Mission, Vision & Values

Gathering at the crossroads of ancient faith and contemporary culture, we are a Christian church asking God to open us to a new way.

Edwards Church Vision Statement, 2015

OUR MISSION

Ensconced in our by-laws, our mission statement serves as an enduring touchstone.

Edwards Church Mission Statement

The purpose of this Church, in all its programs and activities, shall be to bind together followers of Jesus Christ for sharing in the praise and worship of God and in seeking and serving God. As Christians, it is our mission to respond to all God’s creation with the love Christ directs, through collective and individual worship, prayer, support, and action.

Edwards Church Welcoming Statement (April 30, 2023)

Welcome to Edwards Church. United in Christ’s love, we are committed to creating a just and loving world where all feel valued and free to be themselves.

Wherever you are on your journey of faith, we welcome you to be a part of shaping this community as it continues to evolve. We invite you to bring all that you are to this church: your gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, family structure, race, color, ethnicity, culture, age, range of ability, economic, educational, immigration status, and unique perspective.

As a congregation, we will:

-Create a warm welcome for visitors and those new to Edwards Church

-Offer a variety of opportunities for every stage of life to grow spiritually in relationship with God and each other.

-Provide care in times of need and celebration in times of joy

-Recognize and challenge privilege and oppression in our church and local community

-Use inclusive language in our Sunday services, written literature and everyday speech

 

OUR VISION

Our vision describes our sense of how God is calling us to fulfill our mission over the next 3 to 5 years.

Edwards Church Vision Statement (2015)

Gathering at the crossroads of ancient faith and contemporary culture,
we are a Christian church asking God to open us to a new way.

Knowing that the road is long,
we choose to walk together.

Finding strength in our diversity,
we call on all our talents to worship and serve.

Encountering the world’s joys and suffering,
we offer ourselves as instruments of love and justice.

Longing to find the holy in ourselves and others,
we listen for God’s still-speaking voice.

OUR VALUES

Our values describe the enduring values of this faith community, which will help energize and ground us as we work to fulfill the vision.

Edwards Church Values Statement (2015)

Community

We embrace our community locally and globally through the power of Christ’s compassion within us. We offer ourselves in acts of kindness, generosity and advocacy in the care of others. We partner with other community groups to provide service and to work for solutions to social injustices and discrimination.  We seek to develop connections with and learn from people of other faiths.

Fellowship

We nurture each other, loving one another as Christ commands. We listen for where the Holy Spirit may lead and accompany us on our journey together. Infused with God’s love and everlasting grace, we strive to share our spiritual connection with others as disciples of Christ.

Prayer

We invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit through heartfelt prayer. We value and honor nourishing spiritual awakening through contemplation and meditation in our sacred space of light, warmth and acceptance.

Spirituality, Music and the Arts

We embrace all the arts to nourish and deepen our life in the Spirit and to serve as a way of inviting new people into Edwards Church. We value the blessing of music, which opens us to the Divine Presence.  The musical tradition of our weekly worship enriches our life of prayer and contemplation.

Faith Formation

We offer a variety of faith formation opportunities to all who seek a closer walk with God. We value living out the promise and wonder of Jesus’ teachings through the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the transformative power of the word of God.  We express our love of God by sharing stories of our faith, passing down traditions, creating new traditions, and contemplating and experiencing God’s love for us.

Family

We honor Jesus’ delight in the presence of children. Following his example, we create the Edwards Church family by inviting all, from oldest to youngest, to join with us to pray and worship together, to learn from the teachings of Jesus, share the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, and enjoy peace in Christ’s presence.