What do we believe?

In order to fulfill the Great Commandment as given by Jesus Christ to love one another (Matthew 22:34-40), the members of Joy Metropolitan Community Church commit to fostering a culture of love, appreciation, inclusion, trusting relationships, and shared responsibility. Therefore, we promise to uphold the following beliefs and behaviors in our relationships with one another and in our relationships with those who are served by the ministry of our church:
All people are valued and all members of our community are deserving of our ministries. Jesus Christ called on us to imitate humbleness of spirit and servant leadership; hence, we will reach out to the community in Christian love. Therefore, any person who requests ministry services shall receive them to the best of our abilities, including:

Worship and prayer
Baptism and communion
Holy Unions and marriages
Praise and rejoicing in times of triumph and redemption
Prayer and visits in times of sickness, tragedy and death
Access to information and resources that we can provide, and
By providing direction to places and agencies that can provide assistance beyond the means of the church

We recognize that our witness affects people in our congregation and our community and is directly reflected by our actions. Therefore, we agree to

Involve those who will be affected by any decision,
Make decisions in alignment with this agreement, and
Make decisions that build and sustain relationships.

Every person is called to minister, and our ministries reflect our beliefs and commitments. We agree to minister individually and as a congregation because we believe the following behaviors are essential to showing love for one another:

Encouraging Contemplation
Individual prayer and meditation,
Assisting with alternatives such as prayers, reflections, apprenticeship, and mentoring
Praying together as a congregation
Providing meaningful opportunities to worship and praise God
Helping others reach a closer relationship to God
Encouraging Involvement
Extending personal invitations to others to join our worship
Inviting specific participation in new members' classes
Listing all meetings in regular publications and inviting all to participate
Providing easy access to information
Encouraging Inclusion
Embracing diversity in its myriad forms and reaching out to others who are different from us in multiple ways such as race, gender performance, age, ability, ethnic group, social and economic class, sexual orientation, and physical features
Being aware of imbalance and reaching out when there is inequity

Encouraging Spiritual and Community Environment by

Improving, establishing, and expanding ministry opportunities
Providing opportunities for education and spiritual growth
Addressing unmet needs by guiding people to a ministry that is beneficial
Giving time each week in the ministry area of our calling
Annually pledging and giving a portion of our income to support the ministry of the congregation, and
Sharing our talents

The congregation values all who participate in the ministries of Joy MCC. We recognize that each person has good intentions in their involvement as a part of the ministries. Therefore, we will

work together to create and implement a positive solution of mutual benefit to all involved
create a safe and secure environment
keep confidences
refrain from faultfinding and blaming one another when things do not go as planned and instead, seek to help each other by dialoging about the situation to clarify the issue

We are called to seek reconciliation through forgiveness when we experience difficulty in our relationships with one another. In order to minimize the occurrences of conflict the following behaviors should be practiced:

We will honor and respect people by not interrupting them when they are sharing their ideas and we will not debate the validity of any idea shared.
We will view all ideas as valid information to be considered before attempting to find a solution that will work for the mutual benefit of all people involved.
If a slip occurs, then we will stop our conversation, acknowledge that a slip has occurred and ask for forgiveness if necessary, and then move on.
We view moments of conflict as learning opportunities, so we will address conflicts as soon as is possible. When conflict occurs, we will take the time necessary to listen to the ideas of everyone involved.
When forgiveness is requested or an apology is given, it must be accepted. If it cannot be accepted in the form given, then it is the receiving person’s responsibility to explain why it is not acceptable. The two parties must come to a mutual agreement that shows love, trust, appreciation, and humor.