ABOUT THE TAPESTRY CHURCH

Disciples who make disciples who make disciples...

It is our belief at The Tapestry that when Jesus said these words he wasn’t just giving us a command, but also a model of ministry.

MISSION STATEMENT

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

– Matthew 28:19-20

That is to say that discipleship isn’t just another ministry that we add to the church, but that every ministry of the church should have the objective of discipleship. The desire within any given ministry then, is not to try to maintain or grow itself, but to see itself as a vehicle with which disciples of Jesus can be nurtured and released to disciple others.

Jesus Himself lived out this model of discipleship in that the first ministry he established was a small group. He found a group of twelve in which he nurtured and planted deeply into even though he had many other followers during his time on earth. And, in the midst of teaching crowds, and healing, and preforming miracles, his disciples were always with Him.

It is because of what Jesus said and how Jesus lived that we believe that discipleship is vital to the health and life the church. It is a key way that we grow into the character of Christ and become Christ’s hands and feet to others. This is because as we grow to be more like Christ through being discipled, there will naturally grow in us a desire to be disciplers ourselves and help others grow in their faith for a season. The process of discipleship is therefore the soil that not only grows our own intimacy with Christ, but is also how we participate in multiplying and growing the church and it’s mission to the world.

At the same time we are not idealistic. We know that it is often easier to preach the comfort of Christ without the call of Christ. We also know that discipleship can bring along with it unhealthy comparison, self-righteousness, in grouping and out grouping, and even become an idol in and of itself. We need to be actively pray and struggle against such pitfalls. One of the ways that we do that is to say that no matter where we are in our walk with Christ we are all still under spiritual formation and in need of His grace. In other words, we are all in need of Jesus our great discipler, and the discipline of others.

Our Values

  • We celebrate the diversity of God's people.

  • We encourage creative expression and innovation in our worship of God.

  • We seek to continually discover more of God through the Bible and the world around.

  • We strive to be real with each other and with God.

  • We desire to keep God's message Relevant to our everyday lives.

  • We want to Share God's love through compassion and service.

I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God’s great mystery.

- Colossians 2:2-4 (MSG)

Our Beliefs

As part of the historic and global Church of Jesus Christ we affirm the basic articles of faith as summarized in the Apostles Creed. Also, as a part of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) we also hold to the contemporary testimony, Our World Belongs to God, and see its preamble as a good summary of what we believe.

  • As followers of Jesus Christ, living in this world—which some seek to control, and others view with despair—we declare with joy and trust: Our world belongs to God!

  • From the beginning, through all the crises of our times, until the kingdom fully comes, God keeps covenant forever: Our world belongs to God! God is King: Let the earth be glad! Christ is victor: his rule has begun! The Spirit is at work: creation is renewed! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

  • Still, despair and rebellious pride fill the earth: some, crushed by failure or broken by pain, give up on life and hope and God; others, shaken, but still hoping for human triumph, work feverishly to realize their dreams. As believers in God, we also struggle with the spirits of this age, resisting them in the power of the Spirit, testing them by God’s sure Word.

  • Our world, fallen into sin, has lost its first goodness, but God has not abandoned the work of his hands: our Maker preserves this world, sending seasons, sun, and rain, upholding all creatures, renewing the earth, promising a Savior, guiding all things to their purpose.

  • God holds this world with fierce love. Keeping his promise, he sends Jesus into the world, pours out the Holy Spirit, and announces the good news: sinners who repent and believe in Jesus live anew as members of the family of God—the firstfruits of a new creation.

  • We rejoice in the goodness of God, renounce the works of darkness, and dedicate ourselves to holy living. As covenant partners, set free for joyful obedience, we offer our hearts and lives to do God’s work in the world.  With tempered impatience, eager to see injustice ended, we expect the Day of the Lord. We are confident that the light which shines in the present  darkness will fill the earth when Christ appears. Come, Lord Jesus. Our world belongs to you.

The Tapestry Church is one community that meets in multiple locations, come see how our mission, vision, and values get worked out in our local campus contexts.