Guiding Principles | Church of the Cross Anglican

Guiding Principles

God as Primary: There is every temptation to depend upon strategies, plans, and resources instead of upon the only one who can produce the fruit we long to see in our lives, our city, and our world. We seek to be a community of prayer that lives by faith, knowing that “unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” Ps 127.1.

Purity of Heart: In a world full of sin and spin, we will seek purity of heart so that we might see God and be conduits of his love and grace, bringing others to the one who is their only hope.

Primacy of God’s Word: We believe that the Word of God is living and active and that when faithfully proclaimed in word and deed people are transformed. In study, in practice, in proclamation, we seek to be a church that proclaims and prioritizes the Word in all that we do.

Missional Family: The irony of living in the communication age is that people are increasingly lonely, especially in urban communities where the locus of identity is often the workplace or university. Overwhelmed by activity, people are longing for connection and real relationships. As the family of God, we desire to share life together and invite others into our community where we eat meals together, work together, play together, and live in close proximity to one another. In this way, the concept of ‘church’ moves beyond a Sunday service, and we create opportunities for ongoing fellowship, mutual encouragement, and engagement with the people around us through missional hospitality.

Multi-multi-multi: As a demonstration of the Kingdom of God and the universal lordship of Jesus, we long to be a multi-racial, multi-generational, and socioeconomically diverse community that proclaims the Gospel as good news for all people and provides a foretaste of God’s ultimate plan “to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” Eph 1.10. The racial diversity of Boston requires Gospel-centered communities, in and through Christ, to prioritize and seek the reconciliation of people who have historically been at odds with one another.

Restoration: Our aim is to be used by God to restore the lives of many to their true purpose and image as worshipers of the one, true God.

Incarnational Mission: Jesus sends us out into the world as the Father sent him. Our continuation of Jesus’ mission cannot be done from a place of isolation but must be carried out by dwelling in and working for the welfare of our city. Empowered by the Spirit, we long to take up our crosses and follow Jesus with courage on the costly road of obedience.

Remember the Poor: Jesus and his earliest followers have left an example of caring for the poor and marginalized that much of the church in the Western world has ignored. In order to provide a faithful witness to the Gospel in the city and motivated by God’s mercy for us and all of his creatures, we are committed to serving the poor and marginalized.

Reclaim the Arts: We seek to reclaim the arts for the sake of the one who gave them to us. In addition, we recognize that artists are the vanguard of cultural change and that they are an important group to engage with the Gospel.

Planting Churches: From the beginning we are committed to planting additional churches - whether officially affiliated with us or not - by God’s grace. We believe that the establishment of healthy churches is the most effective way to accomplish God’s mission to the world.

Mere Christianity: We desire to give glory to God and nurture historic Christian faith through liturgical worship, biblical discipleship, orthodox preaching, administration of the sacraments, creative arts, and missional outreach.