The Crowded House
Core Values

A statement of distinctives. It is not intended to be a judgment on those with a gospel commitment who do things differently.

In obedience to Christ and for his glory, we are committed to:

1. the priority of the gospel ('community in mission')
We are committed to taking the gospel both to our neighbours and to the ends of the earth. We will challenge one another to be sacrificial, risk-taking and flexible because the gospel has priority over our comfort, security and traditions. We want to have a global gospel vision and to this end be generous with our resources. We will not let Christian activity be just one part of our lives.

2. mission through community
We are committed to communicating the gospel message in the context of a gospel community. We want people to experience church as a network of relationships rather than a meeting you attend or a place you enter. We will not put on evangelistic missions outside the context of a Christian community.

3. home as the location and ethos of church
We are committed to meeting in homes and to planting household churches. We want home to define the ethos of our church and believe it facilitates effective evangelism, especially among the unchurched. We will not meet regularly in purpose built premises or rented auditoriums.

4. living as an extended family
We are committed to caring for one another, discipling one another, investing in relationships and resolving conflict. We will not view church as a meeting you attend. We will not let conflict continue unresolved.

5. being an inclusive community
We are committed to making church accessible to unbelievers and welcoming to the socially marginalised. We want all who come to have a sense of belonging. We will not let our welcome be dependent on adherence to any cultural norms when these are not demanded by the gospel. We will not do that which might make unbelievers left out (this may include such things as times of prayer or singing).

6. growing churches by planting churches
We are committed to starting new congregations - both in areas where no church exists and through subdividing growing congregations. For us home sets the limit on congregation size. We will not develop into a single, large congregation.

7. church without the trappings
We are committed to freedom and simplicity in church life. We are committed to Bible teaching; loving community; the breaking of bread and prayer (Acts 2:42). Apart from these things we want to be flexible and relevant for the sake of the gospel. We will not regard as necessary for church life such things as accomplished music, constitutions, monologues, officers or anything that might hinder the core activities of the church and its mission.

8. everyone exercising gospel ministry
We are committed to everyone in the church exercising gospel ministry. For some this will be expressed in their employment. We believe leadership is important, but see leaders as facilitators of gospel ministry rather those who exercise control. We will not make distinctions between full-time and nonfull-time ministers.

9. shaping our activities around people's gifts
We are committed to being gift-led - to shaping the activities of the church around the gifts and passions of its members. We will not find people to fulfil activities we have already planned.

10. good Bible teaching and learning
We want to shape our lives and our life together in obedience to the Bible which we believe to be the reliable, authoritative and sufficient word of God. To this end we are committed to good Bible teaching and learning. We will not act on the basis of tradition, habit or pragmatism without reflection on the Bible. We will not see Bible teaching as an end in itself, but as that which must shape our thinking and action.