Core Values

 

Christ-Centered - We want to tie everything we do back to Jesus. Our hope is that people throughout the Olney community say “Oakdale Emory is a church that talks about and lives for Jesus.”

 

Radical Hospitality - Radical hospitality invites strangers to come and feel like friends. That is how we want people to know us here at Oakdale and that is what will drive us as we greet, meet, teach and love people inside and outside of our church.

 

Life-Changing - What do we mean by life changing? Listen to this interaction in Matthew 18:1-3 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’  He called a little child and had him stand among them.  And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’” Jesus says that life change is necessary to enter God’s Kingdom. And then the Apostle Paul states in Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Everyone needs life change. All of us struggle with habits, hurts or hang ups that keep us from the joy and peace we desire in life. These are the things that Jesus came to release us from. Even going from slavery to freedom is change! And Jesus came to set us free.

 

Demographically Diverse - We want to be the kind of church that embraces the truth that our God is the God of the nations. In God’s Kingdom every tribe and tongue will be represented so we want to begin to practice that aspect of heaven here on earth. It is our way of living out that great line in the pattern Jesus taught us about prayer: “your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!”

 

Oasis - Webster defines oasis as a place “that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast.” We want to be a refuge in the midst of the storms of life. We want to be a relief for those who are suffering and are worn out. We want to be a pleasant contrast to the pain and sorrow of a world without hope.

 

Contagious Faith - We understand that God’s grace has been made available to all and we share in the responsibility and privilege of sharing this Good News everywhere we can. This is not merely by introducing people to Jesus as Savior and Lord but also by living out the faith in practice and witness. This core value is to spread in an infectious way, the love of God with as many people as we can. We want our lives and our faith to be contagious.  Our hope is that people will see in our faces, hear in our voices and observe in our actions a faith that is invitational and alive.