Beliefs & Values
We believe God inspired the authors of Scripture by his Spirit to speak to all generations of believers, including us today. God calls us, communally and individually, to faithfully interpret and live out that story today as we are led by the Spirit of God. Just as He is in a communal relationship with himself (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), he created us in His image to live in f
ellowship with him, one another, our inner self, and creation. Yet darkness and evil entered the world through our sin, resulting in our relationships with God, others, ourselves, and creation being fractured and in desperate need of redeeming. We believe God did not abandon his creation to destruction and decay; rather he promised to restore this broken world. God refused to give up on his people despite their frequent acts of unfaithfulness to him. Fulfilment of this promise came through Jesus the Messiah, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, mysteriously God having become flesh. Jesus came to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted and set captives free, proclaiming a new arrival of the kingdom of God, and restoring our fractured world. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection we have been forgiven and brought into right relationship with God. God is now reconciling us to each other, ourselves, and creation. The Spirit of God affirms as children of God all those who trust Jesus. The Spirit empowers us with gifts, convicts, guides, comforts, counsels, and leads us into truth through a communal life of worship and a missional expression of our faith. We believe the day is coming when Jesus will return to judge the world, bringing an end to injustice and restoring all things to God’s original intent. This is what we long for. This is what we hope for. And we are giving our lives to living out that future reality now. We value…
Gospel (God’s Love)
The good news of the Gospel is found in the person of Jesus. God Himself became man to redeem us from our sin making it possible for us to enter into relationship with Him. God loves his people and gave His life to pay for our brokenness. Jesus defeated death three days after his crucifixion. The Holy Spirit transforms mankind into the likeness of Christ changing every aspect of their lives. God is passionate about His glory meaning the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. God Dependency (Trust)
We depend on God for all that we are and do. We express our dependency through trust, worship, prayer and Spirit filled living. Our dependency affirms that Jesus is at work in our world and we are committed to living his purpose in surrender and obedience. When we depend on God we discover the purpose of our gifts and how they fit into Gods plan for us as individuals and as a community. Discipleship (Growth)
The call to follow Jesus is one that will shape every aspect of our lives for the rest of our lives. Our role is to enjoy Christ by making much of Him; discipleship is the lifelong adherence to Christ in everything we do. As we do this, we model strong faith to those around us. Jesus is focused on the redemption of all things and calls us to play a part in the renewal of this world. Areas such as the family unit, workplace, culture, education, the poor & our planet are examples of what our role in the process of renewal looks like as we look forward to a new life. Justice and Compassion/Missional Renewal (Compassion)
We are compelled to communicate the Gospel in word, sign and deed, by using our gifts and resources to share the Good News and to pursue justice and mercy, especially on behalf of the poor and marginalised. While we pray that those we meet will respond to the Gospel, we engage on a “no-strings” attached basis simply because we ourselves are recipients of God’s grace. Family
The value of Family is integral to the heart of this church. At its core, it recognises the adoptive nature of Jesus as he took mankind from a situation of helplessness to becoming his children. This is the foundation that we use as we seek to assist in the creation of strong families in the Hills. It also redefines our definition of family, affecting how we view the home, workplace and church we spend our time in. A family should be a place where anxieties are met with peace and where shortcomings are handled with grace. A home should reflect the nature and character of God. Leadership
We aim to develop leaders who influence the people and places that God has placed them in, both now and into the future. Our definition of leadership is found in the person of Jesus who modelled servant leadership. The character of the leader is of prime importance shaping the way in which ones gifts are used. Excellent leaders know who they are and recognize that they lead out of that understanding. Rest
The Bible speaks highly of rest. God desires rest for us which can be difficult because of our busy culture, it does not come naturally to us. To rest we have to let go of control and trust that God will take care of things for us.
