STATEMENTS OF FAITH


The local church is a community of believers who gather for worship, prayer, instruction, encouragement, mutual accountability and fellowship.  Through it, believers invest time, energy, spiritual gifts, and resources to fulfill the Great Commission. Baptism and Communion are practiced by the church as key identifying symbols of Jesus' death and resurrection.  (Acts 2:18, 42-47; Matthew 28:16-20; Romans 6; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, 12:7; 2 Timothy 2:2; Acts 1:8)


The Bible is God's unique revelation to people.  It is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and the supreme and final authority on all matters upon which it teaches. No other writings are vested with such divine authority. (Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:105-106)


There is only one God, Creator of Heaven and Earth who exists eternally as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each fully God, yet each personally distinct from the other.  (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 28:19-20; John 14:15-17)


All people are created in God's image and are exceedingly valuable to Him.  The overarching story of the Bible is one of rescue and redemption. God loves people, and invites them to live in communion with Himself and in community with each other. (Genesis 1:26-27; John 3:16, 17; Colossians 3; Acts 2:42-47)

 

Jesus Christ is both the full expression of God and is fully human.  He was born of the virgin Mary and lived a perfect sinless life. He willingly took upon Himself all of our sins, died and rose again bodily, and is at the right hand of the Father as our advocate and mediator. Someday, He will return to fulfill the eternal plan of God. (Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25)

 

Jesus Christ is the only hope for mankind.  God gives salvation and eternal life to anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ and in His sacrifice on his or her behalf. Salvation cannot be earned through personal goodness or human effort. It is a gift that must be received by faith. (Romans 3:21-26; Romans 5:1-11; Ephesians 2:8-9)

 

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and draws people to Christ.  He also indwells all believers. He is available to empower them to lead Christ-like lives, and gives them spiritual gifts with which to serve the church and reach out to a lost and needy world. (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:18)

 

Death seals the eternal destiny of each person.  Followers of Jesus will be received into God's loving presence and rewarded for their faithfulness to Him in this life. Those who have not accepted his free gift of salvation will be judged and will spend eternity separated from him. (Hebrews 9:27 Matthew 25; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9; 1 Corinthians 3:10,14)


All who follow Jesus are members of the body of Christ, the one true Church Universal. Spiritual unity is to be expressed among Christians by acceptance and love of one another across ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, national, gender and denominational lines. (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18, 3:11; Ephesians 3:17-19, 4:13-16)



MISSION AND VISION


Mission

 

To see people transformed by Jesus Christ, as we proclaim the gospel with our words and our lives. 

 

Vision

                 

            To be a church where everyone is loved and accepted for who they are, no matter who they are; where Christian and non-Christian know they belong and are loved and accepted because they are made in the image of God.


            To be a church that actively and intentionally shares the good news of Jesus Christ; so people can find God whether they are rich, poor, popular, lonely, outcast, disabled, needy or whatever; where lives are transformed; where people connecting, learning, believing and leading others on the same path of relationship with Jesus.


            To be a church where God’s holiness is communicated by the way we live – without a judgmental attitude or spiritual arrogance; where people are passionate about God; where the depth of their relationship with Jesus is seen in everything they do and say, and young people grow up thinking full devotion to God is the norm – because it is!


            To be a church where the power and presence of God is obvious because we focus on Jesus as we worship Him unreservedly, live in transformational community, and serve selflessly to help build God’s Kingdom here in Vancouver; a church that keeps in step with God’s Spirit by giving happily, generously and sacrificially.


            To be a church of God’s Word, teaching the truth of the Bible faithfully, accurately and authoritatively; where people are growing in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ as they spend time with God in His Word personally and together.


            To be a church that provides a safe protective environment for the hurt, abused, marginalized and disadvantaged to heal and grow; where the hopeless find hope, the helpless find help, and the hurting are healed.


            To be a church that reflects the racial diversity of the city we live in – people of different cultures falling in love with God together, growing together, discovering and using their spiritual gifts together, and doing life together as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.


            To be a church with an outward focus that is genuinely impacting its community, whose facilities are a central hub in the neighborhood because of the community activities run there; a church that works with likeminded believers and churches regardless of labels and denominations understanding that the church is a worldwide fellowship of one universal family.


            To be a church with a global perspective changing lives around the world by sending and going ourselves, and by partnering with indigenous local believers; impacting the world by replicating ourselves globally.

 

Questions we ask ourselves

 

  • How am I growing in relationship with Jesus?
  • How am I impacting my communities to know Jesus?
  • How am I impacting my communities to grow in relationship with Jesus?