Here at All Souls Missoula, our mission flows from our Core Values:Working to renew the city socially, culturally,
& spiritually.
We emphasize city, because we believe Jesus calls us to be radically others-oriented. The church does not exist simply to serve me; it exists to serve others, especially those on the outside. So we strive to love folks who don't share our convictions, to stand up for the poor and the oppressed, to be agents of mercy in a world of brokenness. We can't really love our neighbor if we don't also love the city in which our neighbors dwell.
We emphasize renewal, because we believe Missoula is glorious in many ways; at the same time, we believe it can still be better. So we strive to celebrate where Missoula shines, and to serve where Missoula still needs work. We focus our efforts on areas where God is already working, causing all sorts of people (even those who don't believe in him) to value the things that he values - love, beauty, justice, respect, dialogue, diversity. We labor as servants, not people who have it all figured out.
Finally, we emphasize socially, culturally, and spiritually because we believe humans are complex, multi-faceted beings - if all we offer are spiritual answers without caring for physical needs, we haven't really loved someone the way Jesus would. We believe true spiritual transformation inevitably impacts both culture and society. We desire to care about things that matter, regardless of the spheres in which they reside.
We have no grand illusions that we're going to succeed where other churches have failed. But this is the kind of church we desire to be, because we think this is the kind of God we serve. We would love to have your input on how we're doing.
& spiritually.
We emphasize city, because we believe Jesus calls us to be radically others-oriented. The church does not exist simply to serve me; it exists to serve others, especially those on the outside. So we strive to love folks who don't share our convictions, to stand up for the poor and the oppressed, to be agents of mercy in a world of brokenness. We can't really love our neighbor if we don't also love the city in which our neighbors dwell.
We emphasize renewal, because we believe Missoula is glorious in many ways; at the same time, we believe it can still be better. So we strive to celebrate where Missoula shines, and to serve where Missoula still needs work. We focus our efforts on areas where God is already working, causing all sorts of people (even those who don't believe in him) to value the things that he values - love, beauty, justice, respect, dialogue, diversity. We labor as servants, not people who have it all figured out.
Finally, we emphasize socially, culturally, and spiritually because we believe humans are complex, multi-faceted beings - if all we offer are spiritual answers without caring for physical needs, we haven't really loved someone the way Jesus would. We believe true spiritual transformation inevitably impacts both culture and society. We desire to care about things that matter, regardless of the spheres in which they reside.
We have no grand illusions that we're going to succeed where other churches have failed. But this is the kind of church we desire to be, because we think this is the kind of God we serve. We would love to have your input on how we're doing.
