Our Practices

At Antioch, we believe the model of faith that Jesus showed us is very focused on how we live.  As we surrender to God, our lives are shaped by the values Jesus taught.  We’ve identified five important practices that, as followers of Jesus, we are attempting to put into life in our community: hallowing, helping, healing, hoping, and harvesting.

Hallowing means learning to worship with our whole lives, not just on Sunday mornings.  We want to be a community that’s set apart for something good in the world, rather than one that lives in fear.  Jesus taught us that our light should shine before others, so they can also experience God’s love and glorify God (Matthew 5:16).  We want the kind of worship that flows through our lives into every relationship, and we want to experience worship in ordinary moments.  Our worship and surrender to God can guide us toward our core values.

Helping is simply being there for others in real, practical ways.  It is showing up, pitching in, and asking, “How can I help?” even when we don’t have all the answers.  We remember the call to love our neighbors (Luke 10:25–37) and try to live it in small, concrete acts: a meal, a ride, a listening ear.  We aren’t superheroes.  We are just ordinary people who want to follow Jesus in helping people when they need it.

Healing means we take the mental, emotional, and spiritual wounds people carry very seriously.  Many have been hurt and sometimes people are even hurt by churches.  We want to continue the ministry of Jesus, who came “to bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1; echoed by Jesus in Luke 4:18), by being a safe place to tell the truth, to grieve, and to grow.  We can’t fix everything, but we walk the path of healing together and journey toward becoming whole.

Hoping is our way of saying that faith is not wishful thinking; it’s trusting that God is still at work even when our lives and our world feel broken.  We lean on the promise that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1), and try to live with a steady confidence that God’s abundant love will have the final word.  Our hope shows up in everyday acts of kindness and laughter.  It leads us to believe that tomorrow can be better than today.

Harvesting is our way of talking about our calling to help others connect with a loving God.  We don’t see people as projects.  We aren’t here to fix anyone, but to welcome them as beloved neighbors and walk with them in the path of reconciliation to God and each other.  Jesus said “the harvest is plentiful” (Matthew 9:37–38).  We trust that God is already at work in people’s lives long before they step through our doors.  Our part is to welcome, to listen, to share good news with deep love and humility, and to celebrate every small step toward a rich and meaningful faith.

Underneath these practices is a simple conviction: God is at work among us, shaping us into a community that lives the values and teachings of Jesus.  We are to open ourselves up to learn about those values and how we can integrate them into our lives.  We’re not aiming for perfection.  We simply want to follow Jesus and have a true faith—a faith that is revealed in our lives every day.