A female singer playing an acoustic guitar and singing into a microphone on stage, with a male guitarist playing electric guitar in the background.
Man with a beard sitting on a chair in a dimly lit room with plants, a table with a drink, and a pedalboard on the floor.
A man holding a microphone and a tablet on stage during a performance or presentation, with musicians playing instruments in the background.

What We Believe

We're not big on lengthy doctrine statements or theological tests you have to pass before you belong here. But here's what we actually believe:

Love wins — for everyone.

  • God's love and mercy is bigger than any of us can fully comprehend, and it reaches further than most of us have been told.

The Bible is worth taking seriously.

  • We read it with curiosity and honesty, not as a weapon or a rulebook, but as a living story we're still part of.

Jesus shows us the way.

  • Following his path leads us toward loving ourselves, loving each other, and loving the world more fully.

Church should feel like belonging.

  • That means real community, real laughter, and a room where you don't have to pretend.

How you love matters more than how you look.

  • God is far more concerned with how we treat the poor, the marginalized, and the overlooked than with what we wear, what words we use, or whether we have it all figured out.

Justice is spiritual work.

  • When we stand up for the environment, for those without a voice, for those pushed to the margins. We believe we're standing right alongside Jesus.

The Venues Values

Curiosity & Skepticism

  • We think questions are holy. Doubt isn't the opposite of faith — it might actually be the beginning of it. You're welcome here with your questions, your doubts, and your "I'm not sure anymore." We'll never ask you to check your brain at the door.

Affirming & Inclusive

  • Everyone means everyone. LGBTQ+ people aren't just welcome at The Venues — they're celebrated, loved completely, and included in leadership. No asterisks. No fine print. Just love, full stop.

Social Justice

  • Faith without action is just talk. We believe following Jesus means showing up for people on the margins — the unsheltered, the overlooked, the excluded. We serve without strings, advocate without apology, and take seriously what Jesus took seriously.

Intellectual Humility

  • We hold our beliefs with open hands. Nobody here has it all figured out, and we're suspicious of anyone who thinks they do. We'd rather sit in honest uncertainty together than hand you easy answers that don't hold up.

Three things we know to be true

A man with a beard sitting on stage in front of large screens displaying a message about loving what God loves, with an audience seated in front of him.

1

Hearts are Healed

You are worth being affirmed, welcomed, and celebrated. A love-centered approach to the teachings of Jesus where guilt takes a back seat to grace.

People gathered outdoors in a backyard at dusk, sitting and standing around picnic tables, with some standing and talking, overlooking a playground with slides and a red-roofed play structure, under a large canopy shade, surrounded by trees and a wooden fence.

2

Doubts find Voice

Your questions are welcome here. Doubts aren't silenced — they're explored and woven into the fabric of faith. Independent thinking is encouraged.

A group of people standing around a table sorting through various items, with boxes of supplies and grocery items on the table, likely involved in a volunteering or donation activity in an industrial space with exposed pipes and concrete walls.

3

Lives driven by Love

The Venues serves Springfield without strings. It's not about numbers — it's about people. Find others pushing toward justice and care for those often forgotten.

I'm ready to take the next step!