Our Vision and Values
St. Andrew’s nurtures diverse community across generations that seeks to embody God’s love for all, without exception, by deepening spirituality,
expanding hospitality
and enacting justice.
Nurturing Diverse Community
We recognize that it takes the full diversity of humanity to reflect the divine image of God and that community is never an endpoint, but always in process. We celebrate the sense of home found at St. Andrew’s. By actively working together to build God’s Beloved Community across diverse generations, races, nationalities, and social backgrounds, we try to change, learn, and grow into deeper practices of love and justice. This leads us far beyond ourselves as we seek to embody God’s love for all. That love is both understanding and action-oriented, striving to create a more just and equitable world, while here and now doing the costly work of being authentic, courageous, and loving.
Deepening Spirituality
Our spirituality is an intentional connection to God, as known in Jesus Christ, that provides stability, strength, and the experience of identity and belonging as beloved children of God. This identity encourages us to embrace the practices of repentance and forgiveness, which free us to live boldly, growing in love and compassion. We offer spaces that ground us in Biblical and liturgical traditions, as well as in varieties of prayer and contemplative practice that include the richness of interfaith sources. These deepen our awareness and our capacity to listen for the Holy Spirit’s still small voice, nourishing our inner lives and guiding us through life’s challenges. Patient with doubt, we encourage the questioning that keeps us open and allows for Spirit-led growth. Our joyful spirituality is experienced in worship, music, the arts, service, and community celebration, as well as in small group practice. These experiences foster transformation, inviting connection and engagement within the Beloved Community as we seek together to become ever more fully the Body of Christ in this time and place.
Expanding Hospitality
Expansive hospitality is a condition of the heart that continuously opens us to care deeply for each other and to see new possibilities and ways of thinking and living. We seek to mirror God’s Kingdom where all are loved, valued, and known. We embrace the building of an intentional, ever-expanding family of mutual belonging that generously enfolds each person who hungers to belong to each other; where new life can be found and where everyone’s unique gifts can flourish. Our hospitality extends far beyond the walls of our building as we continue in the footsteps of Jesus by going to the people in need of prayer, support, healing and care. We know that the slow work of transformation occurs when we open ourselves to be changed by each other and to celebrate the many ways to be God’s people.
Enacting Justice
In our baptismal covenant, we vow to “strive for justice and peace among all people” and to respect “the dignity of every human being.” This vow is a Christian imperative to bring good news to the poor, advocate for systemic change, and work for the common good to ensure that everyone experiences dignity and has access to the same rights, opportunities, and basic needs. We both celebrate our generous charitable giving and advocate for the governmental assistance needed to transform lives and change the status quo. Our justice efforts are rooted in the demands of the prophets and the life of Jesus – for example, the command to feed the hungry. We enact justice by building personal relationships, community partnerships, and interfaith alliances; engaging in peaceful public witnesses; and walking humbly with our God, with each other, and our neighbors.
