciples.
Sacredness of Creation
In the beginning, God created everything and declared it good. All creation, both the seen and the unseen, is connected, and we join with God as stewards of care and hope for all creation.
Continuing Revelation
Scripture is an inspired and indispensable witness of human response to God’s revelation of divine nature. God graciously continues to reveal divine will today as in the past, as the Holy Spirit inspires and provides witness to divine truth. In humility, we continue to share God's ongoing revelation with our community and the world.
Worth of All Persons
God views all people as having inestimable and equal worth. God wants all people to experience shalom – wholeness of body, mind, spirit, and relationships – and we join with Jesus Christ in bringing that good news to the poor, sick, captive, and oppressed. We seek to uphold and restore the worth of all people individually and in community, challenging unjust systems that diminish human worth.
All Are Called
God graciously gives people gifts and opportunities to do good, and Jesus Christ invites us to find joy in our lives by expressing our giftedness by becoming disciples who share his life and ministry. As disciples, we respond faithfully, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to our best understanding of God’s call in our lives.
Responsible Choices
God gives humans the ability to make choices about whom or what they will serve. Many people experience conditions that diminish their ability to make choices, but we all share the reality that our choices contribute to good or evil in our lives and in the world. Many aspects of creation need redemption because of irresponsible and sinful (rooted in selfishness or fear) human choices. We are called to make responsible choices within our own circumstances that are in harmony with the truths of these enduring principles.
Pursuit of Peace (Shalom)
God wants shalom (justice, reconciliation, well-being, wholeness, and peace) for all of creation, in all aspects of life. Our understanding of Zion is of just and peaceful communities that courageously and generously share the blessings that come through living by the "upside down" principles of compassion and justice proclaimed by Jesus Christ. We work with God and others to restore peace (shalom) to creation, and celebrate God’s peace wherever it appears or is being pursued by people of good will.
Unity in Diversity
Community of Christ is a diverse, international family of disciples, seekers, and congregations, and all our local and worldwide ministries are interdependent and important to the church’s mission. The church embraces diversity and unity, and we seek agreement or common consent in important matters.
Blessings of Community
The gospel of Jesus Christ is expressed best in community life where people become vulnerable to God’s grace and each other. True community includes compassion for and solidarity with the poor, marginalized, and oppressed, and upholds the worth of persons while providing a healthy alternative to self-centeredness, isolation, and conformity.
Sacred community provides nurturing and growth opportunities for all people, especially those who cannot fully care for themselves. We value our connections to each other and share a strong sense of trust in and belonging with one another – even if we never have met. We are called to create communities of Christ’s peace in our families and congregations and across villages, tribes, nations, and throughout creation.