WHAT MAKES A LIBERTI CHURCH?
Our Communion recognizes certain historic confessions, catechisms and creeds, such as the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed, which the Church has affirmed across the centuries as helpful summaries of the essence and activity of God.
Our Statement of Faith is adapted and borrowed from the Gospel Coalition Statement of Faith.
Our Core Values flow from the gospel of Jesus and shape how we relate to God in worship, to each other in community, and to the world in mercy. We consider these values a part of the foundational Gospel calling for all Liberti Churches
ΚΟΙΝΩΝΊΑ
We call ourselves a Communion of Churches in recognition of the Greek word “Koinonia” and how it depicts our calling to “oneness” in the body of Christ, across many local expressions of the church. We believe that by accepting the invitation of communion with the Triune God, comes the expectation of sharing, investing, and partaking in communion with one another as brothers and sisters. We believe these two aspects of communion are inextricably connected in the Christian faith; and it is this belief that impacts the way we as a network of churches seek to live, speak, and serve as the presence of Christ for our region, and our world, as well as our local neighborhoods and communities.
“We cannot love God unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other. We know Him in the breaking of bread, and we know each other in the breaking of bread, and we are not alone any more. Heaven is a banquet and life is a banquet, too, even with a crust, where there is companionship. We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.”
- Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness: An Autobiography
“ ‘Koinonia’ expresses a common life as Christian men and women and it bears witness to two complimentary truths. On the one hand, it bears witness to what we share in together. And What is that? Well, it is the Grace of God…It also expresses what we share out together. Koinonia is the word that Paul used for the collection that he was organizing among the Greek churches for the benefit of the poverty stricken churches in Judea.”
- John Stott, Marks of a Renewed Church
HOW DO WE PRACTICE ΚΟΙΝΩΝΊΑ?
In Our Worship
Gospel Centrality We see all of life, the scriptures, and the church through the lens of the gospel. We teach with the understanding that all of the scriptures point to Jesus, who is the fulfillment of all God’s promises. It is the good news of Jesus that motivates us to live, speak, and serve as his very presence––and not moralism, intellectualism, or mere experience.
Winsomely Reformed We are led by pastors and elders that embrace the Reformed articulation of the Christian faith while seeking to live with humility and gratitude as we learn from other faithful traditions in the body of Christ.
Contextualized We seek to reflect the various communities in which we gather, live, and serve, rooting ourselves in the particular place and context that God has placed them in.
Liturgical We rehearse and narrate the movements of the Gospel in our worship gathering, and we seek to benefit from the riches of historic Christian worship and to express these riches in our worship gatherings.
Hospitable We are hospitable, welcoming those who have yet to embrace Christianity but are willing to have their questions, doubts, and struggles both honored and addressed.
In Our Community
Covenantal We cultivate community where people are called to see themselves and each other not as consumers of “church" but as covenantal members in the body of Christ.
Partnership We are committed to working together with other Liberti Churches in mission, for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Ecumenical We are committed to partnering as churches in mission together with all of Christ’s church that confess historic Christian faith.
In Acts of Mercy
Compassion We are committed to demonstrating the compassion and justice of the Gospel in tangible ways, to the neediest people and most broken places in our region and world.
Church Planting We believe that the most effective way to reach the world for Jesus is to plant new Churches and are committed to supporting the efforts of church planting both locally and globally.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What’s the deal with your name? “Liberti” is the Latin word for the “freed people” in ancient society who were formerly in bondage but were now free because their ransom had been paid. The name “Liberti” has both a gospel connection because Jesus brings real freedom to us and to this broken world, and it also connects us to the history of the Philadelphia region that we love.
Q: I'm not sure if I’m a Christian, am I welcome at Liberti Church? Absolutely. Liberti Churches welcome those who have yet to embrace Christianity and are willing to have their questions, doubts, and struggles honored and addressed. We desire and expect spirituals seekers and skeptics to be present at everything we do.
Q: Which Liberti Church should I visit? Liberti churches seek to reflect the community in which they gather, live, and serve. Consequently, we would suggest visiting the one closest to you!
Q: Who leads the Liberti Network? We have a leadership team that oversees our mission together as a network. Learn more about our leadership team here.
Q: Why do you care so much about planting new churches? We believe that when Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” he truly intended it as commission for his people throughout all of history. Jesus calls his followers to spread his good news, which will lead to new communities of Jesus being formed and new churches being planted!
Q: What denominations/networks are represented in the Liberti Church Network? Currently we have Liberti Churches that are affiliated (or doubly affiliated) with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the Reformed Church in America (RCA), and the Acts 29 Church Planting Network.
Q: What is Small Things about? Small Things began as a seasonal project called Easter Outreach that sought to feed the hungry in one of the most food-insecure neighborhoods in the United States. What started with one Liberti congregation in East Philadelphia has grown to an ecumenical movement including churches, non-profits, food distributors and pantries all over the Philadelphia Region, operating year round. With this expansion Easter Outreach became Small Things. To learn more about their name and their efforts, visit their website here.