FAQ
So what does “missioDei” mean anyway?
Wikipedia gives a great definition here. In short, it is Latin for “the sending of God”. It is a theological, Trinitarian, missiological basis for doing church. In brief, it means getting out there and being the church.
When and where does this church meet?
We meet every Sunday for service @ 5pm at “The Parsonage” in the Spring Creek / King Mountain neighborhood of Bellingham, WA. Directions here.
Why another church in Bellingham?
We believe in church planting (starting new churches) because this is the best way to reproduce life. Statistics show that new churches are most effective at penetrating segments of society that otherwise would have no interest. That’s not to sound ominous, but more people are exposed to a discussion about faith when new churches are started. Another reason we believe so highly in this new church is the rapid increase in population as well as the rapid diversification of Whatcom County. 2000 new people moved into town just last year; and a good fraction of those people are minority populations. While we do not intend to become an “ethnic” church, we believe that the Church should reflect the diversity of the community it finds itself in.
Who comes to this church?
We are serious about being multi-generational and multi-ethnic. At this point, we are gathering couples, families, students, singles, and children. Our congregation represents Caucasian, Asian, and Latino ethnicities. We hope to bridge into all ages and ethnicities and hope you will be bold enough to be the first.
Is childcare available?
Yes.
What does this church look like?
We try our best to speak to culture and at the same time be faithful to our orthodoxy. So that affects the way we present ourselves. We might be regarded by some as atypical as churches come, and some would even go so far as to say we’re anti-institutional. In the end, we are creating a space for dialogue as well as worship, where parents, children, seniors, infants, students, professionals, and so on, can all feel comfortable and at the same time be challenged. In the past we have met in living rooms, galleries, campuses, sanctuaries, social halls. At the moment we find ourselves at the church parsonage and are (re)creating a worship space there.
Is this an emerging church?
We are a church that is emerg(ing) into the new millenium in a post-church culture. We are not necessarily part of the emerg(ent) network but nonetheless find ourselves asking similar questions as the emerging dialogue. In the end, we strive to be a church that is relevant to our community and effective in a post-church culture.
What our your affiliations?
We are connected (and coached) by Seattle Quest Church. We are also an Evangelical Covenant “Fellowship Group”. Please see the “About” page for more information about our affiliations.
What makes this church different?
Really, not much. As alternative as we might come across, we really are just another institutional church. So we do our best to hold to key values that will keep us cutting edge, like a bent towards compassion and justice (we have been involved in several social justice causes), an intentional diversity (we have an ethnic, yet English-speaking pastor – and we plan to diversify our leadership), and a perspective for the world (through global missions and community development).
What are your core values?
Our statement of faith and core values are available here:
