Our Name

Our reason for existing is to glorify Jesus, whose name is above all names. The name "I AM Community" has a double meaning and helps to put us in the proper perspective. On the one hand, you have God who is infinite in all ways the Great I AM of the Old Testament, and on the other you have us, the humans, that are to practice loving one another in community.

I Am Community is an organic community of believers in God the Father, Jesus, and the Spirit. We are rooted and influenced by the word of God led and directed by the Spirit of grace. We hold fast that followers of Jesus Christ are committed to spiritual transformation, and the transformation of culture.

Our Mission

The New Testament has a lot more to say about the kind of community the church ought to be before the world than it has to say about its mission to the world. However, Jesus made it abundantly plain that the reason he wanted his people to develop true community was "so that the world may believe" (John 17:21). This is His ultimate goal. There is no doubt that it is when the church most clearly lives out the gospel in the relationship of its members, it becomes the most powerful force for attracting non-believers. It was so in the early church in Jerusalem. Take for example, the following passages in Acts: They all joined together constantly in prayer..." (Acts 1:14) ...they were all together in one place" (Acts 2:1) Every day they continued to meet together...They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people" (Acts 2:46, 47)...they raised their voices together in prayer to God" (Acts 4:24)...All the believers were one in heart and mind" (Acts 4:32)...And all the believers used to meet together..."(Acts 5:12).

Our Makeup

There are two visions of life, two kinds of people. The first see life as a possession to be carefully guarded. They are called settlers. The second see life as a wild, fantastic, explosive gift. They are called pioneers.

In the settler the church is the courthouse. It is the center of town life. The old stone structure dominates the town square. Its windows are small and this makes things dark inside. Within the courthouse walls, records are kept, taxes collected, trials held for bad guys. The courthouse is the settler’s symbol of law, order, stability, and—most importantly—security. The mayor’s office is on the top floor. His eagle eye ferrets out the smallest details of town life.

In the pioneer the church is the covered wagon. It’s a house on wheels, always on the move. The covered wagon is where the pioneers eat, sleep, fight, love and die. It bears the marks of life and movement—it creaks, is scarred with arrows, bandaged with baling wire. The covered wagon is always where the action is. It moves toward the future and doesn’t bother to glorify its own ruts. The old wagon isn’t comfortable, but the pioneers don’t mind. They are more into adventure than comfort.

We are pioneers, not settlers