1045 S. Arlington Heights Rd
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
847-437-2666
CVLC Guiding Principles
1.
Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the Supreme Being, the ultimate authority in our lives personally and as a congregation. Reflecting this reality means not placing greater importance on any one person or any one thing. Since Jesus is Lord, I don’t have to be. Since Jesus is Lord, the following things/people/ideas cannot be: Me, you, us, budgets, a particular worship style or the way it has always been done. Biblical reference Philippians 2:9-11.
Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the Supreme Being, the ultimate authority in our lives personally and as a congregation. Reflecting this reality means not placing greater importance on any one person or any one thing. Since Jesus is Lord, I don’t have to be. Since Jesus is Lord, the following things/people/ideas cannot be: Me, you, us, budgets, a particular worship style or the way it has always been done. Biblical reference Philippians 2:9-11.2.Everyone is Welcome. Everyone is welcome as they are and welcome to be who they are. Jesus welcomed everyone—the foreigner, the excluded, the sad, the lonely and hurting. He drew no lines of separation between himself and others, nor can we. We belong not to our congregation but to his congregation. And because God has welcomed us through Jesus, we must affirm what God has already done for us by being welcomers, too. Biblical reference Ephesians 2:8-9.
Everyone is Welcome. Everyone is welcome as they are and welcome to be who they are. Jesus welcomed everyone—the foreigner, the excluded, the sad, the lonely and hurting. He drew no lines of separation between himself and others, nor can we. We belong not to our congregation but to his congregation. And because God has welcomed us through Jesus, we must affirm what God has already done for us by being welcomers, too. Biblical reference Ephesians 2:8-9.3.Love Changes People. This seemingly simple statement has two powerful parts. It is in fact LOVE—not fear, shame, laws or threats—that changes people. And, love does CHANGE us. We are not the same having experienced God’s love. Sometimes we experience God’s love directly. Sometimes we experience it through each other. Either way, we’re different because of it. Biblical reference John 13:34.
Love Changes People. This seemingly simple statement has two powerful parts. It is in fact LOVE—not fear, shame, laws or threats—that changes people. And, love does CHANGE us. We are not the same having experienced God’s love. Sometimes we experience God’s love directly. Sometimes we experience it through each other. Either way, we’re different because of it. Biblical reference John 13:34.4.Everyone Has Something to Offer. God doesn’t give meaningless gifts. In fact, God hands out gifts of equal value to each and every one of us as God’s children. Our job is to discover our gifts and use them to glorify God. It’s possible all the gifts we need are already here or will come in time. But, nobody is simply extra. There is a purpose in every person’s being here. The flip side is this: not one single person offers everything—except Jesus. Biblical reference 1 Cor. 12:7
Everyone Has Something to Offer. God doesn’t give meaningless gifts. In fact, God hands out gifts of equal value to each and every one of us as God’s children. Our job is to discover our gifts and use them to glorify God. It’s possible all the gifts we need are already here or will come in time. But, nobody is simply extra. There is a purpose in every person’s being here. The flip side is this: not one single person offers everything—except Jesus. Biblical reference 1 Cor. 12:75.The World Needs What We Have. No, it’s not our job to “convert” the world to Lutheranism or even Christianity. Or to assume that we’re right and everyone is wrong. It is our job to share with the world what we have— the gift of Christ’s love, grace and forgiveness. Our entire planet needs that. God’s creation needs that. Having received God’s love, grace and forgiveness sets us free to act as the hands and feet of Jesus here on Earth. We’re called, then, to do ministry in a way that meets the needs of others. And here’s the hard part: if we’re called to God’s church to do God’s ministry, then the church does not exist to meet our needs, but to meet the needs of those still outside it. Biblical reference Matthew 28:19
The World Needs What We Have. No, it’s not our job to “convert” the world to Lutheranism or even Christianity. Or to assume that we’re right and everyone is wrong. It is our job to share with the world what we have— the gift of Christ’s love, grace and forgiveness. Our entire planet needs that. God’s creation needs that. Having received God’s love, grace and forgiveness sets us free to act as the hands and feet of Jesus here on Earth. We’re called, then, to do ministry in a way that meets the needs of others. And here’s the hard part: if we’re called to God’s church to do God’s ministry, then the church does not exist to meet our needs, but to meet the needs of those still outside it. Biblical reference Matthew 28:19 | ||||
