It's our goal at Venture to help Christians really live like Christians by raising the bar of discipleship. We aim to not only help people find the saving grace of Jesus Christ, but to help them be transformed through practical application of biblical principles in their everyday life. So join us as we use Romans 12 as our guide toward authentic Christian living.

  Click here for more information on r12 (Romans 12) Christians.

Venture exists to be a catalyst to transform the Bay Area from a place of spiritual darkness to a global strategic teaching and discipleship center for the gospel of Jesus Christ by partnering with Living on the Edge and like-minded churches to produce r12 Christians... here, there and everywhere.

1.  What is the relationship between Living on the Edge and Venture Christian Church?

We share a very specific common mission to help Christians live like r12 Christians here (Bay Area), there (USA) and everywhere (World); but are two distinct and separate organizations.

2.  What exactly is Chip’s role at Venture Church?

Chip’s title is Senior Pastor of Venture Church. His role in this church of approximately 3,000 people is three- fold:

• Visionary Leadership in concert with the board and executive staff to determine God’s direction for Venture Church.
• Primary Communicator – Chip teaches about 50-60% of the time at Venture and is head of the Venture Teaching Team.
• Spiritual Coach to help develop key leaders, staff and fellow communicators on the Teaching Team.

All staff members report to members of an executive leadership team headed up by Executive Pastor, Rick Linamen. Rick’s executive pastor experience at churches of 10,000 – 16,000 in the last 20 years uniquely qualifies him to effectively run the operational aspects of the church and allow Chip to focus on his primary gifts of teaching, coach and visionary leadership.

3.  How does Chip lead two organizations?

The short answer is two great teams and one singular focus. Living on the Edge has experienced exponential growth in the last two years under the leadership of COO, Andrew Accardy and Executive Director of Broadcasting, Greg Kucala. These men’s operational and strategic strengths have allowed Chip to focus exclusively on his primary strengths of teaching/coaching and visionary leadership. Great relationships, longevity and advanced technology allow Chip to record new material, develop new small group DVD series and meet regularly with the Living on the Edge Board and Executive Team.

As crazy as it sounds, the energy and renewal God has given Chip as He exercises His teaching and leadership gifts in a local context seem to far outweigh any effects of the additional workload.

4.  What fruit have you seen in this new Living on the Edge/ Venture Church partnership?

All signs point to God’s hand of favor upon the church and Living on the Edge in these early months of transition.

• The church has grown in attendance by over 1,000 people.
• The church has launched nearly 1,500 people into small groups studying, “The Miracle of Life Change” DVD series this fall. That’s about 25% more people actually connected in authentic community then even attended the worship service when we began in June.
• Living on the Edge experienced its best summer ever in resource sales, donations and spiritual impact.
• Living on the Edge has launched over 5,000 small groups in August and September of this year (2009) and developed online coaching and help for small group leaders and pastors.

We see these things as God's affirmation and confirmation of our direction and partnership with Venture Church. When we consider the state of the economy, continued growth and impact rank as some of God’s greatest blessing in Living on the Edge’s history.

Welcome to Venture

1. About the Bible

We believe the Holy Scriptures to be plenary-verbally inspired, the very Word of God, authoritative, infallible and inerrant in the original writings (autographs). The Bible, being fully inspired by God in its entirety, is His perfect Word and is the authority for all faith and life. (II Timothy 3:16-17, II Peter 1:20-21, Matthew 5:18, John 16:12-13)

2. About God

We believe there is one God who is personal, infinite, perfect; and He exists eternally as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, II Corinthians 13:14, Matthew 28:19-20)

3. About the Person and work of Jesus Christ

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. We believe that He accomplished our redemption through His sinless life, and death on the cross as a voluntary, substitutionary sacrifice. We believe that our redemption is made sure by His literal, bodily resurrection from the dead. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven exalted at the right hand of God, where as the High Priest for His people, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (John 1: 1-2; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24-25; Romans 4:25; I Peter 1:3-5; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; Romans 8:34; I John 2: l-2)

4. About the Person of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, and works in convicting men of sin, righteousness and judgment, and indwells all believers of this present age. In the life of the believer, He is involved in the New Birth, the sealing of salvation, and in developing holiness. (Romans 8:4; I Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4-5; Colossians 3: 16; John 16:8; Ephesians 1:13-14)

5. About Man

We believe that man, male and female, was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's rebellion the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, became alienated from God, and can be restored to God's favor only through the work of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We believe in the literal historicity of Genesis 1-3. (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 3; Romans 3:22-23, 5:12; Matthew 19)

6. About Salvation

We believe that salvation comes to man only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from any human merit. Salvation is a free gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whose precious blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Every believer's salvation is secure, being kept by the power of God. However, a believer by disobedience can mar his fellowship with God, lose his joy, testimony and incur the Father's living discipline. While we do not believe good works are meritorious in obtaining salvation, we do believe that good works are an evidence of salvation. (John 3: 18; Ephesians2:8-9; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7, 13-14, 2:10; Romans 8:38-39; John 10:27-30; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I John 1; Hebrews 12:9-11)

7. About the Church 

We believe that Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and every local church has the right under Christ to govern itself. All those who have experienced salvation are members of the Church, which is His body, and are therefore eligible for baptism and membership in a local fellowship. (Acts 2; I Corinthians 12; I Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 2:21; Colossians 1:24; Ephesians 5:25)

8. About the Ordinances

We believe the Lord Jesus left for the obedience of His people two ordinances, memorial of character, which are to be observed during this present age: Baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper are commanded by Christ. Water baptism is an outward sign of what the Holy Spirit has performed in the heart of the believer. The Lord's Supper is observed by the believer at Christ's request until His return as a memorial of His sacrifice in securing our redemption. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:26-38, 10:47-48; Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 11:27-31)

9. About Satan

We believe in the personality of Satan, who is the open and declared enemy of God and God's people, the destroyer of human lives and whose destiny is eternal punishment. (Job 1:6-7; John 10:10; Ephesians 6:10-20; Revelation 21:10)

10. About the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

We believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ. We believe immediately following the tribulation, He will establish His millennial kingdom on earth. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-53; Revelation 20:6; Zechariah 14:4-11)

11.  About the Eternal State

All people will experience the resurrection, believers to the state of eternal life and unbelievers to the state of eternal punishment. (Luke 16:19-26, 23:43; II Corinthians 5-8; Philippians 1:23; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Judges 6-7; Revelations 20:11-15)