While we recognize that the heart of The Common Table is a dynamic and living thing, and therefore cannot be reduced to words on a page, these are some of the characteristics that describe the heart of our church (in no particular order):
Grace: Christ came to earth to live a message of grace, in a world that sorely lacks it. As followers of Christ, we challenge ourselves to live a radical message of grace, love and forgiveness – first practicing this message in our community and then extending it to the world.
Community: Common Table exists only in the relationships among its members. We desire to foster a community where people are both accepted completely and encouraged to become more like Christ. We recognize there is tension between those two concepts of acceptance and accountability.
Gifts & Needs: God has gifted each of us differently and expects us to offer our gifts to each other in order to meet one another’s needs. We trust that God will give us the resources we need to do the things He wants us to do and we are committed to testing and seeking His will when “tasks” and “resources” appear to be unbalanced.
Beliefs: We believe our doctrine is adequately encompassed in the Nicene Creed. This is the guiding compass we will follow as a church, while still providing the freedom for members of the church to question and explore matters of faith openly.
Mystery: God is big and we will never be able to fully understand Him. We are not afraid of unanswerable questions. We also believe that God can be experienced through the sacraments and that He works to reveal himself through the arts.
Service: We understand that Christ came to serve, rather than be served. We are committed to modeling a life of service, both as a community and as individuals.