Leader Pathway

Intro To Sanctuary

Intro To Sanctuary is the first step to involvement at Church. This 2-week class taught by Pastor Andrew, is an ongoing gathering held 5 minutes after the conclusion of our Sunday gathering, in the small room off the front-right corner of the Sanctuary.

Each class lasts 45min. Email us here to request childcare.

Intro A: Who we are
At Intro A. we cover the story of Sanctuary Church, along with our vision, values and mission. We want you to know & understand the heart of our church.

Intro B: Join the team
At Intro B. we talk about the ways you can get involved with Sanctuary Church, including an overview of our various Serve Teams, Groups and how to get connected.

SERVE

You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. – Jesus (Mark 10:42-45)

Leaders at Sanctuary are people who joyfully lend their time, talent, and treasure to the work of the Kingdom. If you haven’t done so already, we encourage you to join one of our teams (Hospitality / Music + Production / KidCity / Creative / Love Pvd) and find a place to joyfully and humbly serve the body.

PATHWAY

Christians are not just called to share a worldview or a theological commitment, but hearts and lives, consolations and desolations, and the big moments and small moments that form who we are. – Jon Tyson

Leaders at Sanctuary are fully committed to the church, having opted-in to several shared commitments, values, and beliefs that are lived out together in community. This is an essential prerequisite step in becoming a Sanctuary Leader. Pathway is an orientation to discipleship at Sanctuary. Led by Pastor Andrew and others – this space will help you grow in your discipleship and enter into life together at Sanctuary.

*At the end off this process you will be invited to join the Covenant Community in 2025

KINSHIP with Sanctuary (launching 2025)

Christians are not just called to share a worldview or a theological commitment, but hearts and lives, consolations and desolations, and the big moments and small moments that form who we are.

– Jon Tyson

Leaders at Sanctuary are fully committed to the church, having opted-in to several shared commitments, values, and beliefs that are lived out together in community.

The Kinship Community is for those at Sanctuary Church who are ALL IN and that have a desire to live by our Way (Rule) of Life alongside others who have also made this commitment.

Our Way of Life (or Path) is not so much about a well-ordered life, but a well-oriented life; it’s about allowing the Holy Spirit to grow God’s love deeper and more fully into our lives.

It is made up of nine core disciplines that align with our four directions that each help us to increasingly yield to God’s transformational work in our lives. To this end, we have begun the Kinship Community—a group of people who covenant together to practice this Way of Life.

If you have been through Pathway or been in a HomeChurch for at least a year and are familiar with and/or already doing most of the nine practices, consider covenanting with us.

DISCERN: Next Steps with a Pastor

The heart of spiritual leadership is discernment: the capacity to recognize and respond to God’s will both personally and in community…. The spiritual leader is distinguished by his or her commitment and ability to guide the discernment process so everyone can affirm together a shared sense of God’s desire for them and move forward. Through the practice of discernment in community we open ourselves to the wisdom of God that is beyond human wisdom but is available to us when we ask for it.

-Ruth Haley Barton

Even the most carefully-crafted process cannot replace the organic element of discernment in community. A critical step in the process is meeting with a leader (right now, one of the pastors) to discern next steps and leadership placement. There are generally three outcomes to this conversation

If a person is identified as having spiritual authority, leadership gifts, and a specific call to lead, and has signed the Leadership Covenant, that person becomes a Leader In Training. They are provisionally accepted into the body of leaders via elder confirmation. They are non-voting members of that body until the completion of their commissioning.

+ Review and sign the covenants below.

SANCTUARY – covenant of leaders Download

[PRINT] Relational Covenants Download

Commissioning requires four conditions: 1) Completed Pathway (or leader cohort) 2) 6-12months of faithfulness to the outpost or ministry they are leading, 3) completion of the Leaders Orientation and 4) final approval by the Elders.

NEW LEADER ORIENTATION

LEADER COMMUNITY GATHERINGS

Commitment to attend our Leader Community gatherings throughout the year. This is a Commitment to learn & grow.

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. – John F. Kennedy

Good leaders are never done learning. As leaders, we commit to ongoing training, coaching, and personal development. We serve humbly, committing ourselves to the team. We acknowledge our shortcomings and seek to grow. We view leadership as an invitation to a formation journey. Similarly, if we find ourselves in a season of “Waiting / Not Now” with regards to formal leadership, we view this as an invitation as well. We commit to learn and grow with humility and patience, we open ourselves receive input from others, and, in conversation with the pastors, we plan to revisit the discernment conversation at a later time.

KEY DOCUMENTS

(some of these docs are in the process of being updated)

our structure and spaces

vows to join the leader community

the role of our elders

Our Narrative Theology Statement

Apostle’s Creed (c. AD 215)
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucifi ed, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. AMEN.

Covenant Affirmations

The Evangelical Covenant Church seeks to form and nurture communities that are deeply committed to Jesus Christ and passionately engaged in Christ’s mission in the world. The purpose of Covenant Affirmations is to make clear the values and principles that have guided the Evangelical Covenant Church since its founding in 1885.

READ HERE