Reclaiming Christianity for love & liberation

Our Vision & Mission

We envision a Christian spirituality reclaiming its calling to be known for love, liberation, and the celebration of God’s image in all people.

Our mission is to embody the gospel by standing with the poor, welcoming the stranger, and living in solidarity with the oppressed, nurturing a Christian community that is thoughtfully curious, spiritually rooted, and collectively organized for justice and peace.

Our Values

Integrated Spirituality

Because God in Christ embodies the fullness of divine humanity, we embrace an evolving faith that is thoughtfully curious, spiritually rooted, and united in love and purpose.

Authentic Belonging

Because Jesus welcomed those who were marginalized, unseen, or excluded, we create a safe and affirming community where everyone can bring their whole selves and know they belong.

Sacred Stories

Because Christ taught through stories and parables, we honor the sacred stories of scripture and of our own lives as sources of connection, healing, and transformation.

Liberating Love

Because Jesus taught a life of love and liberation for ourselves, each other, and the world, we commit to the lifelong journey of practicing his way.

Faith in Action

Because Jesus proclaimed and demonstrated solidarity with the poor, the stranger, and the oppressed, we speak and act for justice as a living expression of the gospel.

Our Practices

Liberated Faith

We practice a non-credal Christian faith that honors freedom of conscience, values diverse perspectives, and grows with the changing seasons of our lives.

Community Life

We gather regularly to pray, sing, worship, remember, learn, lament, celebrate, and serve together in large and small groups, in-person and online.

Open Communion

We practice an open table of communion to demonstrate the gospel that all are welcome to the table of grace. 

water Baptism

We practice immersion in water as a symbol of belonging and a rite of passage for those who have made an intentional decision to follow the way of Jesus. 

Biblical Dialogue  

We read scripture as a tradition of discourse that we interpret in dialogue with the text, with traditions, with history, and with each other before God. 

Collaborative Leadership 

We practice cooperative ministry, leadership, and governance to foster wisdom, transparency, and open participation in the decisions of our church.

Egalitarian Leadership  

Leadership is available to anyone who demonstrates the gifting, maturity, and integrity to do so, regardless of sex, sexuality, or gender. 

LGBTQ Equality 

We celebrate LGBTQ sexualities and genders as authentic and sacred and affirm the sacrament of marriage for all loving couples.

Anti-Racist Action 

We are anti-racist because the ideological, interpersonal, institutional, and internalized sins of racism must be actively confronted. 

Community Service

We serve the needs of neighbors who are poor, hungry, unhoused, struggling or  suffering to express the grace and goodness of God to anyone in need. 

Faith-Rooted Organizing

We organize our community to advocate for socially just policies that address the root causes of poverty, inequality, and ecological destruction.

Community Partnerships

We partner with other faith communities, nonprofit organizations, and civic groups across our community to co-create a more just and peaceful world.

Our Strategic Goals & Possibilities

This mission will guide our Board and Staff goals, objectives, and decisions for the five year period from January 2026 to December 2030.

Based on this, we have created a strategic plan that will evolve with measurable goals and objectives each year during that five year period. Click here to see that strategic plan.

Partners

Frequently Asked Questions

how did you come up with this mission?

Our whole congregation participates in a process of evaluating and renewing our Mission Commitment every five years. Our most recent mission process concluded in November, 2025. Our next mission process will be conducted in 2030 for the five year period from 2031-2035.

Where is your statement of beliefs?

We don’t have a traditional statement of beliefs. The Oceanside Sanctuary is part of the Disciples of Christ, which is a non-creedal tradition. That means we don’t use doctrines to test, judge, or exclude people. Rather than gathering around a common set of beliefs or doctrines, we gather around a common set of practices conferred by the life and teachings of Christ. All are welcome to join us wherever they might be on that journey.