Paul said the gospel of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection was of first importance, and healthy churches treat it that way. Healthy churches preach and apply the gospel in their sermons and their everyday lives. Proclaiming the gospel is far more than offering biblical advice—it is the announcement that Christ has accomplished our redemption through his perfectly righteous life, substitutionary death, and triumphant resurrection. When this gospel is in the center of a church, it creates a community of grace and holiness, humility and conviction, truth and love.

(Mark 1:1; Luke 24:46-47; John 3:16-18; Romans 1:16-17; 3:21-26, 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2:2; 5:1-13; 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; 9:13; Galatians 1:6-9; Ephesians 1: 7-10; 4:1-16; Philippians 2:1-11; Colossians 1: 19-20; 2 Timothy 1:8-14; 2 Peter 3: 11-13 Jude 3-4; Revelation 21:1-22:21)

The Bible is the story of a God on a mission to redeem his people and reveal himself to and through the church. A church with a missional ecclesiology embodies this in her structures, rhythms, budgets, and calendars, in thoughtfulness given to outsiders in worship, in welcoming non-Christians into the Christian community, and in providing members space to build relationships with those who do not yet believe. 

(Genesis 1-3, Genesis 12:1-3, Matthew 5:14, Ephesians 3:8-10, 1 Peter 2:9-10, Revelation 19-22)

With Jesus as the Chief Shepherd, God has given the church elders to shepherd and oversee the church, who humbly provide direction, protection, and care. These elders are men whose character and faithfulness have been tested and proven. In healthy churches, elders lead in a plurality as equals. 

(John 10:1-16; Acts 14:23; 20:28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; James 5:14; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:1-4)

With Jesus as the True Servant, God has given his church deacons to support the elders and the church in caring for the church’s needs. Deacons are faithful and mature Christians who free up the elders to focus on the ministry of the word and prayer. In doing so, they are empowering the church for maturity and mission.

(Mark 10:45; Acts 6:1-6; Romans 15:8; 16:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13)

The church is redeemed by Jesus’ blood and sealed by the Spirit, assuring Christians of their salvation. A healthy church rests in this assurance while recognizing the necessity of the empowering work of the Spirit for all of life. As a result, a church that is intentionally dependent on the Holy Spirit has a spiritual vibrancy in worship, richness of prayer, love, joy, humility, unity, selflessness, holiness, and reverence for the scriptures.

(Romans 8:14-16; 15:13; Ephesians 1:13-14; 3:16; 4:3-4; Philippians 2:1-4; 3:3; Colossians 1:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2)

The polis (translated city and town) is missionally strategic and packed with theological meaning in the New Testament. Used 70 times in Acts and Revelation, cities and towns are at the heart of gospel expansion and God’s language for the world to come. Thus, a city-reaching church is holistically engaged, meeting its neighbors' physical, mental, emotional, and, most importantly, spiritual needs.

(Jeremiah 29:4-7; Acts; Hebrews 11:10; 11:16; 12:22; 13:14; Revelation 3:12; 20-22)

Being a disciple of Jesus means two things; the gospel has changed your life, and you are in a dynamic relationship with Jesus, progressing in your walk with him. Disciple-making churches are committed to both; leading people to Jesus and helping them learn to follow him. In a healthy church, the making and maturing of disciples are prioritized over gathering crowds, shaping how they organize their life together.

(Matthew; Mark; Luke; John; Acts 6:1-7; 11:26; 14:20-22; Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:28; Titus 2:1-14) 

Much of the Old Testament is the story of Israel rising and falling with her leaders. Jesus proved to be the Leader God’s people had been waiting for, and the New Testament is full of examples of the importance of faithful leadership. The priority and necessity of leadership are inescapable in the Bible. Healthy churches understand that sharing the leadership load is necessary and commit time and ample resources to train and develop new leaders.  

(Exodus 18:13-26; Acts 5:31; 1 Timothy 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:1-2; Titus 1:5; Hebrews 13:7)

One great theme of the Bible is multiplication. From the call to Adam and Eve to the promise to Abraham, to Jesus’ command to make disciples, to the word of God multiplying as the message of Jesus broke into the hearts of Jews and Gentiles, God has always been about multiplication. In light of this, it’s clear that healthy churches multiply disciples, and multiplying disciples leads to multiplying churches.

(Genesis 1:22; 1:28; 8:17; 9:1; 9:7; 17:2; 22:17; 26:4; 26:24; 28:3; 35:11; 47:27; Exodus 1:7-12, 20; 32:13; Leviticus 26:9; Deuteronomy 6:3; 7:13; 30:16; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; Hebrews 6:13-14)

From beginning to end, creation to new creation, God’s plan has always been the redemption of the nations. From every tribe, tongue, and nation, God is forming one people united in the hope of Jesus’ death and resurrection. One of our hopes as a Network is that our churches would share God’s heart for all nations, not just locally but globally, and actively participate in the gospel getting to the ends of the earth.

(Genesis 17:4-6; 18:17-18; Jonah; Isaiah 2:2-4; 52:15; 60:1-5; Habakkuk 2:14; Romans 11; Revelation 5:9; 7:9)