Gospel Centered
The Gospel is the good news that God, through the perfect life, atoning death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, rescues all his people from the wrath of God into peace with God, with a promise of the full restoration of his created order forever - all to the praise of his glorious grace. We believe the Gospel is the way into the Christian life and the way forward in the Christian life. Therefore as Gospel-Centred people we want every part of our lives to be centred on, shaped by and lived out of this glorious news.
Galatians 2:20 (NIV) “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Continually Growing into Christ
Through the gospel we are united to Jesus, filled with his Spirit, and welcomed into God’s family as his beloved children. Therefore our longing is to bear this family likeness more and more, becoming more like Jesus, growing in our joyful love for him, serving others according to our abilities, and bearing fruit for his glory in our lives.
Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV) “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
Authentic Relationships
Through the gospel we become part of God’s family, united with brothers and sisters in the church, a new community of people who know and love him. Therefore, we want the gospel to shape how we relate to one another in this new community: being open and honest, welcoming to people of different cultures and backgrounds, loving each other deeply, being real with one another, and opening our lives and our homes in ordinary hospitality.
1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NIV) Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well
Serving Locally
At the very centre of the gospel is the most amazing act of service the world has ever seen: Jesus, the king of all things, lays down his life to save us. This incredible act of service shapes how we are to live as his followers. Therefore we want to be a people who serve one another in the church and in the local community, so that our lives are consistent with the gospel message we proclaim. We want to be a truly local church, involved and integrated in the life of the city and our local community.
2 Corinthians 4:5 (NIV) “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”
Praying Dependently
Through the gospel we recognise our own weakness and that we can do nothing on our own. Yet one of our greatest gospel privileges, as children of God, is our confident access to him in prayer. Therefore prayer is foundational to all that we do. We want to be a church that is actively dependent on God through prayer, for our church, our community, our city, and our world, knowing that it is God who governs all things for our good and his glory.
Philippians 4:6 (NIV) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”