III. CORE VALUES

A. The Presence of God

Experiencing and enjoying the presence of God is the fulfillment of all of God’s dreams, the reason for the cross, and the end goal of our salvation. It is our privileged position to be, once again, invited into His presence. We, as sons and daughters of God, should value His presence above all things, in the world and in our faith. At Outlook, it is our desire to meet with Him at every gathering, live with Him every day and always celebrate His presence with us. His presence changes everything!

B. The Character of God - Goodness / Loving & Just

When Moses asked God to reveal his glory, God responded by saying, “I will cause all of my goodness to pass before you…” (Ex. 33:19 / 2 Pt. 1:3,5) God is good, all the time… even when things are going bad. His nature and character do not change, which is why we can have hope in every situation. We maintain that God is loving towards all he has made. He causes the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. He loves us in all seasons whether we personally experience this love or not. God is love at His core (1 John 4:8). Outlook Church strives to create an atmosphere that expresses this love at every gathering, and strives to export, in lifestyle, His love throughout the week in every atmosphere. But we must also remember that God is just, which explains the cross. The willing sacrifice of His Son on the cross explains both his love and his justice.

C. Joy, Peace and Hope

When we read about joy, peace and hope in the Bible, it is during suffering, not the absence of it. Because of the cross, we have hope. As a result, we should experience peace and joy in our lives regardless of the circumstances. Joy and peace are the results of believing in this hope, and trusting in Jesus, the reason for our hope. (Rom. 15:13; Col. 1:27) At Outlook church, we seek to be bringers of this hope to the world. Because God is always and forever for us, always with us and in us, and always faithful to fulfill His promises and work for the good of those who love and trust him, we can and should overflow with hope by the power of the Spirit. (Rom. 8:28-31).

D. Family and Honor

We do not desire for our gatherings to be an impersonal experience, on the contrary, we desire for everyone, who has been created in God’s image, to be seen, valued and received as they would be in heaven itself. We want to create an expression of heaven on earth in the way we treat one another. Jesus said He would build the Church. He called us to Be the Church to one another, and to the world. We believe this focus on being God’s family, instead of a corporation or institution, creates a healthy and welcoming environment for people to grow in. And as we learn to honor one another, and treat one another with love and respect, we can create a place for any and everyone.

E. The Word and the Spirit

At Outlook, we value equally the two gifts God has given us, in order that we might know Him, grow in Him: The Word of God (Bible) and the Spirit of God. Many churches rely on one over the other. It is our desire to fully embrace both. We believe the Bible is the inspired and living Word of God (Heb. 4:12) and that his Spirit is alive in all believers

F. Grace & Empowerment

We believe God’s grace is sufficient for all our needs. We enter into a relationship with God, having our sins forgiven, by His grace. And we also must learn to live in this grace, which is the empowering presence of God (HS) in our lives, working to finish the good work He began in us. Learning to manage our freedom in Christ and cooperate with the Spirit (live in grace) is paramount to remaining free. Otherwise, we will succumb to rules and regulations once again and not experience the abundant life Jesus promised. Understanding of what Christ has done, and respond accordingly with gratitude, trust and obedience (love).

G. Faith & Works (service)

Faith is believing. What we believe will determine how we live and will dictate our emotions. Without faith it is impossible to know or please God. (Hebrews 11). Faith is like a muscle and must be exercised to grow. As our faith grows, we will find the motivation for all service and sacrifice. Servanthood and obedience must be motivated from our faith and gratitude, otherwise it will be done out of guilt or obligation and will not lead to joy or abundance. Doing God’s will is the result of both believing and valuing the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is the only natural response. We all live what we believe, and our actions reveal what we value. When we learn to truly trust God, we will overcome all our fears and experience a life of freedom and adventure; obeying every command, joyfully doing His will, and living our lives to honor and glorify our heavenly Father.

H. Generosity

Our God is a generous Father. As his children and representatives of the kingdom of heaven, we seek to be like Him in every way and reflect His nature and glory on the earth. Generosity frees us from a mentality of poverty and a culture of materialism. All of heaven’s resources are available to God’s kids. We are rich and we are backed by the promises of God. Therefore, we teach and encourage a lifestyle of stewardship, using every resource for the purposes of God.

I. Healthy Rhythms

We seek to care for the whole person mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Therefore, we encourage people to establish healthy “rhythms” in life that allow them to function to their fullest capacity with family, work, and ministry. We want to see people thriving in their walk with Jesus. This calls for reflection, prioritization, wisdom and determination, all led by the Word and the Spirit of God. He is not a harsh taskmaster. Doing His will, His way, will not turn us out, but fill us up.

J. The Lost

God’s heart is for the whole world, for those who are spiritually lost (Luke 15:8-10). It is this love which drove Him to the cross where His love was revealed in all fullness and glory (Romans 5:6-8). Thus, as seen in our name Outlook Church, we seek to be an outward facing church with passion and intention in joining God on His mission to seek and save the lost. It is our desire to be a place where unbelievers and seekers can experience the reality of God and His love.

K. Worship

We recognize that worship is a lifestyle in which we daily offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). We also recognize the importance of corporate worship in which we join together to reflect on Christ and praise Him with one another (Ephesians 5:19). The Outlook worship team leads the church body in worship and through battle, physically and spiritually to honor, exalt, and encounter God (2 Chronicles 20). Creative worship is commanded through the Bible in many different forms, venues, and expressions. Our team studies each song and creative expression we choose for biblical and theological soundness. There is a specific socio-cultural niche that speaks to both the believer and the unbeliever that facilitates engagement as the Holy Spirit ministers. We strive to foster an atmosphere in our worship that is biblical, culturally relevant, and full of freedom and expectation of powerful and meaningful encounters with God.

L. Equipping the Next Generation

Outlook Church seeks to be an equipping ground for the next generation of believers, the future Christian church. Therefore, we seek to have dynamic and impactful children’s, youth, and young adult ministries where they can explore, encounter, embrace, and express the love of God.

M. Unity

We are not the only church or the best church in Reno. We are but one expression of the beautiful bride of Christ in our city. Therefore, we seek to be unified in Spirit and cooperate with the move of God in our region, joining together in prayer, worship and other activities with the other churches in our region for the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom.