Assuming God’s Word as our source of guidance in all things, we hold these core values as essentials that must shape who we are individually and as a church:
RELIANCE ON PRAYER is essential for God centered ministry. Prayer is always the first step. Continual prayer puts God at the helm. Our reliance on prayer submits our wills to His.
“And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (NIV) Ephesians 6:18
THE ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT is essential for our own guidance and our ability to help the hurting and the troubled. It is essential in teaching and conversion. The Holy Spirit will direct us toward God’s purpose.
“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” (NIV) Ephesians 3:16-17
AN OVERALL ATMOSPHERE OF GRACE is why we serve, not because of duty or a need to work our way into heaven, but because of the grace that God has poured out freely into our lives. Our acceptance of His grace and our desire to share grace with others will lead us to serve in an overall atmosphere of grace.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (NIV) Ephesians 1:7-8
CONTINUAL DEPENDENCE ON SCRIPTURE, so that what we value, follow, teach and practice will be found to derive from God’s Word as it is found in Scripture. We will learn, understand, and be continually transformed by God’s guidance as found in the Christian Bible.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
GROWING PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD allow us to view people and situations from a different perspective. As we come to know God, we will see, to some degree with His eyes, His love and His understanding.
“…I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…I want to know Christ…” (NIV) Philippians 3:8,10
INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP, so that growth for everyone from spiritual infancy through to spiritual maturity (infancy to parenthood) becomes the intentional goal of all the church’s ministries. We, therefore, value replication, so that mature disciples will be about the task of nurturing disciples who perpetually make disciples.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV) Matthew 28:19-20
EVERY MEMBER OF THE LORD’S BODY IS A MINISTER. There is no clergy / laity separation in the church of the New Testament. We are all called to service. We must each seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in how God wishes us to share the grace He has shown us.
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (NIV) 1 Peter 4:10
SERVING AND REACHING PEOPLE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CHURCH is something we cannot ignore if we are “to be like Jesus.” If the church is representative of Christ’s body on earth, we must follow the example of service and ministry He set for us.
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (NIV) Galatians 6:10
THE EXPANSION AND GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM is inherent in the ministry of Jesus and must be inherent in our church, meaning that we value the growth and spread of the Kingdom throughout our community, city, province, country, and world.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Although it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.” (NIV) Matthew 13:31-32
RECOGNIZING AND AFFIRMING THE INHERENT WORTH AND DIGNITY OF ALL PEOPLE—regardless of race, colour, or ethnicity—is inherent in the way God has created humankind, how He relates to all of us as His children, and how He expects His children to relate to one another. The church must reflect this attitude by continually encouraging full racial equality, acceptance, and inclusion—both within the church and in society in general.
“Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” (NIV) Colossians 3:11