**Chris Lanier, Pastor**
Chris is fascinated by Jesus and his life-changing ideas of love and forgiveness. He truly believes that Jesus offers hope to a broken world through the local church, and has devoted his life to share this good news! He and his wife Jeslyn, along with their four children, absolutely love God’s beautiful creation here in Colorado! Chris loves teaching God's Word, wrestling with difficult questions, and is passionate about making disciples of Jesus through relationships. This is why Small Groups are so important at Meadows Church. Chris has his BA in Christian Ministry & Theology from Leavell College and has served in a variety of pastoral roles over the last 20 years.

V I S I O N

Following Jesus Together

M I S S I O N

Making disciples of Jesus through relationships

V A L U E S

Cross

God is revealed most clearly through Christ upon the cross. For us, the death and resurrection of Jesus changes everything and draws us to a new life centered around sacrificial love.

The Kingdom of God is a present alternative to how the world is arranged. We are invited to participate in this kingdom through faith, baptism, and allegiance to Jesus above all other movements and ideologies.

Mystery

Following Jesus will lead us into divine mystery. We aren't meant to know everything or be able to explain it simply. We see questions and doubts as a way to deepen our faith as we encounter the sacred.

Formation

To be formed in the likeness of Christ in a world seeking to form us differently is a great task that takes time. Therefore, we embrace the fullness of the Christian tradition through the scriptures, the prayers, the creeds, the calendar, the sacraments, and worship to guide us.

Community

We are designed by God to be relation beings, and therefore seek out healthy relationships that build one another up. We get to share love, joy, anger, sadness, and all that life brings us as we walk in community together.

Justice

Justice is God’s plan to set the world right. As we partner with God to accomplish this, we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves and lift others up by caring for the “least of these” to ensure they are not exploited, dominated, or oppressed.

Humility

To see and experience the Kingdom, Jesus said we must repent, which means to rethink. As we rethink our lives in light of Jesus, we humbly serve and show mercy as we consider others more significant than ourselves.

Wholeness

We believe the gospel is good news for all creation. God desires our wholeness and loves to give good gifts to his children. Following the way of Jesus tends toward human flourishing, which is less about possessions and wealth, and more about friendship and peace.

W H A T W E B E L I E V E

What we believe has been handed down to us from Christians who came before us. We don’t get to make up Christianity as we go; it is a received faith. We believe what the church has confessed from the beginning. The simplest summation of these beliefs can be found in the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.

The Apostles’ Creed

 I believe in God, the Father Almighty, 
Creator of heaven and earth. 
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
And born of the Virgin Mary. 
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, 
Was crucified, died, and was buried. 
He descended to the dead. 
On the third day he rose again. 
He ascended into heaven, 
And is seated at the right hand of the Father. 
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, 
The holy Christian Church, 
The communion of saints, 
The forgiveness of sins, 
The resurrection of the body, 
And the life everlasting. Amen.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.