Values & Beliefs

What We Believe

Vision & Mission

Our vision is to be a loving community of disciples, united across cultures and classes, speaking God the Father's truth, sharing Jesus's mercy, walking in His spirit of peace, until the shadows retreat and Christ, our hope, returns.

Our mission is to proclaim God's gospel of grace, through a united and redeemed people who share responsibilities and resources, and to pursue restorative justice, serving Chicago in love.

EXALTATION

Our God reigns! Our chief joy is to magnify the Triune God in all of life with awe and celebration. We assemble to receive both His Word in relevant, Christ-exalting messages, and His sacraments. We exalt Him in song, prayer, generous giving and testimony. Jesus Christ is Lord over every square inch of life, so we respond to the Spirit’s call to work with Him for the renewal of all things, honoring our Father in our work, our families, and our community and culture.

PROCLAMATION

Preach good news to the poor. Christ’s love compels us as a Body to seek the lost and hurting, in order to speak the truth of the gospel of repentance and faith, to show mercy to the hurting and to work for justice for the oppressed.

TRANSFORMATION

The Gospel changes everything! Each follower of Christ is gifted and empowered by the Spirit to bring all of life under His sovereign Lordship and build up each other as a Body. Personal transformation within a community of truth spoken in love, persistent prayer and sacrificial service is the catalyst for social change.

RECONCILIATION

Diversity displayed in unity. God has reconciled us to Himself and to each other through the Cross, so we are compelled to manifest gospel-based unity among racially, ethnically and socially diverse believers. Worship, fellowship, outreach and leadership should employ truth and beauty found in our diverse cultures.

MULTIPLICATION

Maturing faith, expanding influence. We desire to train members not only for the growth of this church, the spread of Christ's sovereign grace, and to partner with existing and establishing new cross-cultural ministries and congregations here and abroad.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

As an affiliate of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), we hold to beliefs such as:

The Bible as the written word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in the original manuscripts
The Holy Trinity - God's eternal existence in 3 persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Our condition as sinners, totally unable to save ourselves from God’s displeasure, except by His mercy

HOPE

Embodying & embracing grace and truth in a world of exclusion and confusion. We work to build bridges of understanding, partnership, and hope between people who live in close proximity yet worlds apart. We believe that Jesus is our ultimate hope of reconciliation and real love. He is the hope of renewal for our beautiful yet broken City of Chicago and promises redemption for the entire Creation.

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

The Church is the body of Christ. In order to implement the principles of accountability and commitment to the local body of Christ, as practiced in the early churches, Living Hope recognizes the need for formal membership. Members of Living Hope share responsibilities such as loving and serving the church body and acknowledging elders' authority and supervision. Members are entitled to all the rights of membership and involvement in the life of the church. Membership courses are offered regularly based on interest.

For additional information about what we believe, visit the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) website at pcanet.org.