Mission

To establish a vibrant community of Christ-centered faith in which people of varying life experience walk, work and worship God together as one (John 17:20-23; Acts 2:42-47; Philippians 2:1-11). 

Vision

To become a healthy multiethnic (Acts 11:19-26; 13:1), socially just (Micah 6:8; Matthew 23:23), and financially sustainable (Matthew 25:14-30) church offering new life, purpose, and hope for all people, not just some people, throughout Mid-Missouri and beyond.

Values

  • Biblically Informed

  • Cross-culturally Engaged

  • Relationally Authentic

  • Emotionally Safe

  • Passionately Creative

Terminology

  • Mission
    a. “a vibrant community”
    Members (those who have considered and embraced the Mission, Vision, and Values of Woodcrest Chapel) as well as regular (consistent) attenders are not mere consumers of what the church offers but responsible owners investing themselves personally, strategically, and financially to ensure mission and vision advance.

    b. “people of varying life experience”
    Men and women of diverse ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, socio-economic means, political persuasions, near to or yet distant from God, etc.

    c. “walk”
    Doing life and pursuing spiritual growth together via committed relationships of transparency and trust.

    d. “work”
    Serving faithfully and sacrificially to meet the needs of people, those both in and outside the church.

    e. “worship”
    Expressing devotion to and dependence on Christ as individuals (daily) and as a collective body of believers (weekly).

  • Vision
    a. “a healthy multiethnic (church)”
    People of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds will themselves to walk, work, and worship God together as one to advance a credible witness of God’s love for all people; recognize, renew, reconcile, and redeem broken relationships, both interpersonal and collective; establish equitable systems of responsible authority, leadership, governance, opportunity, and accountability within the congregation; embrace the tension of sound theological reflection and applicational relevance in an increasingly complex and intersectional society for the sake of the Gospel.

    b. “socially just (church)”
    Representing Christ well in society via acts of kindness, mercy, and compassion where (particularly) the marginalized and/or vulnerable are concerned (i.e., the least of these, Matthew 25:40) while advocating equitable (fair) systems of responsible governance, opportunity, and accountability in society on behalf of all human beings (made in the image of God, Genesis 1:27) whether or not we share theological, political or other cultural alignment. 

    • Old Testament (Hebrew words translated to English as "justice"): tsedeq (i.e., Genesis 6:9) & mishpat (i.e., Micah 6:8)
      Definition: Righteous in character and conduct toward others as informed and expected by God; acting fairly and compassionately without partiality. (see also Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 24:17)

    • New Testament (Greek words translated to English as "justice"): dikaios (i.e., Romans 5:19) & krima ("judgement," i.e., Matthew 7:2) Definition: Being and acting in accordance with high standards of moral and ethical behavior; the administration of what is right and fair. (see also Romans 2:2; I Peter 4:17)

    Note: Our understanding and use of the term “socially just” is in no way intended to diminish the necessary work of law enforcement or denigrate the men and women who wear a badge daily, at great risk to themselves, to protect, serve, and ensure civil order.

    c. “financially sustainable church”
    Leveraging congregational assets (people, finances, and facilities) to advance mission, bless the community, and create multiple streams of income to supplement tithes and offerings and practice good (biblical) stewardship.

    d. “new life, purpose”
    Communicating and extending salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ in ways that capture the hearts and minds of those who do not yet know Him as we do.

    e. “hope for all people, not just some people”
    Taking intentional steps to ensure people of varying ethnic and economic backgrounds are welcomed at, included in, and an equitable part of the church. This is not to say that people who have attended Woodcrest in the past and/or that attend the church now are somehow biased or intolerant in this regard. Rather, it is to recognize that apart from intentionality churches are typically (or will become) homogeneous, i.e., primarily comprised of a single people group. According to the latest research, 77% of Evangelical churches and 89% of Mainline churches throughout the United States today are homogeneous. In an increasingly diverse society, such homogeneity can (though it will not always or necessarily) send to those without knowledge or faith in Jesus Christ a confusing message about who God loves and why.

    Among other things, Jesus commands us a) to engage "all people, not just some people," across the street and around the world (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8); b) to leave the ninety-nine already in the barn to seek and find the one not yet among them (Matthew 18:12); c) to walk with and serve the marginalized, and in so doing walk with and serve Him (Matthew 25:41-45).

    Likewise, the Apostle Paul commands us a) to do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (i.e., the church) without favoring one ethnic/cultural group over another, one socio-economic class of people over another or men over women (Galatians 6:10; 3:28); b) to value others above ourselves in the church by looking out not only for one group's interests but also the interests of other groups (Philippians 2:3, 4); c) to "...make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit (in the church) through the bond of peace (because) there is (only) one body (see Ephesians 2:14-18) and one Spirit, just as you were (all) called to one hope (when you were called to Christ and to His church), one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (Gr., pas = collectively, “some of all types,” i.e., all people groups), who is over all (people groups) and (working) through all (people groups) and in all (people groups)." (Ephesians 4:4-6)

    With these (and other) biblical commands and expectations in mind, we take intentional steps to welcome people of all backgrounds at Woodcrest, guided by the mindset of Christ (i.e., in humility and obedience, Philippians 2:5-11).

  • Values
    a. Biblically Informed
    We adhere to the Historical-Grammatical interpretive method (hermeneutic) which then governs our reading, observation, and understanding of the Bible and the application of its timeless truths in today’s context.

    • Hermeneutic: a philosophy or theory governing one's approach to exegesis (i.e., the way in which we draw meaning out of the biblical text).

    • Historical-Grammatical: an interpretive method (hermeneutic) which considers a biblical text in its a) historical and cultural context (i.e., author, date, intended audience, purpose, geographic location, socio-political times, etc.) and its b) linguistic construction (i.e., literary form, language, grammar, outline or flow of the writing, syntax or construction of sentences, etc.) in order to discover the author's original meaning and intent. Once understood, timeless truth (i.e., truth not otherwise bound to one particular historical period or cultural) is discerned, explained, and considered for application in modern times.

    b. Cross-culturally Engaged
    We intentionally pursue and develop relationships with diverse others to know, learn from, share with, and love our biblical neighbors as defined in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

    c. Relationally Authentic
    We represent ourselves to one another in ways that accurately reflect who and where we are at any given moment so as to truly know and be known, that is, to love and be loved as brothers and sisters in Christ, without fear of rejection.

    d. Emotionally Safe
    We readily acknowledge and accept our common humanity, that is, our ongoing desire and struggle to be more like Christ, while extending love, grace, and forgiveness to one another as we expect such things will be extended to us.

    e. Passionately Creative
    We do, say, try, and allow for things at times beyond our own individual or collective comfort zones, without fear of failure, in order to find, reach, and draw near to people without God, whoever they might be and/or however they might be living, in order to see them saved.