Mission – Why we exist
Center Church exists to make, mature, and multiply disciples in Charlottesville, at UVA, and around the world. The Great Commission is our marching orders; we have a spiritual mission, not a political or social one. Fulfillment of the Great Commission requires a commitment to growing both deep and wide as a church. We mature as disciples (depth), and we make new disciples (width). Every ministry we have is about this mission.
Core Values – Who we are
Our core values inform how we go about accomplishing our mission. These values inform how we make decisions and are statements about who we are as a church. Below are our seven core values at Center Church.
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Gospel Centered
The most important thing isn’t what we do for God but what He has done for us in Jesus Christ. The gospel is not just the ABCs of Christianity, it is the A-Z. The good news of the gospel infuses and informs everything we do.
We learn the good news of the gospel in the scriptures. We believe the Bible is God’s Word. When the Bible speaks, God speaks, and His words are true and good.
Deeply Relational
We are created to live in relationship with God and others. The gospel not only reconciles us to God—it makes meaningful relationships with others possible. When God becomes your heavenly Father, other believers become your spiritual siblings. God’s grace frees us from pretending and makes it safe to be real. In Christ, we are known and loved by God, so we fight to know and love others.
Outward Facing
We serve a missionary God, so we strive to be an outward-facing church. We will be uncomfortable and inconvenienced for the sake of reaching more lost sheep. We share the gospel in word; demonstrate the gospel in deed; and spread the gospel through church planting, nationally and globally.
Intentionally Formed
Every day, we’re either being conformed to the patterns of the world or being transformed into the image of Christ. We desire to be a community of people who are becoming more like Jesus every day. Practically speaking, that occurs as we walk in the spiritual practices in which Jesus walked—practices such as prayer, Bible study, community, fasting, and worship.
We want to be a place that calls people to a higher level of discipleship, where every member can say, “I’m more like Jesus because of Center Church.”
Passionately Committed
Jesus went all in for us, so we go all in for him.
We’re all committed to something; the more clearly we see the gospel, the more passionately we’ll be committed to Christ and His church. We don’t just show up and go through the motions—we’re not here to play church. The more clearly we see the gospel, the more enthusiastically we will respond to it.
Passion isn’t the expression of a personality type but the overflow of a heart transformed by grace. Our passion for Christ fuels a desire to serve him with excellence. Our goal is to do the best we can with what we have for Him.
Joyfully Generous
As recipients of lavish generosity, we give generously and joyfully of our time, talent, and treasure. In response to the gospel, the question is no longer, “How much do I have to give?” Rather, it is, “How can I glorify Christ with all that I have?” The goal is grace-driven (not guilt-driven) giving. Our generosity fuels God’s mission in our church and in the world.
On Grounds
We are an on-grounds church for UVA. We don’t expect students to come to us; we go to them through our on-grounds campus fellowship, Center College. We’re a multi-generational church with a heart for college students, and we believe one reason God placed us in Charlottesville is to reach, disciple, and mobilize students. Center College reaches students and helps bridge them into the local church.