The primary title for a follower of Jesus in the New Testament is not Christian (used 3 times) but disciple (used 261 times). Jesus does not call for converts to a new religion but for us to be disciples - people who orient their lives around 3 goals: to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. We are committed to orienting our lives around these 3 goals. All of our values provide postures and practices to this end. 

In Matthew 28 before he ascends, Jesus tells his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations” (v19). At ACC, we recognize that authentic discipleship to Jesus transforms us, and will naturally lead us to invite others to join us in being transformed together. 

Jesus calls his disciples to live and work together as his gathered people, the church. Contrary to the hyper-individualism of our time, we recognize that each of us is a part of something greater than ourselves. “So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5). 

We are committed to being active in the lives of each other. Sharing life together means being interested in and engaged with those around us, as well as welcoming others into our lives and sharing our needs (Phil. 2:4). We demonstrate this commitment by regularly gathering for our Sunday morning services, as well as meeting during the week in small groups where we care for the practical needs of each ACC attender as they arise.  

The Bible itself tells us that Scripture is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17). As we learn to live as disciples of Jesus, the Bible equips us, but it does far more than offer a helpful guide to life. It introduces us to Jesus - the way, the truth and the life! Jesus warned the religious people of his day to not get caught up in studying the Bible as an end in itself, but to see it as a means to know Jesus. He redirected their gaze with this statement: "You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life - these are the very Scriptures that testify about me!" (John 5:29)

We are committed to treasuring Scripture - teaching it, praying it, memorizing it, studying it, and meditating on it - so that the word may shape us and lead us to the Living Word - Jesus. When we encounter challenges, doubts, and questions in the Bible, we come together with other disciples of Jesus, in the Mennonite tradition, as we seek to “interpret [Scripture] together under Holy Spirit guidance, in light of Jesus Christ to discern God’s will for our obedience” (2006 Mennonite World Conference). 

There is only one God, yet he is three distinct persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2 Cor 13:14) - an eternally united community of love. This truth is at the heart of the Christian understanding of God. In John 17:20-26 Jesus takes us one step further - he invites his disciples to join in and become one with this triune community of love! 

We are committed to centering ourselves not on the member of the Trinity that we feel the most affinity toward, but on our triune God who is more than any one facet we may see. We do this through prayer, through curiosity, and through embracing the parts of God that are greater than our minds can imagine. We strive to be centered in and connecting with the Father, Son, and Spirit as we journey through the everyday moments of our daily lives.

While prayer centers and connects us as individuals to the triune God, prayer is also a communal act - it is something that we do together and for each other. Jesus prayed with his disciples regularly (Luke 9:28, 11:1, 22:39). In the book of Acts the Church is described as regularly meeting together in prayer (Acts 1:14, 2:42, 3:1, 4:24). 

We are committed to praying with and for each other as a visible and concrete recognition of our dependence on God and care for the world beyond ourselves. Choosing to pray together not only engages us in the lives of others and the world around us, but intentionally places our lives into God's hands, not our own. It is an act of surrender but also a practical outworking of faith.

While writing about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul likens the church to the physical body of Jesus: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (v27). Though there is one body, there are many parts and each part has a unique role to play. The members of the body all have a contribution, not despite our differences but because of them. We believe this to be true at Abbotsford Community Church.

We are committed to honouring and making space for those who have different gifts and contributions than we do. Pragmatically, this looks like accepting that when ACC meets together, our personal preferences will not always be met. This also looks like honouring newer disciples of Jesus by joyfully sacrificing our ‘rights’ for the sake of their growth (1 Cor. 8:9-13). In all things, we commit to following the example of Jesus: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:26-28).

When Jesus was questioned about his inclusion of those on the ‘outside’, his response was, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Jesus was truly radical in this regard. Everyone who was considered untouchable, uncomfortable, or even just different, was welcomed and loved by Jesus! 

We are committed to being welcoming and hospitable - loving and including those outside of our community, or who are new to our community. We never do this in a transactional way, using our love to convince those outside of the church to join us. We do it simply because of the love we have been given. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). 

At a church gathering this may look like saying ‘Hi’ to an unfamiliar face; throughout the week this may look like inviting someone who is far from God over for a meal, helping a neighbour with yard work, inviting a friend to Alpha, or asking the grocery store clerk how they are doing. As the Spirit leads, in ways big or small, we are taking steps to share the joy of the Jesus-centered life with the people around us.