Our Values

Our values are at the heart of who we are at Imago Dei. We are determined to be unwavering in our commitment to reflect the life of Jesus by recognizing and restoring the image of God in every person!


Reflect

We are a people committed to reflecting the life of Jesus: living by His words, His ways, and His works is our aim and our goal. We do this imperfectly, but we know that we are day by day being transformed into the image of Jesus. We do this through prayer, worship, and abiding in Him.


Recognize

We are a people committed to recognizing the image of God in others. In a world as weary with division as ours, this is no small task. And yet, we are committed to seeing what Jesus sees in others. We do this by cultivating an attitude of joyful belonging.


Restore

We are a people committed to walking with others on the road to restoration in the image of God. Because we know that we can’t give away what we don’t have, we are a people who are committed to pursuing wholeness and holiness personally so that we can agents of restoration in others’ lives. We do this by following God’s leading, not our own agenda.


Reflect

We are a people committed to reflecting the life of Jesus: living by His words, His ways, and His works is our aim and our goal. We do this imperfectly, but we know that we are day by day being transformed into the image of Jesus. We do this through prayer, worship, and abiding in Him.


Recognize

We are a people committed to recognizing the image of God in others. In a world as weary with division as ours, this is no small task. And yet, we are committed to seeing what Jesus sees in others. We do this by cultivating an attitude of joyful belonging.


Restore

We are a people committed to walking with others on the road to restoration in the image of God. Because we know that we can’t give away what we don’t have, we are a people who are committed to pursuing wholeness and holiness personally so that we can agents of restoration in others’ lives. We do this by following God’s leading, not our own agenda.

Our Beliefs

Often times we hear messages that get associated with the Christian message which are not core to faith in Jesus. What is core, however, is called orthodoxy. These orthodox beliefs are the basis of reality and have been tested through generations and generations of followers of Jesus.

  • Who is God?

    We believe in one God who created everything. He is infinite, perfect, and beyond our ability to fully comprehend him. We trust in the mystery of the Trinity, which is to say he is one God who exists in three equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  • Who is Jesus?

    We believe Jesus Christ is God who, in his grace, came to earth as a human being in an actual time and place in history. He is both fully God and fully human. We believe that a woman named Mary, who was a virgin, gave birth to him, and he lived a sinless life. He died on a cross as a sacrifice to cover the sin of the world, and he rose from the dead (physically) and ascended into heaven where he continues his ministry to us. There he is our mediator and intercessor with the Father until he returns at the end of this age.

  • Who is Holy Spirit?

    We believe that the Holy Spirit is God at work in the world today. He reveals the goodness and truth of Jesus, convicts us of our sin, and transforms us into new creations when we believe in him. For followers of Jesus, he provides us his Holy Spirit as a gift to live in us, to guide us, to teach us, and to empower us to live in the power and humility of Jesus.

  • What is the Bible?

    We believe the Scriptures (the entire Old and New Testaments) are the inspired word of God. He speaks to us through them as he reveals to us his character and his will for the salvation of the world. We believe they are without error, as God has preserved them throughout the ages to be his final authority for all faith and life.

  • Who are we?

    We believe human beings were created by God in love as ones who are made in his image and likeness. Our sin has resulted in both physical and spiritual death, and we desperately need to be made completely new by his saving grace.

  • What is salvation?

    We believe that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection provide the only possible way for our salvation, and we are completely and forever saved only by God’s grace. Only as one receives this good and perfect gift from God—by repentance and faith in Jesus—is someone born of the Holy Spirit and made a child of God.

  • We have an enemy?

    We believe that Satan is a created being who sinned through pride and, along with his fallen angels, has become the enemy of God and God’s people.

  • What are baptism and communion?

    We believe that baptism with water and holy communion are incredible blessings we must participate in while we wait for Jesus to return, and that both of these are designated only for the community of faith.

  • Who is the Church?

    We believe that God’s Church is made up of all of his people who have been born again through a saving faith in Jesus. We are different parts of one body—the Body of Christ—and Jesus is the head.

    Furthermore, we believe that a local church is a local body of believers who join together for worship, to serve one another with gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit, and to bless the world. We believe the local church is the tangible, present expression of God’s universal Church, and that we fulfill the purpose of the universal Church in the world.

  • Who is our source of hope?

    We believe that Jesus himself—the same Jesus who lived and walked in 1st-century Palestine—will return soon, and that this great anticipation should encourage his followers to live a godly and fruitful life. Jesus described his followers as the “salt” and “light” of the earth, and our faith and hope in him should impact every part of our lives and bless our society.

  • Where does all of this lead?

    We believe in the bodily resurrection of all who die. We believe those who reject Jesus receive the tragedy of eternal separation from him, but those who have received God’s gift of salvation through Jesus experience blessings forever in the wonderful presence of God.

Across the City & Across the World

Our Partnerships

We’re passionate about recognizing and restoring the image of God in every person, so we partner with ministries across the city and the globe to bring the Good News of Jesus to the least, the last, and the lost. As a church, we differentiate between missions partnerships (which focus on the last, the least, and the lost) and ministry partnerships (which focus on building up the body of Christ here in our city).


Missions Partnership
Eglize de Gras

A church plant in Haiti that is making and multiplying disciples of Jesus.

Missions Partnership
Hands & Feet Project

Building a Montessori school on the site of our Haiti church plant, equipping the next generation of Haitians.

Missions Partnership
The Refuge

A welcoming hub for individuals and families new to Fort Wayne that offers short-term housing and connection to nonprofit agencies ready to assist with adjusting to life in the Midwest.

Ministry Partnership
Gospel House

A para-church ministry which seeks to help churches cultivate a culture of worship and prayer.

Ministry Partnership
PrayerWorks

Our city’s 24/7 prayer room which is a hub for worship and prayer in our region.

Ministry Partnership
Associated Churches

Brings together volunteers, churches, and businesses to pray, serve, and work together to improve our community and respond to those in need.