While there are a lot of ways that we live out our discipleship to Jesus, at I-90, we are committed to six practices of discipleship as we aim to B.E.C.O.M.E. everyday disciples.

BLESS one follower of Jesus and someone who does not yet follow Jesus every week.

EAT with someone you would not normally eat with twice a month.

CONFESS to God and others at least once a week.

OPEN your mouth and talk about Jesus with someone every week.

MEET with God every day.

EXAMINE your life every day.

These are not things we do to make God happy. These are things we do to enjoy the kind of life that Jesus invites us to; a life with God. We don’t need to perform or earn a new life with God. It’s a gift that Jesus gives us through faith. But faith isn’t abstract. We aim to live the way Jesus lived because we want to make much of the life He gives us.

As a church, we put a high value on scripture. We believe that the Bible is authoritative. And, sure, we understand that sounds a bit strange to some people. But we’re not embarrassed by it. In fact, we believe that when we understand and obey what’s in the Bible we actually experience freedom. Jesus died to take away our sins, and through faith in him, we receive freedom and purpose. We live out that purpose through obedience to all that He taught.

Because we take the scriptures seriously, we also believe in the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer - something the scriptures teach clearly. The life of a disciple is a life with God. We need the Spirit to lead us in that life. And we need the Spirit to lead us as a church. Because of that, we put a strong emphasis on seeking the Spirit when we gather and making room for Him to move and speak.

If you have been around churches before, you might have noticed that sometimes it feels like you have to choose either Word or Spirit. We don’t like that choice. We believe we need to care deeply about both.

There are all sorts of churches, lots of theological bents, lots of ideas about various issues. We love that. But there is also a downside. Too often, churches divide over less-than-essential issues. We sort into smaller and smaller groups, thinking that it’s only our group that really “gets it.” So, what kind of church are we?

As a church we do not sit squarely in any one theological tradition. We are not distinctly Reformed nor are we decidedly Pentecostal. We are a non-denominational church that is trying to draw on the best of what the Christian tradition has to offer. We unify around Jesus, the gospel and the authority of scripture. And we are comfortable with difference of opinion around secondary and tertiary issues. For more an what that really means, see the “beliefs” section below.

We like questions. And we don’t expect you, or anyone, to “fake it till you make it.” In fact, we try to be a thinking church that does not shy away from difficult questions. That said, we don’t have easy answers. Many of the answers we seek are learned along the way to following Jesus.

The 4th-century saint Augustine said, “I believe so that I may understand.” Augustine understood that in order to understand anything, we start with faith. We come to understand little by little, but always by taking steps of faith, allowing Jesus to prove Himself to us. If you have doubts, if you have hurt, if you are skeptical you are welcome at I-90. We believe Jesus will show up in your life and meet you where you are.

At the end of the book of Matthew, Jesus sends his disciples on a mission to tell the world about Him and the good news (gospel) that he taught. As his disciples, 2000 years later, we are still on His mission. And we still have good news: Jesus died to forgive sin and reconcile the world to God. He teaches us what it looks like to be people who are fully alive. But that message is not a private gospel - it’s good news for the whole world.

We believe that the best way to spread that good news is by living as if it were true every day. We want to be a church that is equipped to bring the good news to every workplace, school, friend group and family. We are all sent on the mission. And we will live our lives with a purpose to see the gospel spread all over the Eastside and beyond.

We will be with, love and serve those who are the least on the Eastside. We do this through giving generously as a church and as individuals to those in need and to organizations that serve them and by regularly serving in our communities in practical ways. We want to be able to say that we “remembered the poor” (Gal. 2:10) because God loves those that are often overlooked.

We are committed to Scripture. We believe scripture is inspired by God and given to the church to reveal what we need to know about Him. We consider it our calling as a church to study, teach, and obey God’s Word. We hope to let scripture, in its canonical whole, shape our thinking and faith.

This means we will diligently engage with the scriptures, trying to understand what God is speaking in them and holding ourselves accountable to all they teach. It also means that we will choose to believe what the scriptures say even when they contradict our cultural preferences and values.

We believe that Jesus loves everyone. We are a church that hopes to demonstrate Jesus’ love to everyone. The gospel is not just good news for those who follow all “the rules” or who have their lives together; it’s good news for those who are broken, hurt, and unsure. If you are an outsider, someone who doesn’t feel like they would be welcome in a church, we want to tell you that you are welcome here.

The best part of the good news is that it leads us to a renewed life. Jesus said, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10). Jesus’ good news is that through faith in Him, you can be adopted into His family and given a new life. We want to help you know Jesus and be renewed, whoever you are.

Practically, this means that we believe the church can be (and should be) a messy place for messy people. You are welcome, with all your hangups, questions, or issues. We want to love you and help you follow Jesus, wherever you are starting from.

Jesus said in John 8:31–32, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Contrary to most modern (and post-modern) conceptions of freedom, Jesus taught that true freedom consists in following Him and obeying his teaching. For Jesus, we are most free when we commit to a faith-shaped life.

Practically, that means that we will consistently invite those who are a part of our church to choose obedience to God’s Word. As a church, we will not hesitate to tell you what the Bible says about any number of hot topics.

Let’s be honest, that might make you uncomfortable sometimes (It makes us uncomfortable when Jesus calls us out, too). But we believe that following Jesus into true freedom means obeying Him and living the way He taught us to live. And that never stops. We are always growing. We are all people in-process. We don’t expect you to show up already knowing how to follow Jesus, but we will encourage you to start taking steps of faith when you are ready.

In evangelical churches, there is an ongoing debate about the role of women in church leadership. The arguments sometimes get ugly and tend to involve mischaracterizations of differing views. At I-90, we believe that women are able to be Pastors, teachers, and leaders to the extent that the Holy Spirit has gifted them for such a ministry. If you care to know more about the Biblical basis for this belief, read our white paper on women in ministry.

As a church we believe that the spiritual gifts that Paul describes in the scriptures are operative and essential in the church today. We are decidedly continuationist in our theology of the Spirit. That said, we aim to use the gifts in a way that is consistent with scripture and love. We are leery of some of the excesses and unbiblical practices that have sometimes accompanied Spirit-filled ministries. But we will not let fear keep us from the church's clear biblical calling to exercise spiritual gifts.

We believe that Jesus died to save us. His sacrifice makes it possible for us to be forgiven of sin and have a life with God. This is what Christians believe. But we also know that when Jesus taught the good news (the gospel), it was an invitation to be a part of the Kingdom now. The gospel of the Kingdom is the good news that Jesus died to forgive us and adopt us into His family. And as members of God’s household, we now live in the Kingdom. And our calling as followers of Jesus is to live a life with God now. And so, in our pursuit of Christian maturity, we aim to equip everyone to have a vibrant and interactive life with God.