Worship singer and song lyrics Smiles on Sunday morning Catalyst kids with face paint Socializing after service

What We Believe

Catalyst was founded by the Evangelical Covenant Church, a Protestant denomination. We are a diverse community of faith that celebrates each other's differences, strives for unity through honest dialogue and mutual respect, and above all focuses on living out the core values of our faith:

Vision Statement

We strive to be an authentic, Christ-centered community that serves as a catalyst for God's work of transforming people into committed followers of Christ, who diligently minister to the needs of others both locally and globally.

Values

  • Bible - God has revealed Himself through the Scriptures and it is authoritative and relevant to all aspects of life and worship.
  • Community - We are committed to developing authentic relationships where people can do life together in an open and gracious community.
  • Devotion - Nothing is more important than a growing personal relationship with God.
  • Mission - The church exists to live out and share the message of the gospel and the compassion of Christ.
  • Mobilization - Every Christian is created for ministry and will find greatest joy and fulfillment when serving out of his or her unique, God-given gifts and passions.

Denomination

These six affirmations* represent the core beliefs of our denomination, the Evangelical Covenant Church.

  1. The centrality of the Word of God
    Believing God speaks to us through the Scriptures, we seek to put ourselves under the authority of his word, living as a biblical community.
  2. The necessity of the new birth
    Salvation comes by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ . When one enters into relationship with Jesus they become a new creation and cross from death to life.
  3. A commitment to the whole mission of the church
    Our call as followers of Jesus is to share and live out our faith in both words and actions, evangelism and compassion.
  4. The church as a fellowship of believers
    The church is not an institution but an organism. We exist as a family, intimately connected to one another because of our shared connection to Christ .
  5. A conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit
    The Christian life is a relationship. We look to the real presence of God with us to guide, empower, strengthen, comfort, challenge, fill and change us.
  6. The reality of freedom in Christ
    In those areas in which the Scriptures have not spoken clearly, we make efforts to remain united while allowing one another to hold differing beliefs.

* The six affirmations are found in the "Covenant Affirmations," a document that thoroughly explains the denomination's beliefs. It is available on the Evangelical Covenant Church web site.