Many times you’ll find a complicated set of beliefs on a church website and we try to keep things uncomplicated here. Like our denomination states, we believe in continuing the work of Jesus. Peacefully. Simply. Together.

Below are 8 Values we hold at PBCOB

We understand faith through the lens of Jesus

As we seek to understand and make sense of our faith, our starting place is Jesus. Our theology starts in the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament. These are accounts of Jesus’ life, which allows us to learn from the words he said and how he treated others. Our continual recentering around the life of Jesus helps us to remain focused on doing our best to trust God and love people.

We are rooted in Anabaptism

Anabaptism is one of the two historic traditions that we are rooted in. This movement is deeply rooted in peacemaking, enemy love, separation of church and state and caring about the needs of others. We are driven by these through following the life of Jesus. We remain confident in two things, worshipping and also following Christ. 

We are rooted in Pietism

Pietism is the second historical movement that shapes our faith. There is a lot to try and make sense of as 21st Century Americans, and yet we cling to the mystery and beauty of a loving God. We do not believe we can contain God through our statements of belief, and this mystery means we believe God is active in our modern world. Within this, we have faith that the Holy Spirit is speaking to us all and guiding us to live out the truths of Christ in our own personal and unique ways.

We are a community for each other

We take very seriously the work of caring for each other, both inside of our walls and outside. Our building is not our identity, rather an extension of ourselves and a place to serve those who enter. We strive to get people involved in our weekly services for two reasons: 1. So those who are moved to serve have a place to do so. 2. It is important that there are other faces and voices uniting along with the lead Pastor. Together we read, pray, sing, study the Scriptures, serve children, host potlucks, enjoy nature and put on events for the community.  

A John 3:17 church

“On earth as it is in heaven”. These words carry incredible weight with us, as we believe Jesus offers us both eternal salvation (John 3:16) and an opportunity to join him in showing others what heaven is like here and now (John 3:17). This is a call to not see people through a lens of judgment but rather the hope and love that God seems us through. As long as there is an earth, we are dedicated to living out the call to love God and to love our neighbor. 

We recognize the danger of power

Both humanity and the church have fallen to the temptation of power, reign and rule. The 4th century Emperor Constantine presented us with the first major entanglement of Church and State, resulting in a public and endless struggle for power. This pursuit of power corrupts communal unity, vision, and discipleship. We are deeply saddened when Jesus is used as a mascot for worldly power and we hold fast to the character and humility of the Prince of Peace himself. 

We are called to be Peacemakers

While we are not big on doctrine, we are big on peace! Christ brings peace between us and God and helps to show us how to be at peace with all people. This is found when we do the work to diminish sin, shame, ego, and conflict. Now it’s our turn to do this – to go and do likewise. Our faith stream has a three hundred year history of rejecting war and putting in efforts to bring justice to all. We believe that peace takes work – it’s not just rejecting violence or refusing to participate in certain actions, but it means going the extra mile to see how we can help be a voice to help everyone live at peace with each other.

We are still figuring it out

Similar to our relationship with our parents, we have plenty to learn and unlearn from our church fathers and mothers. We glean the wisdom we witness from them while gracefully shaking our heads at their shortcomings. We understand the next generation will do the same for us, which drives us to hold our theology with our hands wide open and our palms facing God; hoping we get more right than we do wrong. Understanding these values are not a complete representation of our church, we are doing our best to let grace and humility lead the conversation. 

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If you’re curious about the WHY behind our 8 Values, please feel free to schedule some time with Pastor Jon HERE

As part of The Church of the Brethren, you can see more about our beliefs and practices right here. Additionally, we’d love for you to take a look at what our denomination is up to at the regional level, you can do so right here. Lastly, feel free to explore Wikipedia for more information.