A.W. Tozer

“That our idea of God correspond as nearly as possible to the true being of; God is of immense importance to us. Compared with our actual thoughts about Him, our creedal statements are of little consequence. Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is.”

We agree. If you want to know what one believes, the words they type or even say hold very little significance. When speaking of creeds, what matters most is how a person or organization lives.

Bottom Line:

- We believe in God existing in three persons.

- We believe Scripture is inspired by God.

- We believe the sacrifice of Jesus made it possible for all to have a restored relationship with our Father in Heaven.

- We believe the Holy Spirit, His works, gifts, and moving can be very active in the Christian’s life.

- We believe humans were created for relationship with God, and with each other.

OUR TENETS

We hope our tenets will give you a good idea of who we are and how we choose to live and work together in our call to share the Good News, heal broken hearts and set the captive free. Also, if we disappoint you, hopefully this will explain why we do what we do.

Supernatural “Normalcy”

We have a longing to see the impossible happen. It is written into the DNA of the Nowells and SEVENS to desire for the impossibilities in this world to bow at the name of Jesus. We will be a ministry that is focused on the presence of God. We are willing to live beyond reason. Not impulsively or foolishly because these are a poor imitation of faith. With this in mind, we are completely open to be used By God in any way He chooses.

It is God Himself We Long For

When our focus is not on seeking the presence of God, our intentions may be noble but they are powerless in effect. Through worship we will have our eyes open to what God wants us to see. (True worship is our #1 priority)

Religion vs. Experience

We wish to avoid idolizing concepts, models, and strategies. Our priority will remain focused on being led by the Holy Spirit. Planning is biblical, but our striving and vision will not include usurping the authority of the Holy Spirit. The Lordship of Jesus is seen in our willingness to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Freedom

Freedom from bondage to sin. Freedom to live our lives according to God’s individual calling. Freedom from man’s judgment. In freedom there is grace,unity, love, and a chance to be who God created us to be.

Safe?

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

(The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S,. Lewis)

We walk with God realizing that His ways are not always safe, but they are good. We understand that His leading and direction sometimes make sense but often are counter intuitive. We will do what God says.

Small, Tribal and Mobile

We have no desire to be big. We will not have tons of employees, own a large building, and manage regional offices. Bureaucracy is not from God. Our focus will be our mission, not nursing an organization. We will grow when God forces us to grow. Our message is simple. Anyone can do this. Therefore our model and organization must be simple. Our heart is for others to catch our vision and run with it. We will stay small so we can enter places others can’t. We will fight for intimacy so hearts can come alive. We will remain mobile so we can move quickly and with purpose. We will be tribal.

Lack of Hierarchy

Instead of having a hierarchy, SEVENS will be led by a fellowship…a community of leaders sharing their gifts, wisdom, and the weight of their lives to bring a unified voice of direction.

Care For Our Own Heart

We will not sacrifice our own heart for the sake of the ministry. We will make the health of our hearts and those of our family top priority. We will turn down “legitimate” opportunities and limit our day-to-day operations if we feel it is necessary to nurture our relationship with Christ. We desire for real life to flow from our lives. We want to give from abundance and rest in Christ not from a place of urgency and desperation. Hearts first. Ministry second. ALWAYS!!

Operate By both Wisdom and Revelation

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:17

We live and work using the wisdom we’ve gained from the Bible and our past experiences with God. We also place just as much importance on listening for God’s revelation. We understand that His revelation might go against the church’s tradition, common sense, and what others might feel is “smart”. While God never contradicts His Word, He has no problem contradicting our understanding of it.

Focus on Mission

We will focus on what God has called US to do. Obviously we can’t do it all. With that in mind, we will direct our resources and plans to that end. Because we desire to be focused on our mission, we refuse to be or do that which is someone else’s call in the Body.

Irreversible Change

We are not just about education, although we want that to happen. Our desire is not just to inspire. All of our relationships, teachings, written material and planning have the ultimate goal of being a tool that God uses for irreversible change. But ultimately, we know that real change happens because of the Supernatural work of God.

We Live And Work With The Deep Belief That Our Hearts Are Good

Because of the work of Jesus Christ. We have good hearts. We operate under the assumption that the deepest and truest parts of one’s being are good. We believe that as a Christian our deepest and truest desires are for that which is true, honorable, holy, pure, and beautiful. (For more on this we suggest you read chapters 4 & 5 of Waking The Dead by John Eldredge)

Humility, Love, and Forgiveness

We understand that all we have is a gift. We continually pray that all our dealings with people, whether they be for us or against us, would be marked by genuine humility, love, and forgiveness.