The church on the hill since 1903.

LOVE GOD

Known & Loved: Identity

At the core of who we are as a church is the understanding that we are known and loved by Father God. Through faith in Christ we have passed from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, been given life anew, been born from above and know from the inner witness of the Holy Spirit that we are children of God. We are known by our creator and we are loved with an everlasting love.

Our efforts to “do” church come from “being” church. All we do as a Church is built on the foundation of intimate relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit — we love because He first loved us. We minister out of our identity as children of God. We have been rescued from the need to perform for approval.

Romans 8:15-16 And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

John 1:12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

LOVE GOD

Jesus is Worth It: Worship

He is our treasure, our delight, our first love and reason for being. To worship Him is our joy.

He deserves our very best. This core value encapsulates the “Lordship of Christ.” It also speaks of commitment to the “Cause of Christ.” There is a cost involved in following Him — but Jesus is Worth it. There is no limit to our commitment to excellence on His behalf — our worship of Jesus extends far beyond Sundays into our everyday lives. To see Him smile over our lives is our greatest desire.

Colossians 1:15-17 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

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God Speaks We Listen: Obedience

We believe the Bible and are led by the Holy Spirit—we are a Bible-believing Church. God’s words matter more than any other words. We want to know His words, listen to them and obey them. We expect the Holy Spirit—the gift of the Father—to guide us and counsel us every step of the journey. Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice.” We want to know His voice. By grace our hope is that God speaks; We listen.

Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Galatians 5:16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

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His Grace is Enough: Abundance

We are free and have access to His endless supply. He is able to provide all of our needs. Christ’s finished work on the cross, His glorious resurrection from the dead, ascension to Heaven and provision of the Spirit is sufficient to grant us true freedom — His Grace is Enough. We are enabled as a church to truly live out of an abundance-generosity mindset. We see God’s grace not only as a means of forgiveness, but also the power to be and do all that we have been called to accomplish in the Kingdom of God.

2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

LOVE OTHERS

Life Matters: Stewardship

All living things matter—people and planet. We steward everything for God’s glory in the context of loving relationships. We are called to exercise our authority as true humanity in Christ through the stewardship of all creation. As we take care of each other and our environment we desire to bring glory to the one who created and sustains it all. We are responsible and we are accountable.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.

LOVE OTHERS

Canvas of Colour: Family

God is painting His story on a canvas of generations in the colours of the nations — we are a canvas of colour. God’s plans for our church are beyond one generation and one ethnicity. We respect and appreciate each generation, we enjoy and rely on our diversity.

We are not the Body of Christ by ourselves as individuals, but together we are the Body of Christ. We are dependent on the integration of body parts and giftedness—people who lead, who give, who create, who care, who discern, who work in unity and diversity all for His glory. We are a healthy family.

1 Corinthians 12:12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.

LOVE OTHERS

Find Out Help Out: Care

Since people matter, we believe in listening to stories, understanding journeys, discovering opportunities and providing solutions. Love ‘loves’ with action. We listen and respond. We get involved.

Whether it’s finding out a new persons name at morning tea, or investigating a tragedy unfolding overseas. We find out, we help out. We put skin in the game, for the renown of His name.

1 John 3:18  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

LOVE OTHERS

Prayer Has Power: Transformation

We pray with shameless persistence and authority. Life is spiritual. Mysteriously God has invited His church to interact with Him in prayer. By grace we pray persistently, passionately and humbly, approaching the throne of grace through Jesus. We believe that for every situation Prayer has Power. Through our dependence on the Holy Spirit in prayer we see transformation unto the glory of God.

Luke 11:7-8 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

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Gospel Grounded: Truth

Our faith is grounded in the truth of the gospel. Jesus Christ—fully God, fully man—lived a perfect life to die a perfect sacrificial death and rose victoriously and powerfully from the dead. This is historically verifiable truth, which is the bedrock of our Church. After the resurrection Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and sent His Spirit at Pentecost to fill His Church. We know and share the gospel. We know and share the Biblical story. We seek to understand good theology. We are not ashamed of the gospel.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…

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Life Learners: Growth

We are apprentices of Jesus, learning to live the way He said we could live. This process centres around character transformation. Peter reminds us that growth in the grace and knowledge of the kingdom is a possibility and expectation of all who followers Christ Jesus as Lord.

We embrace effort with servant hearted intentionality to become more like Jesus. Our character is the sum of our habits. As Christians we aim to put into practice the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount by training to be like Christ, rather than trying to be like Christ. Grace is the fuel of the kingdom, and we aim to use it live the way Jesus said we could live. We live out of the overflow of our hearts, for habits shape hearts.

2 Peter 1:5-7 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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Coaching Community: Discipleship

We are disciple-making disciples who live intentionally to develop others in Christ. When Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave His disciples a very clear mandate—one that is not different for us in the 21st century. By God’s grace, through the gospel we lead people to Christ, coach them towards maturity in Christ and encourage them to do the same thing, causing Kingdom multiplication.

Matthew 28:19-20 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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Sent Senders: Mission

We are a sent people committed to sending others. We have been blessed to be a blessing. As the Father sent the Son, the Son sent the Spirit, the Spirit sends the Church, the Church sends ministers of the gospel. We nurture new life in Christ, we train up, we raise up, we send out and we ourselves go. We live our lives with a sense of purpose. We see mission as everyones’ life calling — both across the road and around the globe. We exist to see the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ taken to every nation and tribe and people and tongue.

John 20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.