Faithful Presence
Author David Fitch writes that "Faithful presence names the reality that God is present in the world that He uses a people faithful to His presence to make Himself concrete and real amid the world's struggles and pain."
This is the broadest and most central focal point for us at Mac Free. We believe that be being purposefully present to both God and the people He has placed around us; we will carry His presence with us wherever we go. When this happens, we can expect to see Him tangibly at work through His Holy Spirit right where we are, and we can then engage in that work with Him for the furtherance of His Kingdom.
Because we believe this is true, according to Fitch, we actively pursue His presence in three "Circles"
This is the broadest and most central focal point for us at Mac Free. We believe that be being purposefully present to both God and the people He has placed around us; we will carry His presence with us wherever we go. When this happens, we can expect to see Him tangibly at work through His Holy Spirit right where we are, and we can then engage in that work with Him for the furtherance of His Kingdom.
Because we believe this is true, according to Fitch, we actively pursue His presence in three "Circles"
Spiriuality~Generosity~Diversity
Not only do we believe that God calls us broadly to be faithfully present, but we believe - more specifically - that God has called us at Mac Free to be a people who purposefully prioritize these three values.
Spirituality - The spirituality that God has called us to has two legs: The Scriptures and the Spirit.
Generosity - The Generosity that God has called us to with our time and resources begins with generosity of Spirit. It is rooted in the deep kindness He has shown us since the beginning of time. Two beliefs about Him stand behind our commitment to being a radically generous people:
Diversity- The diversity that God has called us to comes from a recognition that He has gone to the ends of the Earth to redeem His people, and therefore, we do not want to miss out on meeting the beauty and plurality of those He is drawing to Himself. We want a church that reflects now the breadth of God's creative heart and mind, unified ultimately in Christ alone like it will one day eternally:
"After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, "Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!" -Revelation 7: 9-10
Spirituality - The spirituality that God has called us to has two legs: The Scriptures and the Spirit.
- The Scriptures contain God's infallible word to His people as well as the full sweeping narrative of what He has in mind to do in and beyond time. The Scriptures are strong and true, and we can place our full weight on them and the God to whom they point.
- The Spirit of God leads His people to fulfill the part of Scripture's sweeping narrative that are called to fulfill in the here and now. In this way, the scripture provides the faithful framework withing which the Spirit then personally guides and strengthens us as a People on Kingdom Mission for Him.
- He has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams: "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ." - Ephesians 1:3
- His resources are not scarce: "I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it." - Psalm 50: 9-12
Diversity- The diversity that God has called us to comes from a recognition that He has gone to the ends of the Earth to redeem His people, and therefore, we do not want to miss out on meeting the beauty and plurality of those He is drawing to Himself. We want a church that reflects now the breadth of God's creative heart and mind, unified ultimately in Christ alone like it will one day eternally:
"After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, "Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!" -Revelation 7: 9-10