The Sanctuary exists to declare and deliver God’s boundless love to a broken world.

Our Mission

The word “sanctuary” literally means “a place of refuge and safety.” Historically, churches were places where fugitives could seek at least temporary protection from the law. Every person who fled to a church for “sanctuary” knew they were law-breakers—they knew they were guilty.

At The Sanctuary, we believe that every one of us has broken God’s law and are therefore guilty. We do not believe that church is a place where good and innocent people gather. We believe church is a place where guilty people gather to be reminded that because of what Jesus has done for us, we are safe from the judgment we deserve.

Christianity is not for good people who try hard; it’s for bad people who finally give up and throw themselves on the forgiving mercy of Jesus. The gospel, in other words, is not good advice for good people. It is good news for bad people.

The Sanctuary is a judgment-free zone where people can come as they are, not as they should be. A place to find love and laughter and hope and healing and acceptance and forgiveness and mercy and help. Sadly, churches tend to be the scariest places, rather than the safest places, for fallen people to fall down and for broken people to break down.

The Sanctuary strives to be different.

We are a church where it is safe to be real, to let your hair down, to be honest about your struggles, to take off your masks, and to tell the truth about yourself without fear of rejection. We are a church that reminds people of God’s promised rest for the weary and burdened—his inexhaustible grace for all of our exhaustion. We are a church that reminds people that God has forgiven the sins of our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows. And that the sins we can’t forget, God doesn’t remember (Hebrews 8:12).

We are a church that reminds people there is nothing we can do (or fail to do) that will ever tempt God to leave us or forsake us. We remind people of God’s unconditional love.

We believe the only churches that will thrive in any meaningful way will not be castles of purity where only the morally fit feel comfortable. But rather, basements of grace where all are embraced and forgiven—places where sin doesn’t shock and grace still amazes.