What Makes Casas Unique
*** The purpose of this list of core values and beliefs is to clarify what makes Casas different from many other evangelical churches. This is not a doctrinal statement or a comprehensive statement of our beliefs.***

Casas Core Values:

You Can Belong Before You Believe: Belief in God and Christian doctrine is not a prerequisite for being a part of our church. We acknowledge that nobody has it all figured out. As a missional church, we seek to remove barriers that might prevent people from feeling like they could attend or belong. We seek to create space for each person who desires to be here where their journey with Christ can continue to unfold. 

Acceptance Over Agreement: Simply put, I don’t have to agree with you to accept you as a fellow human being, a brother or sister in Christ, and a person whom God deeply loves. We do not accept others because we agree, but because each person is made in the image of God.  We will have differences in beliefs and disagreements about behaviors however those will not keep someone from belonging and having a place with us. 

Multi-Generational Church: The church exists for all people of all generations everywhere. We strive to encourage the young to make space for and honor those older than themselves and we encourage those who are older to make space for and encourage the younger generations who will continue to lead the future church. This value is reflected in how we create services, serve others in ministry, and create events.

Casas Core Beliefs: 

People Are Created In The Image Of God: Every human is made in the image of God and that image remains regardless of the good or bad choices a person will make. This means that each person is created with purpose and value and reflects the God who created them. At Casas, we seek to treat each person we encounter as one who has innate value and divine purpose. 

Key Passages: Gen 1:26-27

The Supremacy of Love: Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second is that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves. He also said that the world will know that we follow him by the way we love others. John even went so far as to say that God is love. This means that loving God and loving others is always our path forward in seeking to live for and follow God. When in doubt, take a step toward love. We hold love above all else and filter our thoughts and actions through our desire to be people who love others well. 

Key Passages: Matthew 22:26-40, John 13:35-35, 1 John 4:8

Sin Is A Symptom We see sin as a symptom of a deeper issue in people. Sin is the behavior that results when people try to deal with shame, uncertainty, fear, and insecurity without entrusting those things to Christ. A person may lie, which is a sin. However, the reason that person has chosen to lie is that they have a fear of what may happen should they tell the truth. The deeper problem isn’t the lie, but that they didn’t turn and trust Christ with their fear and instead chose to control the situation themselves. The reason sin exists is because we try to solve the uncertainty and carry the weight of our world rather than entrusting these to God. This is trusting in “the knowledge of good and evil.” When we try to overcome our humanity by choosing to “be like God” instead of trusting and living in faith with Christ, it inevitably results in sinful behavior. 

Key Passages: Gen 3:1-7

Faith In Christ: We not only seek to emulate Christ with our lives but trust Him with our decisions. Instead of ignoring complexity by turning to black and white thinking or basing the security of our decisions upon the notion of rules or legalism, we seek to base our trust and security on our faith in Christ. This means that, in both easy and difficult decisions, we put our faith in Christ and ask the question: “What is Christ leading me to do in my life right now?” We then make the decision in faith. This belief incorporates both the Bible and the experience of our own faith journey and trusts Christ to lead us forward. 

Key Passages: Gal 3

The Bible Is Inspired: We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. Through the context of His original audience and the style of literature in which different scriptures are written, God reveals to us His expressed wisdom as the Spirit guides us in applying it to the present.  God uses the words of the scriptures to illuminate the hearts of men and women as a means of revealing His own heart for people, His desire for each of us, and the way mankind has related to Him, as we continue to do so even still. 

Key Passages: 2 Tim 3:16

Life Is A Beautiful Mess: Life is a unique combination of both beautiful and difficult moments. We can experience deep pain but also know that the fullness of God is present and that we are fully loved. We choose not to see any one moment as all good or all bad because we live in a “God bathed world” and there is always beauty to be found amidst the mess. Life, and our experience of it, are inherently complex and we make room for that complexity by honoring and creating room for the full spectrum of human experience.  

Key Passages: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8