“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” – James 5:16

Charis Community Church is a community of people saved by grace, hoping in Christ, battling sin, and pursuing Christ-likeness.  Because we understand these truths about ourselves, Charis ought to be a community of humble transparency in regards to our struggles with sin rather than pridefully putting up fronts and hiding from truly being known. 

Because we’re saved by grace, we no longer need to hide, defend and justify ourselves to one another.  We understand God is our Judge (Romans 8:33-34), and Jesus is our Advocate (1 John 2:1).  Our Judge has removed the guilt of sin from us and has justified us already through the blood of Jesus Christ, our Advocate.  This gives us the freedom to confess our sin to one another, rather than hide it, defend it, or try to justify it. 

Because our hope is in Christ, and not in our performance, we can be honest about our failures and ask one another to pray for us and help us and keep us accountable. 

Because we all battle sin, we can assume others within Charis are struggling with the same or similar weaknesses and sins that we are. We can then encourage and confront one another with the love, hope and humility of knowing we are in this together and wish the best for one another.

And because we are all pursuing Christ-likeness, we can invite brothers and sisters in Charis into our lives to help encourage and confront us in love. 

Because of the cross, our struggle with sin is ALWAYS a struggle with sin that has been canceled, forgiven, paid for, and on its way out.  As we confront sin, confess sin, and repent of sin in our lives – healing, joy, and Christ-likeness come in to replace it. 

May God bring this kind of grace into Charis, where friendships built on the gospel of Jesus would be formed and deepened, where there would be a safe place for sinners to come and honestly assess their hearts, motives, and actions, and confess their sin to one another and be reminded of Christ’s finished work on the cross, and where people’s joy in the grace of God would overflow into love for God and repentance of sin.  It is in this context that healing and wholeness comes.  The church is to be a hospital where sinners can come and find grace to be healed (even sinners who are pastors).