Core Values

Centrality of Jesus
Because the exaltation of Jesus glorifies God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11); because the only way to be reconciled to God the Father is through Jesus (John 14:6); because it is only in the name of Jesus that men can be saved (Acts 4:11-12), we are committed at Shemen Sasson to making Jesus Christ the central focus of our faith.

Love
We believe that the entire will of God for mankind is expressed in two commandments: to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength; and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:35-40). We are committed at Shemen Sasson to make all that we do be either an expression of love for God, love for people, or both. We believe that receiving God's love for us enables and empowers us to love God and others. (1 John 4:19, John 15:12)

Worship
We believe that God alone is worthy of worship (Luke 4:6-8) and that He is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). We are committed at Shemen Sasson to the passionate worship of God in all its expressions, from exuberant praise to quiet surrender, from music and dance to the work of our hands.

Grace
We believe that God is our loving Heavenly Father (John 3:16-17, 1 John 4:8). We believe that our relationship with God is dependent upon His grace from beginning to end. We believe that the good works, which we are called to do, should be done in loving response to God's unmerited favor and not in an attempt to earn our salvation, which is a gift of His grace. (Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 5:18-19). We are committed at Shemen Sasson to being gracious by showing mercy and compassion to all men and by offering a helping hand to those in need.

Freedom
We believe that Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted and to set the captives free (Isaiah 61:1-3). We are committed at Shemen Sasson to helping people to attain wholeness in body, soul, and spirit, and to be free from every hindrance to intimacy with God. We are committed to creating an environment where people have the freedom to be the unique individuals that God has created them to be, and to exercise the unique gifts that God has given them to bless others.

Maturity
We believe it is God's will that His children grow into mature sons and daughters in the faith (Ephesians 4:11-16). We believe that an essential element of maturity is the development of godly character (Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Peter 1:5-8), and that the example of our lives has a much more profound and lasting affect upon others than our words and our gifts. We are committed at Shemen Sasson to helping people practically apply biblical principles to all areas of their lives in order to collectively grow into the full stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16).

Family
We believe that relationship is very important to God. We believe that a love relationship existed within the Godhead before the world was created (John 17:24). We believe that building strong, healthy families is a priority to God and that strong families are essential building blocks in strong congregations. We are committed at Shemen Sasson to helping people apply godly principles to marriage and child raising. We are committed to building a congregation that is in essence an extended family, where people have a sense of belonging, where the solitary find a home, where people connect to other people in meaningful relationships, where true friendships are built, and where people work together for the common good.

Unity
We believe that every person and every congregation has a unique God-ordained purpose and that true unity both within Shemen Sasson and within the body of Christ must be based on the respect and appreciation of diversity (1 Corinthians 12:12-25). Within Shemen Sasson we are committed to helping people to grow in and find expression for their unique gifts and callings. Within the Body of Christ we are committed to working closely with other congregations and ministries to build the Kingdom of God.

Impact
We believe that every disciple of Jesus is called to be a light of the world, salt of the earth, and to preach the gospel to every creature (Matthew 5:13-14, Mark 16:15). We believe that every disciple of Jesus is called to make an impact within his sphere of influence. We are committed at Shemen Sasson to the purpose of impacting every sphere of Israeli society: the Israeli parliament, the military, the marketplace, the schools and universities, the religious communities, and the beggars and prostitutes on the streets.

Leadership
We believe that leaders in the body of Christ are called to be servants and examples, not lords over the people of God (1 Peter 5:1-4, Luke 22:24-26). The leaders of Shemen Sasson are committed to walking in humility, transparency, and accountability. We are committed to creating a leadership environment that encourages open communication, the expression of differing opinions, and room for agreement to disagree. We believe in placing less emphasis on telling people what to do and more emphasis on encouraging people to seek God, hear from God themselves, think out issues, and know what they believe. The leaders of Shemen Sasson are committed to building a congregation that is rooted in love, grace, truth, humility, and freedom.