The Gospel over all
The story of redemption is the message of the whole Bible and all of its parts. Believers and non-believers both need the gospel.  Conversion and growth in the faith are both fruits of the gospel. Greater maturity in Christ is simply deeper repentance and faith.  We will be vigilant in resisting moralism and relativism when we talk about the faith. All of our teaching with adults & with children, with leaders and with unbelievers must be grounded in and flow out of the gospel.


 The Kingdom of God over Ivy Creek
We must care about the kingdom advancing in Gwinnett County more than we care about Ivy Creek advancing. If we grow larger it must be to advance a kingdom agenda rather than to fulfill selfish ambitions. The gospel makes us jealous for Jesus’ glory and fills us with compassion for other sinners. God’s grace drives us outside ourselves and our church walls to pursue the kingdom in Gwinnett County and around the world. We must be involved in planting new churches in Atlanta, less churched parts of the U.S., and internationally. We seek to participate in the broader work of the kingdom by partnering with other churches in our presbytery. We don’t think we are the only part of God’s kingdom work in our area, and we seek to serve the broader church according to our gifts and opportunities. We are equipping people to seek the kingdom in their work, schools, neighborhoods, politics, and leisure as well as at church, and we define spiritual service and giftedness broadly. We don’t define Christian maturity by how busy someone is at church.

 
Being over Doing
In the Christian life our focus is more on character and relationship than on skills and abilities. We recognize leaders more by tested character and the fruit of the Spirit than by personality type.  The long-term strength of the church depends more on the sort of people we become than on the structure of our programs (cf. 1 Cor. 13:1-3).

 
Theology over Strategy
We are defined by what we believe much more than by our methods and programs.  Our theology is fixed; our methods are flexible.  We are wary of pragmatism and it’s moralistic theological assumptions.  Our aspirations are ultimately things only God can do—conversions, hearts and minds changed by the gospel, people growing in grace, the spread of the kingdom in mission.  There can be no personal or social transformation apart from the gospel. Our main programs are the “means of grace” which are God’s timeless and usual ways of giving us His grace, namely, the Word (read and preached), the Sacraments (baptism and communion), and Prayer. These methods are often unimpressive and seemingly foolish, but they are the means by which God is bringing his Kingdom and overturning the curse on the world.

 
People over Programs
The way we treat people is more important that the programs we run. We aren’t a business seeking self-advancement and profit; we are a pilgrim band walking together toward heaven. We must not let the managerial culture of modern church life determine the shape of our communion or define success by larger numbers. Evangelism and mercy ministry flow out of loving relationships in which we treat other people as we would want to be treated ourselves.