WE BELIEVE and we act

WE BELIEVE

Who are we?

We are a community of people following Jesus and joining him in his mission to

create environments where people encounter God.

Our vision is God’s vision. The story of the Bible, from the first page to the last page, is that God loves people, reaches out to them, and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, changes everything.

Relationship is important. We are relational people. We are made to be in relationship with God. We are made to be in relationship with each other.

We believe in God - who is one, expressed in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three equal persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the beginning, God demonstrated His power, wisdom, and goodness by creating the world and everything in it. God is love. He invites us into a relationship; he calls us his children. Relationship, not religion. He knows us intimately. He cares.

1 John 4:7, 1 John 3:1, Matthew 6:8

 Jesus Christ was fully human yet fully God – a miraculous virgin birth. He lived in perfect obedience to the Father, voluntarily paid the price for the sins of all people by dying on the cross as their substitute, and satisfied divine justice, bringing salvation to all who trust in him. After his physical death, Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father as the intercessor between God and humans. He promises to return to earth, personally and visibly, to fulfill history and the eternal plan of God. Salvation is only found in Jesus; he is the way and the truth and the life. Jesus is our example.  The way he loved people is our example. In our brokenness, Jesus is our healer.

John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Philippians 2:12, 1 Peter 1:15-16, James 5:15, Acts 1:11

The Holy Spirit, promised by the Son and sent by the Father, is with us. The good news of Jesus flows through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit applies Christ’s saving work by enlightening the minds of people to their need to be saved. The Holy Spirit renews and indwells each believer upon salvation, becoming their source of assurance, strength, wisdom, and gifting for building up the church. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is both a one-time occasion at salvation and a continuous need. New Testament scholars inform us that the original language of the New Testament, Greek, speaks of a need for continuous replenishment, an ongoing filling.  

The Holy Spirit is our good counsellor, comforter, and revealer of truth. He convicts us of doing wrong and always points to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is generous, giving gifts that equip us for life. ‘To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines’. Gifts of the Holy Spirit are present and active in followers of Jesus today.

John 14:15-17, Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Ephesians 5:18, Acts 4:31, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

The basis of our belief is the Bible—the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that Scripture, in its entirety, originated with God and he revealed it to chosen authors. Scripture speaks with the authority of God while simultaneously reflecting the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of these human authors. We hold that the Scriptures, in their original manuscripts, are infallible and inerrant; they are the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice. There are no other writings similarly inspired by God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

We celebrate two Biblical sacraments rooted in the actions and teachings of Jesus Christ: Baptism and Communion. Jesus offered his followers bread and wine as symbols of his love and sacrifice for them – the offer was open to all; therefore, our table is similarly open to all who seek to follow Christ. Baptism and communion represent both the individual, inward commitment to a personal relationship with Jesus and the corporate, outward sign of being connected to a local community of Christ followers.

Matthew 3:13-17, 26:26

We believe in People

All people were created in God’s image. The story starts well, but things went wrong. People mess up--all of us--no one is exempt. The Bible describes this as sin. God in his goodness reaches out to us, rights our wrongs and saves us. Grace is available for all. Jesus makes this possible. Jesus forgives us, changes us, and ultimately, saves us. We don’t need to watch the news for long to see that there is evil in this world. Jesus’ plan was never to hide us from the world, but that we would be protected from the evil one. The good news is God, who is light, drives out darkness and defeats evil.

We are made for community. We love each other; relationships sometimes take effort but are worth it.  Marriage, while not for everyone, is a gift from God between one man and one woman.

The church was never meant to be about a building, it was always meant to be about the people of God. There are no superstars; we need each other.

Men and women, boys and girls, can lead. We all have a part to play. We seek to celebrate the contribution of all – based on giftedness and character, without regard to gender. 

Jesus invites all people to follow him. To be changed into his likeness. This is true life to the full, in this life and into eternity.

Genesis 1:26-28, 1 Corinthians 12:15-26, John 1:5, John 17:15 Ephesians 4:11-13, Revelation 21:3, 1 Timothy 4:12, Matthew 19:4-6, John 3:16; 10:10.

WE ACT

What we believe affects how we live. Our vision, creating environments where people encounter God, flows into our mission. Following Jesus is about the heart and the feet. We believe, and we act.

This is what it looks like…

God dwells in his people. While God’s presence is tangibly present when we gather, his presence is no less present when we disperse. Where we go, he goes. Jesus sent his followers out saying that he is with us always. Followers of Jesus are described as the light of the world. Therefore, in our gathered and scattered settings we seek to reveal Christ, to create environments where people encounter God. We do this in our words and our actions. We do this privately and we do this publicly--at the bus stop, the grocery store, the gym, etc.

Ephesians 2:22, Matthew 28:20, 5:14

As a church we want to give attention to living our mission out. This is more than words--this is a culture.

We Care

Jesus paused. Jesus noticed. Jesus cared. Because Jesus cared, we care. We aim to journey alongside people and share in celebrations and struggles. We seek to create spaces where people can be real in a non-judgmental environment. Whether it’s being a safe listening ear, meeting a practical need, or through prayer, we aim to be a community of people who are continuously building a culture of care.

Galatians 6:2, Romans 12:13, John 13:34-35

We Grow

Following Christ is a life-long journey. New Testament writers described the faith journey as ‘working out your salvation.’ We are all a work in progress. Jesus described his followers as disciples, not experts. A disciple is a learner, an apprentice, a follower. We are disciples who are called to make other disciples. We must continue to grow in our faith, and we must help others grow in theirs.

Philippians 2:12, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:46

We Invite

Jesus always invited a response. To follow him and leave a way of living behind. Jesus asked questions that evoked movement in people. Jesus reached to where people were and invited them to change, to turn – and it always led in a better direction. We learn from Jesus’ example. We invite people to meet Jesus. We invite people to be prayed for. We invite people into our lives and our community.

Matthew 4:19, 16:13-20, 16:24-26, John 1:39-41, Acts 3:19

We Gather

The Christian life is not to be lived out alone. We are created and called to be in relationship with others on the journey to follow Jesus. We gather on Sundays as a church family, and we gather throughout the week in homes and throughout our towns. This may look like coffee with a friend, sharing a meal in our homes or gathering in small groups. Wherever this happens, be it two, three or more people – Jesus gathers with us.

Acts 2:42, Hebrews 10:24-25, Matthew 18:20

We Serve

We believe that everyone is created uniquely and has a part to play. We use our gifts as a demonstration of love, both in the church and in our wider community. The church isn’t an organization, it’s a body made up of unique parts. When everyone operates in their gifts, the church reaches its fullest potential.

1 Corinthians 12:21, Ephesians 4:12-13

We Give

Everything we have is a gift. God expects us to be good and generous stewards. The Bible provides a framework to help us - tithes and offerings. Money management is a matter of the heart, not the wallet. As the dollar bills remind us, in God we trust.

Proverbs 3:5, Malachi 3:6-12, Mark 12:41-44