OUR ESSENTIALS

These five essentials inform and drive who we are and what we do together. We believe every healthy church will share these essentials, though they may word them differently. Every Seven Mile Road church must be clear on and committed to these essentials.

GOSPEL CENTRALITY

All that God is for us in Christ, animating who we are and what we do

The Gospel is the incredible, unexpected, beautiful, and true good news that through the person and work of Christ, God has redeemed sinners like you and me from the curse of our sin. It's the story of a loving and holy Father sending The Son to take our place on a cross, pay our debts, forgive our sins, make us right, adopt us as sons and daughters, give us eternal life, and begin conforming us into the image of the One by whom we were created. The Gospel is the center of our lives and the filter through which everything is run through here.

HOLINESS AND HUMILITY

Unwavering commitment to holy living without performance or pretense

We have received an abundance of undeserved grace from God. When we grasp the fullness of this truth, it produces in us holiness and humility. While we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, our faith never remains alone. God works in us to produce a life of repentance and obedience so that over time, we look like Christ. Our hearts are resolved to say “yes” to all of Christ’s callings on our lives. Because it’s all by grace, there’s nothing to prove and no boxes to check. With holiness also comes humility. We know deep down that we bring nothing to the table, except our sin. We are broken, in need of a Savior, full stop. Our only boast is in the goodness, mercy, power, and glory of Christ.

THEOLOGICAL ORTHODOXY

Scripture as the first and final authority for all our faith and practice

We are convinced that our deepest joy intersects with our clearest apprehension of what He has said to be true about who He is, what He has done for us, and how He calls us to live through the pages of Scripture. Our faith, practice, and worldview is informed and shaped by the words of Scripture. And so the Word is always open at Seven Mile Road, whether it be in sermons, in Gospel communities, in team meetings, or in one-on-one discipleship.

RELATIONAL INTIMACY

Life shared in transparent, long-term, and tight-knit community

The Church is not a place, event, or spiritual services provider. The church is a community of people being redeemed, knit together, and conformed to the image of God. We share life over the long haul as we respond to the life-altering message of the Gospel. We need each other. Even a casual reading of the New Testament shows that Jesus’ church was marked by a beautiful, messy, holy intimacy. They shared life together in the Gospel — they knew each other’s names, stories, sins, strengths, weaknesses, issues, dreams, fears, all of it. That’s what we are shooting for here: to be a church where friendships run deep.

LIFE ON MISSION

Intentionally meeting, loving, and engaging friends and neighbors with the Gospel

We are a sent people — sent into the world to love and bless our neighbors. Everyone at Seven Mile Road is a missionary, on mission with Jesus to see His Kingdom break in on the kingdoms of this world. We are committed to living with boldness, creativity, and hospitality as we move toward our friends and family, neighbors and networks with Gospel love. This means we will be generous with our time, talents, and treasures with hearts that seek tell the Gospel in word and deed.