What we believe

GOD

​

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each an uncreated person, one in essence, equal in power and glory. 
We believe in God, the Father, Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. 

(Genesis 1:1-2; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19-20; John 1:1-5; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3)

​

​

JESUS

​

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His teachings and miracles, in His perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people through the shedding of His blood and death on the cross, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. 

(Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14, Acts 1:9-11, 10:38-43; Romans 5:8-10; Colossians 1:15-23; Hebrews 1:2-3)

 

​

HOLY SPIRIT

​

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God, the Lord and giver of life, who was given to the Church in fullness at Pentecost. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling and filling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life and empowered for mission. We believe in the anointing and baptism of the Holy Spirit by which His gifts and ministries are released through the Body of Christ, the Church. He is our abiding Comforter and Helper, and is ever present to testify of Christ. 

(Genesis 1:1-2; John 14:16-17, 26, 16:7-14; Acts 1:8, 2:1-4; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

 

​

MAN

​

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam’s sin all of mankind has fallen and inherited a sin nature, thus man in his natural state is lost, alienated from God and incapable of attaining salvation by any personal effort or merit. 

(Genesis 1:26; Romans 3:20-28, 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-10)

​

​

THE BIBLE

​

We believe that the Bible alone is the infallible, inspired Word of God, and that its authority is ultimate, eternal and final. The Bible – the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments – is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts, and is the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction and training. 

(2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 119:103, 105; Luke 24:27, 32)

 

​

SIN

​

We believe mankind is estranged from God and enslaved to sin. Our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. Jesus Christ came to pay the price for our sin on the cross. God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifying them in His sight. His death makes possible the healing of our body, soul and spirit. 

(Genesis 3; John 8:34; Romans 6:16, 23; Isaiah 53:6; 1 John 1:8-10)

​

​

SALVATION

​

We believe that salvation is a free gift from God based on the merits of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and is appropriated by faith. 

(Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

​

THE GOSPEL

​

We believe that the Gospel is the good news of God for us. Simply put, the Gospel is all about Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension, and the implications it has for us. 
On the Cross Jesus died for our sins as our substitutionary sacrifice, revealing God’s holiness, grace and love. While the Gospel can be stated in a sentence, it is also the grand narrative that is told throughout the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The Gospel is the glorious story of how God is reconciling the whole world back to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. 
 

(Mark 1v14-18; 1 Corinthians 2:2, 15:1-5; Galatians 2:14)

 

​

THE CHURCH​

​

We believe that the Church is the body and bride of Christ and the embodiment of the Gospel. This one universal church finds expression in local churches around the world. In each local church, believers are to be a spiritual family that regularly gathers together for worship, prayer, the teaching of the Word, baptism and communion. Each church is to be led, equipped and cared for by elders and leaders, and each believer is to actively do all they can to strengthen the church. The priority of every church is to preach the Gospel and partner together with God in His mission and purposes in our world. All this is done under the direction of Christ, who is both the head of the church, and the one who is building it. 

(Matthew 16:18, 28:18-20; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:15-16, 5:25; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Peter 2:9-10)

 

​

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

​

We believe that Jesus introduced his Kingdom in part on the earth through his first coming. And one day, at His second coming, His kingdom will be fully realised: A redeemed humanity will enjoy immortal resurrection bodies as they celebrate God’s presence and grace forever in the new heavens and new earth, a world purged of all suffering, injustice, sin and death. The church is to both live in anticipation of this future, and to provide the world with ‘foretastes’ of it. We do this through proclaiming the gospel, living counter-culturally, building authentic community, serving the poor and marginalized, confronting injustice, and protecting creation and praying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” 

(Isaiah 65:17-25, Matthew 5:13-16, 6:9-10, 19-21, 33; Mark 1:14-15; John 13:34-35, Revelation 21:1-5)

 

​

CHRISTIAN LIVING

​

We believe that when Christ calls us to follow Him, we submit to Him as Lord, Saviour and King and enter into a new Kingdom, with new ways. The Gospel compels us to Christ-like living and mission in the world. As Jesus’ disciples, we repent to follow Him, know Him, become more like Him, obey His teaching and do the things He did. We do not do this to earn our salvation, but as worship in response to His grace, love and Lordship. 

(Mark 1:14-18; Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 5:17-23; Ephesians 4:11-24; Titus 2v11-14)

 

​

COMMUNION​

​

We believe in communion as an act of worship and commemoration of Christ’s death on the Cross, and we will continue to do it in His memory until He comes again. 

(1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Matthew 26:26-29)

 

​

BAPTISM

​

We believe baptism is an outward sign of what God has already done in our lives. In Baptism we die to our old life of sin, and are raised to new life in Christ. We follow Christ’s example, and through it identify with Him, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

(Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41)

 

​

RESURRECTION & ETERNITY

​

We believe in a literal second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and eagerly await the resurrection of those who died in Him. We believe in a literal heaven and hell. We believe that God will one day raise the dead and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and the believer to eternal joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth. 

(John 3:16-17, 5:24; Romans 8:11, 23; 1 Corinthians 15:12-14, 19; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:12-15, 21:1-5)