THE NON-NEGOTIABLES
Anytime you start something new its important to have a clear vision of where we are going (our vision) and how we will get there. It’s also important to have a few things that are non-negotiable - things that we will never compromise. The following is a starting point of our non-negotiables. As we spend time together our list may grow but for now these are those things that will hold fast too:
1. WE WILL KEEP THE END IN MIND
The Table is a gathering of all kinds of people from this generation coming together for authentic community, worship, teaching and growing so that we can go into the world. The end for us is seeing this generation come into an authentic relationship with Jesus and others, grow and then go.
2. WE WILL TAKE RISKS
We never want to settle for status quo. That’s why we will take risks. In Ecclesiastes Solomon wrote, “He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.” (Eccl. 11:4) We don’t want to get caught gazing at what is good and miss God’s best.
3. IT'S NEVER ABOUT US
We hear this a lot in the world of church but it’s never enough. We often forget that Jesus commanded us to love Him first and others second. We never want The Table to be about our wants and our needs. We want it to be a place for Jesus to be worshipped and the lost and hurting to come and feel welcomed and accepted.
4. ALWAYS FOCUS ON THE EMPTY CHAIR
Remember that it’s never about us. We want to focus on the empty chair. What’s the empty chair? It represents two very important figures. The first is that of Jesus. We always want to leave a spot for Jesus at the center of The Table. Secondly, it represents the person that is yet to come to The Table. There is always a place for someone new at The Table.
5. FUN, FUN, FUN
It is a sin for church to be boring. We are committed to creating an atmosphere that is fun and exciting. We feel that it is in this kind of environment that barriers are brought down, strongholds are broken, and healing takes place.