WHAT WE BELIEVE
“True Christianity is not merely believing a certain set of dry abstract propositions: it is to live in daily personal communication with an actual living person – Jesus Christ.”
— J.C. Ryle
We want to be a church that is
Knowing…
Jesus, by faith, according to the word of God
Growing…
together in His love and grace, through fellowship with God, and one another
Going…
into our communities, and beyond, with the good news about Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit
THE BASICS
The Nature of God
We believe there is one God who eternally exists in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death for the sins of the world, rose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is coming again to judge the living and the dead and to establish God’s kingdom of righteousness and peace on the earth.
God the Father
We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower in ministry all who believe in Christ. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide. We believe in the perpetuity and practise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and that the gifts of the Spirit are essential to fulfil Christ’s purpose for His Church when used in accordance with scriptural instruction.
The Bible
We believe the Bible, as it was originally penned, is the only inspired, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative word of God and that God has kept His word through various translations for the benefit of His people. We believe the Bible tells the universal story of creation, the fall of mankind, and man’s redemption and restoration. We depend upon it as the revelation of God’s identity, character, purposes and actions. We believe in the sufficiency of the Scriptures, by the power Holy Spirit, to supply us with all things that pertain to life and godliness, as it speaks powerfully to both our belief and our behaviour.
Sin & Salvation
We believe that all people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, and incapable of meriting God's favour.
We believe that salvation, redemption and forgiveness is freely offered to all by grace alone, through faith alone when a person repents of sin, and accepts Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour, trusting Him to save. We believe in both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man.
The Church
We believe that the Church exists to worship God, edify itself in love, and to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the ultimate leader of the church as its founder, builder, redeemer, head, and chief shepherd. He also appoints men to oversee and care for local expressions of the church. In the New Testament, the terminology used for this singular position is three-fold: overseer, elder, and pastor (shepherd). The New Testament describes elders as pastors and overseers who are to shepherd the flock of God by feeding the flock (preaching & teaching), protecting the flock (guarding against wolves), and tending the flock (praying, comforting & being an example).