about monterey church.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

SURRENDERED
We are “all in” on the Gospel. We make the daily decision to surrender our lives to God and submit to the power and authority of His Word. We aspire to live in a manner that emphasizes God’s message of grace and truth in Jesus as our source of life and hope. The good news of the Gospel is not only the diving board into our faith, it is the pool that we swim in every day. (Luke 9:23, Romans 1:16, John 1:13)
 

IDENTITY
We look to Jesus alone for identity. We believe that we are who God says we are, and we are engaged in the life-long process of identifying and replacing any contradicting beliefs with His truth. We live, love and see the world through the lens of our true identity as God’s image bearers and children. (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 2:10, Genesis 1:27 John 1:12)
 

PURPOSE
We embrace God’s mission as our own. Because of the grace Jesus has shown us, we embody the truth that we do not exist for ourselves, but for the good of the world. We embrace His mission of not only growing to live and love more like Jesus, but also leading others to do the same. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Mark 12:30-31, Matthew 28:18-20)
 

POWER
We are boldly reliant on the Holy Spirit. We don’t hope for the Holy Spirit to show up…we expect that God is present! The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, empowers us to live according to His way, and leads us into abundant life. (Acts 1:8, John 16:13-14)

WHAT WE DO

INVEST
We are eager to share our hope. Just as Jesus warmly, personally, and sacrificially welcomes each person to Himself, we aspire to emulate His example in love and hospitality. We invest deeply in relationships with people who don’t know Christ, and remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings to help others take steps forward in their journey of faith. (Romans 10:13-14, 1 Peter 4:8-9)


PRACTICE
We practice what is preached. We understand that while knowledge of God’s truth is necessary for change, it must move from our minds into what we do with our bodies. Therefore, we are committed to personally applying and obeying what we learn, courageously taking steps of faith, and developing a fixed structure of rhythms and practices (e.g. prayer, fasting, Sabbath) that keep us close to God (“Rule of Life”). (Matthew 7:24-27, James 1:22, John 15:5)
 

SERVE
We serve holistically. We care for people and communities near and far who are in need of mercy, justice, and healing. Following Jesus’ model, we strive to meet both the spiritual and physical needs of people by bringing real and creative solutions in order to show God’s care for them, and to point people to their ultimate need for a Savior. (Matthew 9:5-6, John 20:30-31, 1 John 3:16-18)
 

EQUIP
We are people launchers. We enthusiastically embrace the opportunities of our unique setting by proactively and strategically welcoming people in, building them up and sending them out to our community (and the world) according to their unique gifts and callings. (2 Corinthians 5:14-20, Ephesians 2:10, 4:11-16)
 

TOGETHER
We do life together. We thrive when we engage God’s mission as a community. Therefore, we are committed to building friendships that encourage growth in Christ and service in the world. We value authenticity and vulnerability in our relationships with one another. We lean into hard conversations and take the first step in seeking forgiveness and reconciliation when necessary, trusting that the Gospel is enough to bind us together. (John 17:20-23, Hebrews 10:24, Ephesians 4:32, Proverbs 27:17)

WHO WE ARE

A SAFE PLACE TO EXPLORE
Everyone who desires to explore or grow in their faith in God is welcome at Monterey Church. We love to help people take steps in their journey with Christ as part of this community.



MORE HOSPITAL THAN COUNTRY CLUB
Monterey Church is not a group of people who have it all together, but is instead a community who recognizes their brokenness and need for a Savior (Jesus).


GOD’S PRESENCE OVER ENTERTAINMENT
The focus of our weekly gatherings is to create environments where people can have an authentic and life-changing encounter with God, identify their next step of faith, and then are equipped to go and live in accordance with God’s truth for God’s glory. It’s not about us…it’s about Him!


MOTIVATED BY GRATITUDE
We see worship as the overflow of gratitude and love for the God who first loved us. We gather weekly to passionately worship God together, and are devoted to growing daily in worship through an increased awareness and appreciation of God’s goodness in our lives.


WE ARE THE CHURCH
The church isn’t a building or an event, but is a community of people gathered together in the name of Jesus. Every person who calls Monterey Church “home” is an essential component of the church, and we aim to mobilize every member for ministry pursuant to how God has uniquely designed and is leading them. We also go out of our way to support and affirm other churches who share our mission.


STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY
We see our God-given differences as a gift that allows us to know God and serve Him more fully. We aspire to leverage our differences and continue growing as a community that is intergenerational, multiethnic, and affirming of the equal value and gifting of both men and women.


WE PAY GOD’S GRACE FORWARD
We believe that everything we have is a gift from God, and that we are called to faithfully steward those gifts (including our money, time, skills, resources) to help others come to know and experience His love. Our radical generosity testifies to the nature of God, while providing us with opportunities to partner with God to accomplish His purposes.


A HEART FOR OUR CITY, IN THE HEART OF THE CITY
We are convinced that God has called us to love our city from the heart of our city. This unique and distinct calling to gather regularly in Downtown Monterey enables us to pour into numerous people coming to and through our city due to military assignments, college, tourism, etc.