OUR MISSION
Our mission is to love, develop, and lead people into the next movement of Christian social-global transformation.
Reason:
We exist to help individuals succeed, families thrive, and communities prosper.
Purpose:
The social-global focus of this church is the salvation and growth of individual people and families through the teachings, messages, and concepts found in the Bible, applied through an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach to discipleship. A secondary purpose of the church is to cultivate apprentice leaders to develop additional churches, ministries, and organizations in various sectors of culture. .
ABOUT US
Nexus is multiple leaders from various sectors of society coming together to plan, develop, and be part of a local expression of collaboration for the flourishing of the humanity and the gospel.
DR. DAVE & ELIZABETH PAFFORD - CO-FOUNDERS
Dave and Elizabeth have experience in ministry, theology, social-cultural research, business, and education. They have worked with many leaders. They seek leaders of all types to join together in the goal of human flourishing.
BELIEFS
One God co-exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are the Lover, the Loved, and the Beloved and together they are one.
The divine Son, Jesus Christ is the not only the Jesus of history but also the Christ of faith. He is radical, transcendent, and the most empathic human in history. His embodied message one of deep abiding relationship with God. The God-head embodied, Jesus demonstrated how to live, die, and break free from death. His actions changed the course of human history. By putting all our hope in him, we have peace with God, and through grace, receive salvation through the work on the cross. Jesus is alive presently, praying for the renewal of all things.
The Holy Spirit/Spirit of God is an active member of the Trinity, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life that is gospel fluent, morally pure, evangelistically bold, and development oriented.
God-breathed: It's old. It's new. As much as you read it, its going to read you. Spirit inspired, written by men, it's the most scrutinized literature in human history. From unicals and codices, from the caves of Qumran, to Constantine von Tischendorf, they have been passed down to us. It has authority over our lives and over those who have never read them. The Scriptures are inspired. The goal is not simply to read them but to embody the words on the page.
MANIFESTO
Meldenius, a seventeenth-century Lutheran theologian, wrote, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” There will always be the peripheral upon which committed Christ followers should dialogue. Our church desires to explore the very depths. However, we also recognize the importance of having a grounded framework for unity. Jesus' prayer for the unity of believers because the church united can do what the world divided never will.
RELATIONSHIP
MY NEIGHBOR
GIFTEDNESS
OPPORTUNITY
FAITH
HOPE
We believe the greatest resource is THE relationship.
We believe charity (love) is the goal of human innovation.
We believe the great commission comes through giftedness.
We believe obedience knows no time like the present.
We believe mistakes are better than missed opportunities.
We believe our dreams should outpace our memories.
METHOD
We practice encouraging non-believers to trust Jesus. This is essential for their spiritual awakening.
We practice practical and theological hospitality. This creates room for God's spirit to work.
We practice the way of belonging. Belonging includes "doing no harm" and doing all the good we can according to the Bible. See Saul's conversion.
We practice healthy spiritual communication. We welcome questions, doubts, and disagreements.
We practice imagining the kingdom and value mystery.
We trust Jesus our resurrected savior and we love Him.
META
SABBATH: We gather, rest, and celebrate the sovereign activity of God.
FRIENDSHIP: We take 4 daily walks a week with Jesus (non-asking prayer) (if possible outside).
CONSUME: We commit to 4 daily general readings of scripture a week.
COMMUNITY: We go together and seek the benefit of each other.
SOLITUDE: We practice silence and do one silent retreat a year.
SIMPLIFY: We distill our life with intentionality to maximize our moments.
SALT: We host, we share meals, we sacrifice time to be with neighbors and strangers every week.
LIGHT: We live no lies by asking "Am I for real?"