INTRODUCTION

At Status, we desire everything we value to be a derivation of our value for God, and our desire to bringing Him glory.  We are not interested in making a name for ourselves, or building our own kingdom.  Rather, it is all about His Kingdom, and His name being glorified.  Each of our values has this aim in mind, and is a reflection of what we believe God has specifically called Status to pursue as a unique but unified part of the global Body of Christ – His Church.

CHURCH

Status highly values the idea of assembling as “The Church” throughout the week to live out the principles of scripture wherever we find ourselves.  This manifests itself in the form of discipleship and other intentional relationships, the gathering of small group communities, prayer gatherings, as well as special events organized to bring the community together for a purpose.  Church is brothers and sisters in Christ growing and sharpening one another as we gather to break bread, pray for each other, study scripture, and listen and encourage one another.  Our Sunday night gathering is focused on celebrating what is happening in the lives of the Status community during the week.

INTENTIONALITY

Since Church is more than a Sunday worship gathering, it requires intentionality – both as individuals and collectively as the Body. Individually, we practice intentionality in our daily lives through our own spiritual practices, in our friendships, in the workplace, and most importantly by always rooting ourselves in love of Christ (Ephesians 3:16-20).  Collectively we practice intentionality by seeking to bring glory to God in ways that could not be done alone – through Sunday worship, weekly prayer gatherings, collective serving opportunities, and through our Spheres and House Churches.  Collective intentionality also manifests itself in the form of discipleship – being a disciple of, or mentor to, someone else.  At Status we value redemptive and sharpening relationships over comfortable ones.

We choose to live this way because we believe that our lives are to be offered up as ‘living sacrifices’ to God (Romans 12:1) – that we are to ‘love our neighbor as ourselves’ (Mark 12:31) and “do nothing out of selfish ambition… but in humility consider others better than [ourselves]“.  (Phillipians 2:3)

Even on Sunday nights, everything we do at Status has an intentional purpose behind it – from lighting to ambiance; from coffee to music; from the tithe baskets to the communion tables.  We strive to prayerfully consider all the things we do, and why we do them.  We want to be aware of what we are saying and why we are saying it, such that even the words chosen to describe our small groups is intentional.  We try to avoid doing anything simply for the sake of comfort or tradition or normalcy.  Overall, we desire for Sunday night gatherings to be a time to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23) and to celebrate with our family.  This desire, in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, guides our intentionality.  For more detailed info on some of our intentional or unique practices, please visit the Concierge desk on Sunday night.

SPIRITUAL MATURITY

We believe that spiritual maturity is a process, not a plateau.  Maturity implies growth.  Growth, in its own right, requires humility, honesty, and intentional relationship.  It is not about putting on airs of spiritual maturity, for we know that God looks not at our appearances but at our heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)    It isn’t about age or financial standing or formal education – In Christ we are no longer bound by the world’s definition of maturity (1 Timothy 4:11-14).  Our true maturity is attached to our spiritual growth, not our flesh.

Because of this, we strive not to judge one another in our community on the basis of age or appearance, but rather we want to recognize and celebrate the God-given gifts and talents of everyone in our community, without exclusion.   This is all so that you, with your Church family beside you, are free to step into and develop the unique ways God has crafted you, thereby bringing Him glory.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Given a new interpretation of maturity, it becomes our personal responsibility to journey and discover how God has crafted us, and to then partner with supportive brothers and sisters in pursuing the dreams that God has awakened in us.  It is this spiritual maturity which will inform what our lives actually look like from the outside, and how we choose to live and respond to his dreams for us.

Structurally, Status is a church that values empowerment over religious hand-holding.  The church is not here to tell you what to do, you ARE the church, and the Spirit of the living God tells you what to do.  God is even the one who empowers you to do it!  We desire for you to take ownership of both the responsibility of listening for God’s voice, and of God’s call for you to be obedient in His purposes for your life when he makes them clear to you.

Our hope is to simply equip you in these things to the best of our knowledge and ability.  We also desire to join you in these things, through participation, celebration, or simply laying hands on you in prayer.  Whatever it looks like, we want to invite the rest of the community to share in the visions that God is revealing to you.

CONTRIBUTION OVER CONSUMERISM

As we pursue spiritual maturity, intentionality, and becoming “The Church”, it becomes clear that church is not something we can simply consume in the same way that we consume a meal or a product.  Instead, we desire everyone at Status to contribute in the unique ways God has gifted them.  We desire to be a church where the contributions, in all their incredible diversity and from all it’s members are gathered up in thanksgiving and glory to God, and that through those contributions, we would be giving of ourselves freely, and to anyone as they have need (Acts 2:45).  And in doing so, we hope to learn how to ask for and receive help when we are in need.  Contribution takes many forms, including service, generosity, encouragement and honest expression in the Status Family.