The Culture Code

The Way We Build.

A people are shaped by what they prize. This is what we prize, how we lead, and the kind of community we are committed to becoming.

Eight values

The DNA of Who We Are Becoming.

These are not aspirations or slogans. They are commitments: the ways we have agreed to lead, love, worship, and walk together.

Alignment Over Agreement

We don't just gather around shared opinions. We align with God's heart. His Word sets our direction, His Spirit sets our pace, His presence sets our atmosphere.

Amos 3:3 · Philippians 2:2

Formation Over Performance

Who you are matters more than what you do. We're not building a stage. We're building people. Character before platform, position, or production.

Galatians 4:19 · 1 Samuel 16:7

Love and Truth Held Together

We refuse to choose between grace and truth. Love without truth flatters; truth without love wounds. We carry both, because Jesus did.

John 1:14 · Ephesians 4:15

Presence Before Programs

Anything we do flows from who He is with us. We prioritize encounter over entertainment, intimacy over activity, the Spirit's leading over human strategy.

Exodus 33:15

Every Sphere Is Sacred

There is no divide between sacred and secular. Business, family, education, arts, government: every sphere is a place where His presence belongs.

1 Corinthians 10:31 · Colossians 3:17

Apostolic Vision, Family Heart

We build like apostles, with vision, authority, and kingdom mindset, but we relate like family. No orphans, no performers, no lone rangers.

Ephesians 2:19–20

Standard-Setters, Not Trend-Followers

We don't chase culture; we shape it. We live by a higher standard, not to be religious, but to be free. Our lives are the message.

Romans 12:2 · Matthew 5:14–16

Leaders Who Multiply

Every believer is called. Every leader is a maker of leaders. We don't hoard influence. We release it. Discipleship is a lifestyle, not a program.

2 Timothy 2:2

We will / We won't

Our Commitments.

To say yes to something is to say no to something else. Open each list to see what we have committed to, and what we refuse to make room for.

We Will.

Eight commitments we've made to God and each other

Alignment: Pursue God's heart above human preferences.
Formation: Invest in inner transformation before outer expression.
Love & Truth: Tell the truth in love, even when it costs us.
Presence: Make room for the Holy Spirit to move.
Every Sphere: Disciple believers to carry Christ into their work, home, and city.
Family: Lead with authority and relate as family.
Standard: Set a higher standard of integrity, honor, and holiness.
Multiplication: Raise up, release, and resource the next generation.

We Won't.

Eight things we refuse to make room for

Alignment: Substitute personal opinion for Spirit-led conviction.
Formation: Celebrate gifting at the cost of character.
Love & Truth: Trade grace or honesty to keep the peace.
Presence: Run programs God hasn't breathed on.
Every Sphere: Divide life into sacred and secular categories.
Family: Tolerate isolation, performance, or orphan culture.
Standard: Compromise to fit in or chase relevance.
Multiplication: Hoard influence, platforms, or opportunities.

How we live it

Daily Practice.

A speaker smiling and gesturing with a microphone on stage at an ICN gathering

i.
We pursue God's presence first: in our homes, our gatherings, and our work.
ii.
We choose maturity over comfort, and growth over ease.
iii.
We honor leadership and value those coming behind us.
iv.
We bring our whole selves into community: gifts, stories, and scars.
v.
We speak life, carry truth, and refuse to gossip or tear down.
vi.
We take responsibility for the culture we create wherever we go.
vii.
We celebrate breakthrough, mourn with the hurting, and stay present in both.
viii.
We carry His presence into every room we enter.

This month in The Culture Wire · October 2026

Read. Be Encouraged. Stay Connected.

The Culture Wire is our monthly magazine from the ICN Publications Team, so you can keep up with what God is doing in our church family, one page at a time. October is The Mental Health Issue: When the Season Changes, making room for how we really feel with three personal testimonies, faith and mental health, a wellness corner and fall support plan, a teen corner, a kids' page, eight days in Scripture, and our new sermon series, LIVE.

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