Beliefs

Apostle’s Creed (Variant)

We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.

We Believe

  • We believe God loves all the avatars of the metaverse.

  • We believe each avatar is a real person with a real story.

  • We believe everyone is welcome to church even if you don’t believe in God.

 FAQs

  • We are a decentralized, Christo-centric church community, united under the Banner of Christ, His teachings and His authority.

    This means we are a community of people from various backgrounds and countries who have agreed to come together in digital space, overlooking our minor differences, with the goal of seeking to know God better, becoming more like Jesus Christ, and loving and supporting one another.

  • As opposed to traditional non-denominational churches, our leadership is much less structured or hierarchical. We have a set of elders and pastors who come from various denominational backgrounds and countries who have united in agreement on the essentials of the resurrected Christ.

    While we don't have everything figured out yet, our goal is to eliminate the concept of pastor/laity and empower EVERYONE to step into their identity as the royal priesthood.

    We have diverse views on various theological issues. However, we are united under the teachings of Christ and all agree to remain humble in our interpretation of scripture as we study and grow together under His guidance. As we seek His guidance and His will, we also believe individuals have the freedom to hold various interpretations of theological and doctrinal issues that are often debated in scripture, but not essential to salvation.

    Our priority is on introducing ALL people - regardless of beliefs or backgrounds - to the amazing life-giving and life-changing love of God, so they can find a place of belonging in God's community.

    We acknowledge that we are all at different places in our journeys and walks with Christ and will work to meet people where they are instead of forcing them to conform to a mold they do not yet, or never will, fit into.

  • Within the Bible, there are different types of baptisms.

    Baptism of Moses
    In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul refers to the baptism of or unto Moses, which means to be immersed in the presence of God.

    Baptism of John
    This is a baptism of repentance, meaning to voluntarily put away your old, self-destructive and selfish life and walk into a new way of life in pursuit of Jesus. This is why, in Matthew 3, John protested and said Jesus should be baptizing him instead.

    Baptism of Jesus
    Also known as a baptism of suffering, which means taking on a life of self-sacrifice as you dedicate your life to His purposes. In Romans 12, Paul instructs the people to "present your bodies as a living sacrifice - holy and pleasing to God - which is your true and proper worship."

    Baptism by the Spirit into the community of believers
    In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes this as the Spirit within us, gifting us with skills to use for the good of others. We as a community are called to serve others and each other with one Spirit - to be His hands and feet in the world.

    Baptism by Water
    This is the type of baptism most of us are familiar with. It is an outward expression of a personal relationship with God, yet is not essential for salvation. If it were, Jesus would have been lying to the thief on the cross next to Him when He said. “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”

    Dallas Willard explains in one of his lectures, “It’s not a matter of getting wet. You can do that in the shower. It’s the matter of being brought into a living relationship with a living God in a living Kingdom in a way which you have never been before."

    It’s not about the physical water. It’s about the Living Water (Holy Spirit), which pours out from Jesus onto us and transforms our lives as we submit to His authority and accept His guidance in our lives.

  • When people ask this question, they're usually referring to two key scripture references found in 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy.

    Whenever we read the Bible, we have to read the scripture in light of the entire "book" in its original context for its original audience and their culture, and in light of the entire Bible as a whole.

    In this case, we’re reading letters from Paul to specific churches in Corinth and Ephesus. These letters were a response to some additional correspondence to which we don't have access. This means we’re getting small portions of much more detailed conversations.

    Knowing this, we need to remain humble in our interpretation of what Paul is saying in his letters. However, there are some key things that we can know based on the whole of scripture.

    God does not contradict Himself

    In Acts 2:17-18 Peter tells the crowds, “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy."

    There are examples throughout Old and New Testament scripture of God raising up women to lead, teach and prophesy. However, we tend to ignore these passages and call them one-offs based on two cherry-picked verses. To take one or two singular verses, to ignore the original language and the original context, and to create an entire theology around them is an example of misusing scripture.

    Women were always part of God's plan

    They played a huge role in the history of Israel, a huge role in Jesus' ministry, and a huge role in the founding of the Church.

    Jesus personally sent the woman at the well to share the Good News of His Kingdom with her hometown. Jesus personally sent the women at His tomb to go tell the men (who were hiding in fear) the Good News of His resurrection. Women traveled with Jesus, and helped fund and manage His ministry. Paul frequently mentioned women as coworkers and equals in ministry.

    To say "It's because of Eve" is to miss the entire point of the Good News

    It also misses a very important detail that people tend to overlook. Adam was with Eve when she was tempted, and yet he did not intervene.

    Genesis 3:6

    "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate."

    If God took away Eve's authority because she was deceived, but didn't take away Adam's authority when he didn't intervene - even though he is the one who received the command not to eat the fruit directly from the mouth of God - it would mean that God is unjust. And it would also mean that the sin of Eve is the one sin that Jesus' death didn't cover.

    There are far too many scripture references to list here

    If you would like to study more on this topic, here are some excellent resources provided by BibleProject.

    Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians by Ben Witherington III

    Rediscovering Scripture's Vision for Women by Lucy Peppiatt

 Official Statements & Responses

  • One of the greatest themes throughout the entire Bible, and punctuated in the New Testament is Gods love for us, and how He wants us to love each other.

    In 1 John 4:7-8, the Apostle John - who spent a lot of time hanging around Jesus and being mentored by Him - says...

    "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

    Embrace Him and accept His unbelievable love for you. All those people out there telling you He hates you - all those people out there telling you you're not lovable - they're a bunch of liars and they don't know Him.

    He loves you so much, that seeing you in all the pain you're in He came in human form and took that on Himself. He died in your place so you could live. That's how much He loves you, and nothing you do could ever separate His love from you.

  • You are welcome here. Our goal is to create a safe place for people to get to know the amazing and life-changing love of Jesus. As a decentralized, Christo-centric church community, we have diverse views on the topic of LGBTQ+ issues. However, we all unite under the banner of Christ.

    Regardless of where our individual leaders and community members stand, we all agree that ALL people are created in the image of God and deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and love.

    While we may disagree on interpretations of scripture, we all agree and acknowledge that we don't know everything and will work to remain humble and open in our understanding of scripture as we continue to dig in and study more.

  • Many Christians often think it’s their duty and calling to immediately tell someone if they’re doing something against their religious convictions. Let’s stop and consider the consequences of that expected "Christian" behavior.

    Imagine if the first time you met someone, the first thing they did was tell you all the things you’re doing wrong. Every time you see them from then on, all they ever talk about is what you’re doing wrong. Would you want to listen to them? Would you feel loved? Would you feel safe? Would you trust that person?

    If we look at Jesus' behavior and His approach, He meets us where we are - not just at our physical location, but at our level of emotional and spiritual maturity. And He works with us and through us where we are. As we grow closer in our relationship to Him, we grow in our own spiritual walk with Him.

    When He gave us the Great Commission, He did not say, "Go ye, therefore, unto all nations, declaring your doctrinal stances, forcing your religious convictions on them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

    Colossians 4:6 says, "Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."

    When we are speaking and sharing the Good News of the Kingdom, maybe instead of immediately telling people what we believe they’re doing wrong, we could follow His example and meet people where they are both emotionally and spiritually - inviting them along on the journey to get to know Jesus and His teachings better, instead of trying to force our own religious convictions on them.

    Imagine what the world would look like if everyone lived this out.

    People would be more open and honest with each other. A lot more healing and restoration would happen. It would enable others to feel safe to open their minds and listen to His message. More people would be open to accept Jesus and His amazing love for them. More people would be open to getting to know Him better and letting Him work in their lives, instead of rejecting Him before they even meet Him.

  • Pop Quiz: Fill in the blank

    "They will know we are Christians by our _______."

    A. Doctrinal stances

    B. Political allegiance

    C. What we're against

    D. Love

    Many Christians in the United States, and a growing number around the world, have lost focus on the Answer to the nation's - and the world's - current problems.

    A politician is not the answer. A government is not the answer. Jesus did not give the Great Commission to Caesar or to Pilate. He gave it to His followers.

    “Public schools are not the place for religious instruction — that is best left to houses of worship, religious institutions and families,”
    - BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler

    We have for far too long abandoned our spiritual calling, and left it to the government, politicians and school teachers.

    It's our job as His followers to share the love of Jesus with the world. And it's the parent's job to raise up their children in the ways of Jesus. And when the parents fail at their job of raising their children, it's the Church's calling to step in - not the government.

    As Christians, we are bound by our citizenship in His Kingdom - not a worldly kingdom. It's not about a single nation here on Earth. It's not about a political party. It's about His Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven.

    1 Peter 2 refers to us as strangers and exiles, and says that there will be inevitable tension. When that tension happens, we are to fight back with honorable living - not violence, hate or retaliation. We are instructed not to use our freedom as an excuse to do evil, but to respect EVERYONE, revere God, and respect our world governments.

    The prophet Jeremiah instructed the people of Israel to seek the wellbeing of their occupying country, and to pray to the Lord on the leaders' behalf - neither compromising nor revolting.

    Daniel and his friends worked for the enemy and took Jeremiah's advice, but at the same time they had boundaries. They drew the line at serving their king as their god. Even though the penalty of not obeying was death, they nonviolently laid down their lives.

    This is the way of the exile, and this is the way we've been called to live.