Albany Mennonite Church

Affirmed by the Congregation February 19, 2006

 

Value Statements

  • We affirm Holy Scriptures as the basis for discerning our faith and practice as God’s people.

  • We further affirm the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective as adopted in 1995, as a statement of faith and Practice, which expresses the uniqueness of our own Christian heritage.

  • We also affirm the following values that guide our lives and church.  These values help guide and inform our teaching, church structure, budget, and prayers.  We return to these values when we struggle together with questions about what music we should sing, what we teach our children, what educational and worship themes we will pursue, what we will teach in membership classes and which ministry projects and groups we will support.

 

 

Stewarding

of all of Life

By tending to our financial, material, environmental resources, and use of time and gifts in the church and community.  We strive to be stewards of the Gospel, live simply, resist consumerism, speak the truth in all things, and maintain a healthy body in our eating, sleeping, exercise and sexuality.

(Genesis 1:26-31 & 2 Corinth. 9:6-9)

  

Growing
in Faith and Wisdom

Through personal and group study, we interpret the Bible in light of Jesus Christ, his life, teaching, death and resurrection.  We commit our lives and families to prayer, the study of God’s word, and welcome the wisdom of others in discerning God’s movement in our lives and church.

(Psalm 1:1-2 & 2 Tim. 3:16-17)


Sharing

Hope

In supporting mission projects at home and abroad.  We welcome all seekers with loving hospitality, commit to genuinely listen to their own sacred faith journey, and share a loving invitation to learn of the Good News of God’s love in Jesus Christ.

(John 11:25 & Acts 8:26-40)

  

Being

Community

In giving & receiving counsel, enjoying fellowship, joining in community worship and participating in group care and discernment.  We seek to be a blessing throughout the generations: mentoring the young, supporting the family, learning from the wise, and welcoming both men and women into all church leadership roles.  We eagerly support our family of Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference (PNMC) and Mennonite Church (MCUSA) churches.

(John 13:1-20 & 1 Corinth.12:12-28)

 
Living
Peace

By celebrating our Peace Church witness and doing the sacred work of peacemaking and conflict transformation in our church, families, community and world.  We resist all forms of violence including abuse, abortion, capital punishment and war.  We endeavor to resist nationalism and racism and instead learn from and live at peace with people of all national, ethnic and religious traditions.

(Matthew 5:9, 43-48 & Galatians 3:28)

 

Serving
God and our Neighbor

Through prayer, financial and personal participation in service & relief projects at home and far away. 

We especially sense God’s call to us to actively support the Service Adventure program in our congregation.

(Matthew 25:35-45 & James 2:14-17)

 

 

Vision Statements

  

Within the next five years,
Albany Mennonite Church would be a church…
  • where all current and new attenders are helped to discover their gifts and passions and are supported and energized for ministry.
  • that has a thriving middle and high school youth ministry woven into the life of the church with bible study, fellowship, mission and service, worship and mentoring ministries.
  •   that intentionally reaches out to our community with the gospel of hope and healing and people are presented with the Good News of Jesus’ love.
  • that encourages and provides for every church participant to be loved and nurtured in faith (through small groups, Bible study and other opportunities).