By this we mean we seek to develop a loving relationship with God. This means we know Him, cherish Him, worship Him, study His Word, and desire to follow His commands and directions for a flourishing life. Through our growing, loving relationship with the Father, we become better equipped to love people as Christ loves us. Using our God-given gifts, we love and care for people in diverse and sometimes unexpected ways.
As a church, we value:
Passionate love and worship of God
Worshipping God by bringing glory, honour, and praise to Him is the primary purpose of our lives. We will worship God in all we do personally and corporately, including our singing, prayer, speech, and actions. Our worship will come from and exhibit our deep, heartfelt love for God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Prayer is foundational in our relationship with God and all that we do
Prayer is an integral part of our deep, personal and corporate relationships with God, our heavenly Father, and with Jesus, our risen Saviour. Prayer is an integral part of our worship of God and Jesus. Prayer is an integral way to hear the Holy Spirit’s leading for all that we do. Prayer is an integral part of how we support and care for those in need.
Christ’s love permeates all our relationships
As followers of Jesus, we have Christ living in us and His love is evident in our relationships with each other and everyone else in our community. His love flowing through us results in compassion, grace, and forgiveness being shown to all people, even those who might do harm to us. The love of Jesus will cause us to do acts of kindness and meet the emotional, spiritual, and practical needs of others. Loving others as Christ loves us will cause others to see that we are followers of Jesus.
Living holy and Spirit-filled lives
As children of a holy God and followers of Jesus, we are expected to lead holy lives that are filled with love, peace, mercy, kindness, humility, and patience. As followers of Jesus, we have been given the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and to guide us in all we think and do, making it possible for us to live Christ-like lives and not be controlled by sin.
Equipping believers for ministry
We will use sound preaching of God’s inerrant Word to prepare each of us to use our spiritual gifts to serve others. We will personally disciple other believers to help them lead Spirit-filled and Spirit-led lives, and prepare them to disciple and equip others. We will continue to use small groups, as well as children’s, youth and other ministries, to help others to deepen their love relationship with Jesus and, thereby, equip them to do the same for others.
Bringing the gospel to the unsaved, both locally and globally
We will share the Good News of salvation through Jesus as the only way to be in relationship with the one true God. We will place a high priority on global missions by sending missionaries and supporting them through our prayers and finances. We will take advantage of the many opportunities to share the gospel with people in our own neighbourhoods, workplaces, and broader communities.
God’s Word as contained in the Bible will be used as the final authority and standard for all we do
The Bible (Scripture) is the God-inspired and inerrant final authority of our faith and all we do. Our proclamation, preaching, and teaching of the whole Bible will be strong and unashamed. Our beliefs will remain constant and consistent with the unchanging gospel in an ever-changing culture.