Our Vision for Southern Oregon
Imagine --- a place where people of varying ages, ethnicities, cultures, backgrounds, and socioeconomic stature come together with one idea in mind --- "A want to connect with community, and most of all, with Jesus through inspiring and provocative conversation, rousing worship, real and raw background of the Word of God, and fellowship with people with whom we find commonalities and differences, and we know that we will be challenged to look at ourselves through the lens of scripture". Well... that's our vision!
Our vision is to provoke thought, promote listening, be radical in nontraditional methodology, and combat systemic injustices as Matthew 18 suggests, and aid as many in our sphere of influence in the community in nurturing a genuine relationship with Jesus, all through prayer, praise, practice, and positioning. We would LOVE to see natural and organic growth as individuals, and as a collective community, all celebrating each other's cultures, and also celebrating each other's wins, and mourning together each other's losses; all the while encouraging one another to "keep on keepin' on".
How about a place for those who love The Church but dislike the church? Or how about a place that makes the unchurched feel as though they're welcomed and not judged the moment they walk through the doors? How about a gathering of community where someone who "looks different" isn't made to feel different? Hmmm... IMAGINE...
Get in touch
You'd like to learn more about The Reality Center? Like to join in our planting endeavor? Need prayer? Would like to provide an encouraging word to the TRC planting team? Have some feedback for us? This is how you do it!
The Reality Center (Church plant in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon)
Real community engaged in real life with Jesus at the center
This is How We Fulfill Our Vision and Mission:
Our Relationships
Our Approach
Cultural Intentionality
Jesus-centered vs. Clique-centered
Challenge the Staus Quo
Essentials vs.
Non-Essentials
Our Relationships
We want relationships that are built on honesty, vulnerability, and showing up for one another. We want ones that free us from our instincts to perform, pretend, and manipulate - that show the kind of care and support to each other that usually people only provide to family and/or their close circle.
Our Approach
We want to help facilitate conversation and engagement of the deepest matters of life, but we know we don't have all the answers, and we try not to take ourselves too seriously - being able to laugh at oneself is spiritually healthy! Our conversations are "real", sometimes raw, and are practical allowing everyone an opportunity to apply something from which they read, heard, and/or learned.
Cultural Intentionality
We are very intentional about deconstructing divisive constructs in the church, denominations, and our communities. We feel that diversity (racial and cultural) is God's desire for the "Big C - Church" (His body), and the guiding principle for the "Little C - church" (our local congregation). Every aspect of The Reality Center's ministry is conceived and planned with this in mind, including hiring and leadership development, outreach and missions, discipleship and spiritual formation, preaching, teaching, worship, and fellowship/celebration time together.
Jesus-centered vs. Clique-centered
Imagine a piece of paper with a circle drawn on it. The thing about circles is that typically you're either inside of them, or you're outside of them. So, I (Kym) grew up in Chicago. If you're from another part of the world, sorry. I am a Bulls, Cubs, and Bears fan. If you support a different basketball, baseball, or football team (or don't care about sports at all), sorry... you're outside of my circle. Let's call this circle a clique... it is "Clique-centered."
Now imagine a second piece of paper with a big dot right in the middle of it. This shows a different kind of set. That dot in the middle represents what holds the set together --- Jesus, and let's say, on this piece of paper there are billions of smaller dots, which all represent everyone on Earth. For each of those dots (each of us), it's not about whether we're inside of something or outside of something. It's all about our relationship to the center; about our attention to the center; about movement and progression toward the center. Prayer, praise, and practice are our conjoining avenues to that "Center".
Challenge the Status Quo
Our strategy to accomplish this is by (1) challenging the powerful and uplifting the marginalized, in the model of Jesus, even when WE may be the powerful, and self-sacrifice is required. (2) By following Biblical tenets and adhering to its themes yet realizing and recognizing the cultural differences between the biblical ages and the now 21st century. Lastly, (3) by celebrating and honoring tradition as it relates to the sacraments and promotes communal belonging, but being contemporary in our acts of worship (singing, giving, sharing our love for Jesus, etc.) --- relationship, and not religion.
Essentials vs. Non-Essentials
There is a difference between Essential Theology and Non-Essential Theology. In other words, not all things have the same spiritual “weight” in the Bible. That is not to say that the things that “weigh less” than others in the Bible are unimportant, it just means that they are not central (essential) to a saving and transforming relationship with Jesus. It means that there is room for different interpretations and expressions of Non-Essential things within the large, and diverse body of Christ.
At The Reality Center, we affirm that the doctrine/theology of the Trinity, the full humanity and full deity of Christ, the atoning work of Christ on the cross and His bodily resurrection, the filling of the Holy Spirit, the Bible as the inspired word of God and salvation by grace through faith are Essential. In other words, they are central to our faith.
We also acknowledge that there are peripheral, or Non-Essential doctrines/theologies that are important but not central (essential) as it relates to a saving and transforming relationship with God. Some of these doctrines or interpretations include such things as forms of baptism, Complementarian or Egalitarian views of leadership and marriage, the exact timing and nature of the rapture, the extent and use of certain spiritual gifts, the relationship between election and free will in salvation, who can marry whom, and forms and methods of receiving Communion, among others.
While our church is diligent to study God’s word, listen to the Holy Spirit, and teach clearly and consistently on the essentials, we will not allow non-essential doctrines or theologies to cause division within our church. We welcome into our body those who have differing interpretations of non-essential doctrines and theologies, but we will not allow those individuals to fracture the beautiful and delicate unity of our church. We celebrate diversity (ethnic, political, social conviction, and theological) and are better because of it. We will ultimately always pursue unity in our church and encourage everyone to listen in love and learn from others who they might differ or disagree with. We believe that when we learn to live in love with those we might disagree with, we become better and have something better to offer our divided and divisive world.
the Reality Center is here!
It's official! The Reality Center is now open! Come and join us for multiethnic, multicultural, and multigenerational worship. Find your tribe and community every Sunday at 320 W. 2nd Street in Medford, Oregon @ 10:30 AM!
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Miles Wide
MILES LONG
x1000 - APPROX. ROGUE VALLEY (RV) POP.
x1000 - APPROX. UNCHURCHED ROGUE VALLEY (RV) POP.
This Valley Needs "Real"
The Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon is one of the most unchurched regions in the state, per capita. According to certain studies, many of those surveyed have stated that they just want to find a place that relates to them, their culture, their needs, and aren't afraid to talk about the taboo things.
Our Leadership
We are committed to providing our customers with exceptional service while offering our employees the best training.
KYM McKANDES
SENIOR LEADER
WENDY McKANDES
ASST. SENIOR LEADER
ROBBIE CROWELL
CHILDREN LEADER
JENNIFER ABDO
WORSHIP LEADER
Soon To Come
YOUTH & FAMILY LEADER
Great things are happening in the Rogue Valley.
We're thankful to play a small part.
We are committed and dedicated to bring the works, mission, and love of Jesus Christ to all whose path we cross here in the Rogue Valley, the state of Oregon, and this nation!
Contact
Address: Coming Soon
P: 541.502.0256
E: info@theRealityCenter.org
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