what we believe
we seek to truly follow Jesus Christ.
read the bible and you’ll quickly discover that Jesus was a…
unconditional
lover
love was always Jesus’ bottom line. when asked what the two most important teachings were, his answer was simple and resolute: love God and love people.
creative
teacher
rather than issuing decrees or declaring absolute truths, Jesus taught through stories, metaphors, and imagery, giving us the gift of open wonder in seeking God.
fierce
advocate
the poor, oppressed, and excluded have always been Jesus’ people, and he would continue to heal, lift up, encourage, and teach them to his final breath.
radical
includer
Jesus never excluded anyone, only embraced and healed them. his teachings include bringing the uninvited and spiritually outcast right into the center of God’s feast.
based on Jesus’ example, we know that:
1. God’s love is for all people.
Jesus didn’t have any prerequisites, and neither do we. we are a radically inclusive community that truly welcomes every person, regardless of identity, age, ability, or history. love God and love people means you — no matter what.
2. we were made for God and each other.
we were made for community. it’s just that simple — we know this both psychologically and spiritually. we are an authentic community where you can be known for who you really are — no pretending necessary. Jesus didn’t hang out with perfect people, and neither do we.
3. questions are encouraged.
it’s okay to doubt sometimes — really. we believe that by questioning, experiencing, and wondering about our faith together, we find real relationship with God. we don’t presume to have all of the answers, but trust that God will meet us in the midst of our doubt.
4. God speaks through all of us.
Jesus said that we are the body of Christ. if we take that seriously, this means that God really is moving and speaking through each and every one of us. that’s why we consider our work to be the work of the people.
we strive to live out these values through everything we do… even in the way we gather.
that’s why we worship “in the round.” we all face in towards the communion table. sitting at chairs instead of pews allows us to have conversation and get the chance to see how God is working in each and every one of us.
we’re often asked, “do you read the bible literally or figuratively?”
our honest reply is that we take the bible seriously. this means that every time we read scripture, we strive to:
consider the appropriate historical and cultural contexts
examine the modern-day cultural and societal forces that may be influencing our interpretation
remain open to how the Holy Spirit is moving for us through the passage
include the tenets of tradition, experience, and reason alongside scripture
our experience is that this theological approach opens up a wide sky for God to help us think, question, doubt, and stand in awe… often in different patches under God’s vast cosmos, for if we could fully understand it, it wouldn’t be God.
no two people at edges believe all the same things because God is at work in our lives in a diversity of ways.
we know God’s love is for all — and as community, we risk interpreting God’s love, taking a stand, and calling each other into a response to it, no matter how controversial or complex. we enrich each other’s journey of faith by sharing creative forms of worship, service, and community in an open space where anyone can explore, strengthen, and question what matters most.
we practice an innovative collaborative preaching model.
our theo team, which includes pastor mandy and a team of volunteers, meets every week to discuss current and future sermon series, sermon and service feedback is given and discussed, and sermons both by the lead pastor and other members of the theo team are crafted and refined.
this means that every sermon that is given at edges has been touched by multiple people in the edges community — all working to ensure scriptural and historical accuracy, accessibility, relevancy, and more.
a great way to get to know what we believe is to look at our record.
here are a few recent “signature” worship conversations and sermons at edges.
a state of being
mandy newman | pastor
november 12, 2023
cancel culture
savannah greene, franklyn harrison, luke williams | theo team
april 30, 2023
the edge-walkers
franklyn harrison | theo team
november 5, 2023
the eternal now
luke williams | theo team
july 16, 2023
evangelizing
savannah greene | theo team
july 2, 2023
vulnerability
amy terry | theo team
july 9, 2023
edges is proud to be a bridge church
as a bridge church, edges is saying welcome to former members of disaffiliated churches in the united methodist church. identifying as a bridge church solidifies our commitment to advocacy for both the lgbtq+ community's right to marry and preach and for the allies who refuse to make their home in a church that has eliminated this possibility. learn more here →