Philosophy of Ministry
Ministry Slogan
Passion for Christ & Compassion for All.
Mission Statement
With Passion for Christ and Compassion for All, together we bring meaningful life change to our neighbourhoods and the nations.
What We're Here to Do...
Responding: To respond more fully to God
in personal commitment, and public worship that acknowledges
God’s work, communicates His truth, and celebrates His
presence. As this happens in people’s lives, it will
result in a commitment to the person of Christ.
Relating: To relate more freely with one
another in love, transparency, and active ministry to spiritual,
emotional, and physical needs. As this happens, it will result
in commitment to the family of Christ.
Reaching: To reach out more fervently to
people outside Christ by building caring relationships with
those who are responsive to God, and communicating God’s
truth and love. As this happens, it will result in a commitment
to the cause of Christ.
Reproducing: To reproduce more faithfully
ourselves and our ministries. As a member of a disciple making
community, each believer is to reproduce other believers,
leaders reproduce other leaders, ministries reproduce new
ministries until the body reproduces itself as a new churches.
As this happens, it will result in a commitment of life to
being a servant of Christ.
Our Core Commitments...
To be Christ-centred in devotion and Christ-like
in character and conduct. This represents our “heart”
and the emotional commitment of our Christian identity. When
people desire to know what God is like, we want to be the
people where they can see. We exist to be a committed worshiping
centre where people can know God.
To be Bible-based in our understanding of
life and the world, and in our message. This is our “mind”
and the essential intellectual content of our Christian faith.
When people want to know what God has said, then we want to
be the place where they can hear. We exist to be a clear teaching
voice where people can hear from God.
To be people-friendly in our relationships.
This represents our “family” and the relational
concern of our Christian love. We want to be a community where
people really care, where each individual matters. When people
want to know how much God relates, then we want to be the
community where they experience it. We exist to be a caring
community where people can experience God.
What’s important to Us...
- Innovation: we seek to be flexible and
innovative in methods, while remaining faithful to the Biblical
mandate for ministry.
- Biblical authority with life application:
we are committed to teaching the Bible with accuracy, clarity
and relevance.
- Impact and Intimacy: we seek to function
as a large church in our worship celebration and community
impact, but feel like a small church in our small group
caring and personal intimacy.
- Enthusiasm and enjoyment: we desire to
be a church with a sense of excitement, where things are
happening, and where people are genuinely enjoying their
Christian lives.
- Unity with Diversity: we value diversity,
so our goal is not to agree on every issue, but to be clearly
“together”
in our basic consensus about why we are here.
- Excellence: all ministry is to the praise
of God, therefore we seek to do all things well.
- Seeker-friendly: we eliminate barriers
to the gospel wherever possible by ensuring that our public
ministries are sensitive to the spiritual understanding
of those not yet reached for Christ.
Our Corporate Structure...
Simple Structure: we seek function as an organism of co-operating
believers, not a rigidly structured organization, which tightly
drawn lines of control. We seek to work together as integrated
and co-operating teams, with individual freedom and encouragement
for each person to take initiative in worthwhile ministry
and to use his/her God-given gifts to the full.
Staff Leadership: Pastoral staff serve to
provide vision setting, overall direction and co-ordination,
in order to promote an environment conducive to ministry initiative
and growth.
“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under
your care, serving as overseers...” I Peter 5:2
Board Oversight: As a governing body, the Board serves to set policies,
provide oversight, and afford accountability.
“If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,
he desires a noble task.” I Timothy 3:1
Lay Ministry: the work of the ministry is
done by the members of the church.
“Christ...gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets,
some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that
the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12
Team Approach: no one should serve in any
position alone, and each person serving should be equipping
another.
Small Groups: believing that ministry and
spiritual growth best occur in a relational context, we provide
opportunity for both interpersonal caring and mutual ministry
in a relational setting.
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