Our Vision
York Alliance Church pursues the transformational love of Jesus and seeks to build communities that share this love with all people.
Prayer Is the first work
We believe prayer is the very first and most important work we are called to as believers. This is a forthright acknowledgment that all transformation, all real heart movement, and any impact on people or systems—anything that truly lasts—is the work of God and not the work of man. We will always seek to operate in dependence on the Holy Spirit in all things, seeking His work among us and joining Him in it, not running ahead or lagging behind. The real work of the church is work that only God can do.
Lifestyle of Worship
We believe that beyond simply a celebration gathering, all of life is to be lived as an act of worship to God. Songs, Scripture declarations, giving, creedal affirmations, and corporate prayer are expressions of worship, but never the totality of it. Worship is a willful and intentional connection of every aspect of life to every aspect of God. Worship declares the gospel in everyday living and in the community. Worship is offering oneself as a living sacrifice before God. With this understanding, we are to be worshipers.
Authentic Community
We believe that God has called us to live with one another in mind, being open and honest in our journey towards Christ with other believers. We recognize that when we fail to live authentically before one another, we lose the ability to genuinely give and receive love, and therefore, grow disconnected. Striving to be a place where it’s “okay not to be okay”, we will lovingly confront sin in order to see holiness emerge, tenderly nurture brokenness in order to see wholeness emerge, and gently acknowledge pain in order to see peace emerge. All of these must be handled through the lens of the Gospel of Jesus.
Foundation of the Word
We believe that God has revealed Himself in His word, the Bible, and that His word is central and the foundation to all of life. Inherent in this truth is that the Bible is God’s word about Himself, according to His plan and His purpose. It’s not a self-help book for problems, a road map for life, or a magic charm that blesses every move. The Bible is the revelation of the God of the Universe and His action in the world. When we are grounded in that understanding of the word, we have a solid foundation.
Serving the Body
We believe that God has given every believer in Jesus at least one gift to be used for building up the church and for blessing the world. The use of each of these gifts is necessary if the body of Christ is to grow into maturity. However, beyond the empowering and release of the gifts of the Spirit, there is simply a need to serve one another in basic ways within the body of Christ as Jesus did. When He washed feet, it wasn’t because that was His spiritual gift or the best use of His time and energy—it was because He loved the Church. We must do the same.
Missional Living
We believe that God is in the process of reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus and that we're invited into that process. Every aspect of life is to be focused on the mission of becoming disciples who make other disciples, both in our local communities and to the ends of the earth. God, in His sovereignty, has established the times, positions, locations, and events of our daily living and has placed us within them in order to proclaim His truth. He has entrusted us with the message of reconciliation for the lost world, and we must live sacrificially with that end in mind.
Shalom of the City
We believe that our lives need to be driven by the purpose for which God has created us: to glorify Him and to help others all around the world to do the same. As children of God, we own nothing but are stewards of everything. Therefore, all that we have is intended to bring peace and justice into the situations that we find ourselves in. And we are called to use the energies, passions, and resources we’ve been given to work for the peace of our city.