Core Values
OUR CORE VALUES
Anchor is a values-driven community. Our core values spring out of our understanding of God and his message to us in his word, the Bible.
We believe . . .
1. All people are valuable
2. The church should love and serve the city
3. Spiritual growth occurs through shared life
4. Introducing people to Jesus is the heart of the Christian mission
5. We owe God everything, so worship is our perpetual passion
6. Leaders are essential to church growth
Therefore . . .
We love our city and speak truth to it (Matthew 5:16; 28:18-20)
St. Francis of Assissi once said, "Preach the gospel to all creation; if necessary, use words." Christian thinker Francis Schaeffer envisioned the church as living on a stage before a watching world. True Christianity will help the watching world see that Jesus is worth thinking about. Anchor loves Long Beach through feeding the homeless, helping our schools, serving our neighbors, and sharing the good news of God's gift of eternal life through Christ.
Share life together (Hebrews 10:23-25)
We are in the process of building a loving, diverse fellowship of believers. Just as each part of our physical body contributes to the vitality of other body parts and to the body as a whole, each member of the body of Christ contributes helps the whole body grow spiritually. As in the ancient church, we place great emphasis on being in each other's homes and neighborhoods, sharing our hearts, experiences, meals, goods, trials and joys.
Grow together (Ephesians 4:11-16)
The end of Christian teaching is spiritual growth. This involves much more than sitting on a hard pew for an hour listening to a boring sermon, while secretly texting friends or surfing the net for the football scores. We believe that growth emerges from solid bliblical instruction, following each other's examples, and purposeful mentoring.
Worship together (Ps. 133:1)
We desire to worship God with our lives. Worship is the church's eternal vocation. Sunday morning worship services provide a vibrant link between the our "religious" life and everyday life. Anchor's worship experience is a mix of ancient, current and multicultural elements.
Develop leaders (2 Tim. 2:2)
Leadership guru Warren Bennis says it well: "Everything stands or falls on leadership." We seek to create a culture of leadership and responsibility at Anchor. We ambitiously seek out new leaders, train them, and release them to serve in our church, in business and in the community.