3Strand Church Network: Snohomish, WA

The following ideas represent the culture of our organization. These ideals form the collective, philosophical paradigm for how we choose to work together.

We believe in respecting voices

We believe every pastor, regardless of experience or achievement has value as a person and should be treated with respect. As such, every church has an equal voice in the network regardless of personality strength, church size, or finances.

We believe in networking churches

We believe that lead pastors covenant on behalf of their elder boards, representing their church. Full membership in the 3Strand Church Network and all the benefits therein are therefore afforded to all of the church’s elders/leaders and connected with the church body itself—not exclusively the lead pastor.

We believe in building elders

We believe that all the elders are worthy of honor and equally share the burden of leading the church. We believe, therefore, it is important to pour into the spiritual health of the entire elder team for each church and not just the lead pastor.

We believe in supporting elder’s wives

We believe the elder’s wives are their husband’s most important counselor and helper. Overall, we affirm the essential value of women in the church, and we especially seek to respect, protect, and support the wives of elders.

We believe in emphasizing quality over quantity

We believe that people are more important than performance and that depth is more important than breadth. So, as we trust the Spirit’s leading relative to church growth and vision, we commit to doing things qualitatively right even if that means we do things quantitatively slow or small.

We believe in protecting through accountability

We believe that local churches should have true accountability both within their leadership and with other local churches. We believe that unrestricted autonomy is dangerous and that accountability is essential for the sake of doctrinal purity and the health of the church leaders.

We believe in contextualizing while remaining connected

We believe that churches in 3Strand should be given freedom to be indigenous to their own cultures, while maintaining connection and support.

We believe in collaborating not competing

We believe collaboration among churches should be tangible, helpful, and continual. We believe that churches who work together can produce more than those working apart or even in parallel. We believe that collaboration is difficult and requires planning, sacrifice, and above all things, love.

We believe in wholistic assessment and development of leaders

We believe that pastoral assessment is a multi-faceted task in which a pastor must be commended to the ministry based on their personal, theological, and practical readiness. We believe in assessing and commending in the context of ongoing, regional relationships.

We believe in developing planters to plant churches

We believe in raising up men to lead church planting churches—not to simply manage them. We believe in the establishment of a local plurality of elders, to function as the servant-hearted authority in a given local church, to love and care for that particular, local expression of Jesus’ people.

Our Culture

We believe in respecting voices

We believe every pastor, regardless of experience or achievement has value as a person and should be treated with respect. As such, every church has an equal voice in the network regardless of personality strength, church size, or finances.

We believe in networking churches

We believe in building elders

We believe that all the elders are worthy of honor and equally share the burden of leading the church. We believe, therefore, it is important to pour into the spiritual health of the entire elder team for each church and not just the lead pastor.

We believe in supporting elder’s wives

We believe the elder’s wives are their husband’s most important counselor and helper. Overall, we affirm the essential value of women in the church, and we especially seek to respect, protect, and support the wives of elders.

We believe in emphasizing quality over quantity

We believe that people are more important than performance and that depth is more important than breadth. So, as we trust the Spirit’s leading relative to church growth and vision, we commit to doing things qualitatively right even if that means we do things quantitatively slow or small.

We believe in protecting through accountability

We believe that local churches should have true accountability both within their leadership and with other local churches. We believe that unrestricted autonomy is dangerous and that accountability is essential for the sake of doctrinal purity and the health of the church leaders.

We believe in contextualizing while remaining connected

We believe that churches in 3Strand should be given freedom to be indigenous to their own cultures, while maintaining connection and support.

We believe in collaborating not competing

We believe collaboration among churches should be tangible, helpful, and continual. We believe that churches who work together can produce more than those working apart or even in parallel. We believe that collaboration is difficult and requires planning, sacrifice, and above all things, love.

We believe in wholistic assessment and development of leaders

We believe that pastoral assessment is a multi-faceted task in which a pastor must be commended to the ministry based on their personal, theological, and practical readiness. We believe in assessing and commending in the context of ongoing, regional relationships.

We believe in developing planters to plant churches

We believe in raising up men to lead church planting churches—not to simply manage them. We believe in the establishment of a local plurality of elders, to function as the servant-hearted authority in a given local church, to love and care for that particular, local expression of Jesus’ people.