Faith in Motion: Eight Practices for a Spiritually Whole Life
At Christ City, we believe that faith is more than just a statement of belief—it is a daily, intentional way of living. To navigate the complexities of our modern world, we’ve developed eight core practices that anchor everything we do. As we lean into these rhythms together, we experience deep spiritual formation and learn to embody the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus invites us all into.
Why Eight Practices?
In the Gospels, Jesus shows us that meeting the world's needs starts with simple presence. Jesus didn't just pass by; he saw people, felt deep compassion, and moved to act. This is the heart of the Good Samaritan story: true presence leads to real sight, which sparks active compassion. We want to live out that same equation, learning to be fully present with ourselves so we can be deeply present with the world around us.
Resources: Love Walked Among Us by Paul E. Miller | Daring Greatly by Brené Brown | The Voice of the Heart by Chip Dodd
Choose Presence
Throughout Scripture, God invites us to be kind to ourselves so we can be genuinely compassionate to others. While church culture often normalizes self-neglect, Jesus actually invites the weary to come to him, find true soul-rest, and recover their lives (Matthew 11:28-30). We cannot love our neighbors well if we are hollow inside. Because we are made in God’s image, pursuing health—spiritually, emotionally, and physically—is not selfish; it is how we honor the way we were wired to live.
Resources: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero | To Be Told by Dan B. Allender | Emotional Agility by Susan David
Seek Health
Cultivate Spirituality
As human beings made in the image of God, our goal is to bring heaven to earth through our daily lives. We do this by cultivating a spirituality that encompasses our entire being. This means connecting our spirit to God in worship, stretching our mind through honest and critical study of Scripture, and disciplining our body through practical habits like prayer and service. We aren't meant to be undisciplined or hollow; we are called to intentionally practice our faith and allow it to change how we live.
Resources:
Spirit: Spirit: The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard | Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr
Mind: The King Jesus Gospel by Scot McKnight | The Bible Tells Me So by Peter Enns | Faith Unraveled by Rachel Held Evans
Body: Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster | Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren | Disciplines of the Spirit by Howard Thurman
Embrace Diversity
We believe the church should reflect the expansive, beautiful diversity of God’s creation. Christ City is a space where people of all backgrounds can find common ground around the person of Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:28; Acts 17:26-27). Because we believe that every human being carries the divine image, every story matters—particularly the voices that have been pushed to the margins. Embracing diversity means we don't just tolerate our differences; we actively open our lives to learn from them. We desire to be a community of deep hospitality where everyone has a seat at the table, listening closely to one another as we seek to know God together.
Resources: The Next Evangelicalism by Soong-Chan Rah | I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown | The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus invites us to completely reimagine our purpose, calling his followers to be "lights in the world" and "cities on hills" (Matthew 5:14). At Christ City, engaging culture means listening deeply to the stories, expressions, and needs of the world around us instead of pulling away from them. From the very beginning, God called humanity to be good stewards of creation (Genesis 1:28-31). When we engage our culture thoughtfully and creatively, we step into that sacred stewardship, multiplying a hopeful, redemptive presence in the everyday spaces we inhabit.
Resources: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates | The Prophetic Imagination, 2nd Edition by Walter Brueggemann | Culture Making by Andy Crouch
Engage Culture
God’s very first invitation to humanity was to cultivate the earth and care for its flourishing (Genesis 2:15). We carry that same calling today, aiming to leave the world richer and more vibrant than when we entered it. In Ephesians, Paul reminds us that we are God’s own craft—His poetry in motion (Ephesians 2:10). Because we are made by a Creator who values beauty over mere utility, we want to be a people who bring that same artistic care to everything we do. For us, creating beauty is a commitment to bringing excellence, warmth, and grace into our daily interactions, actively pushing back against the brokenness of our world with the restoration of Christ.
Resources: Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene H. Peterson | Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L'Engle | The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art by Erwin Raphael McManus
Create Beauty
We desire to be a people who extend the profound love we’ve experienced in Christ to a world starved for grace. The Old Testament wraps this up in a single concept: a deep, active loving-kindness. When Micah tells us to love mercy, he’s asking us to be so captured by God’s goodness that we are always leaning toward compassion, forgiveness, and generosity (Micah 6:8). Showing mercy means we don't sit back and measure who deserves our kindness; instead, we step forward with open hearts, determined to leave a legacy of grace wherever we go.
Resources: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson | Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition by Christine D. Pohl | The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone
Show Mercy
We desire to be a community that doesn't look away from suffering, but instead runs straight toward the needs of the disinherited (Deuteronomy 16:20). From the Exodus to the Gospels, the Bible is a story of God saving people from unjust and oppressive systems. Justice gives hope to those pushing against heavy burdens, and it calls those with influence to step up and make a difference. Jesus modeled this perfectly, and he uniquely empowered his church to continue that work on an even greater scale. We are called to be a people who show our world what a Jesus of justice looks like through real, systemic change and relentless advocacy.
Resources: Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman | Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | Christian Faith and Social Justice: Five Views edited by Vic McCracken
Pursue Justice