Who are we?
We preach Christ crucified, died and rose again and believe everyone may have eternal life by grace, through faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our essential beliefs are those doctrines on which our faith is built. They are therefore, non-negotiable and will not be compromised or changed in our ever-evolving culture.
We are Christians that come from all walks of life. Some of us have been Christians for many years and others have only recently followed Jesus Christ. We believe the Bible to be God's communication to the world and take it as our guide to our personal life and the church's practice. Our supreme example is Jesus Christ.
About God
There is one God who is the Creator and Ruler of the Universe. He has eternally existed as three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Bible References
Genesis 1:26-27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28: 19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2
About Jesus
Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is co-equal with the Father. He became human flesh when conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless human life and voluntarily offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all the people by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death, and then ascended into Heaven. He is now seated at the right hand of God the Father and will return again some day to receive every believer into His presence. He will later return to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Bible References:
Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 1:22, 23, Luke 1:35, John 1:1-5, 14, 14:10-30, Acts 1:9-11, Romans 1:3, 4, 1 Corinthians 15:3- 4, 1 Timothy 6:14, 15, Titus 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 4: 4-17, Hebrews 1:3-4, 4:14, 15, Revelation 19:11-16, 20:4
About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation and provides them with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth and guidance in doing what is right. Christians seek to live under His control daily. He gives every believer at least one spiritual gift for use in the Church.
Bible References:
John 16:7-13, 14:16, 17, Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Ephesians 1:13, 5:18, Galatians 5:25
About the Bible
The Bible is God’s Word to mankind. Human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, wrote it. Because God inspires it, it is the supreme source of truth, without error, and the sole authority for all Christian beliefs and practices.
Bible References:
Psalm 12:6, 119:105, 160, Proverbs 30:5, 2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20, 21.
About Human Beings
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character, and are the supreme objects of His creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, each is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God, which He calls ‘sin’. This sin separates people eternally from God and is the cause of many problems in life.
Bible References:
Genesis 1:27, Psalm 8:3-6, Isaiah 53:6, 59:1-2, Romans 3:23
About Salvation
Salvation is God’s free gift to all mankind but must be accepted by faith. No one can ever make up for their sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by accepting God’s offer of forgiveness, by trusting in Jesus Christ, can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment a believer receives Jesus Christ into their life by faith. Those who reject Him will be eternally lost. Because it is God who gives the true believer eternal life, they are secure for all eternity. The grace and power of God maintains salvation, not the self-effort of a Christian.
Bible References:
John 1:12-13, 3:36, 10:29, 14:6, Romans 5:1,6:23, Galatians 3:26, Ephesians 2:8, 9; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5.
About Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
It is a privilege for every believer to express faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ through baptism by immersion and in the celebration of the ‘Lord’s Supper’. Baptism is a once only confession of faith in the Lord Jesus and reflects His death, burial and resurrection. However, the Lord’s Supper is for the specific purpose of ‘Remembering Him’ (Jesus Christ) and acts as a continual reminder of His marvellous grace to every believer.
Bible References:
Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:40-42; 8:35-39; 1 Cor 11:17-26, 14:26
About the Church and the Lord’s Return
The church began with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and will be complete at the return of Jesus Christ (the rapture). It is a living organism that is made up of all who believe in Jesus Christ during that period (the church age). Its reflection is seen in the local church. Christ is its founder and its head, and He has invested to it the responsibility of spreading the gospel (good news) to every nation and ethnic group. Christ loved the church so much that He gave Himself for it and is now bringing it to perfection. The church awaits the Lord’s return when He will receive her as His bride.
Bible References:
Matthew 16:18, 28:20-12; Ephesians 3:1-13, 4:15-16, 5:23-25; Colossians 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:13- 17
About Satan
Satan is a created being and a real person through whom sin was introduced into the world. He is therefore the believer’s enemy in this world and they must engage in spiritual warfare to resist him.
Bible References:
Genesis 3:1-15; Matthew 4:1-11; Ephesians 6.
About Eternity
God created people to exist forever so there will be a resurrection, of all humanity; who will stand before Christ in judgment. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally united with Him is Heaven. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
Bible References:
John 2:25, 3:16, 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-15; Matthew 1:8, 2:44, 46
Biblically Based
We believe that the Word of God is totally true, and is the primary agent for changing the lives of both the individual and the church. Its teachings are not only sufficient for the churches practice but also have the power to instruct and transform individual lives within the church. The church, while being culturally relevant, must remain doctrinally pure. The Bible therefore is the 'source book' for all that we believe and the 'instruction manual' for Christian living.
Bible References:
Acts 20:32; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; James 1:22-25
Christ Centred
We believe that Christ is the head of the church. As such, He demands our love, our loyalty, our allegiance and our service. He is the object of our worship, the centre of our preaching and the focus of our ministry. This is not a one-time commitment, but a daily and conscious surrender to His Lordship.
Bible References:
Ephesians 4:15-16, 5:23; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 12:2-3
Good stewards
We believe that everything we possess belongs to God and that the stewardship of our goods, time and talents is a scriptural imperative. Sacrificial giving, results from a heart that is overflowing in appreciation to God for the many blessings that He has poured out on every believer.
Bible References:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 16:2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
Mission-focussed
We believe that lost people matter to God regardless of race, and therefore ought to matter to His church. Evangelism is not an option but a mandate given to the church by Jesus Christ in order that lost people, both at home and abroad, may have the opportunity to hear and believe the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. Therefore we are committed to sharing our faith with those God brings across our pathway.
Bible References:
Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 15; 1 Peter 3:15
Obedient believers
We believe that obedience to all of Christ's commands is important, however there are two specific commands, which we emphasise. Firstly, the church is to be active in baptising believers as an expression of their commitment to the Lord Jesus and his cause. We practise only believer's baptism, and that by immersion, to reflect the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Secondly, the church actively encourages believers to remember Jesus Christ in partaking of the 'Lord's Supper' on a regular basis. This helps believers to remain focused on their Lord and is also a continual reminder of His love for them and of the cost of their salvation.
Bible References:
Matthew 28:18-20; Colossians 2:12; Mark 14:22-25; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Maturing disciples
We believe that followers of the Lord Jesus should manifest integrity and authenticity of character, and yearn for continuous growth and development in order to become Christ like. It is therefore the responsibility of every believer to be involved in the process of mentoring other believers in order to bring them to full maturity in Christ.
Bible References:
Matthew 28:18-20; Philippians 1:6, 2:1-5; Colossians 1:28
Diligent in prayer
We believe in the power of prayer and that every believer has direct access to God. It is therefore both a privilege and responsibility for every believer to be diligent in this exercise.
Bible References:
Matthew 6:9; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Timothy 2:8
A functioning body
We believe that the church should operate as a unified community of servants where every believer discovers, develops and uses their God given spiritual gifts for the up-building and development of the Christian community.
Bible References:
Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:7-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Revelation 1:6
Pastoral carers
We believe that pastoral care of believers is the responsibility of every member and that loving authentic relationships should permeate every aspect of community life.
Bible References:
John 10:1-30, 13:34; 1 Corinthians 13:1-7; 1 Peter 5:2
Plural in leadership
We believe leadership is not vested in one person but that the church is to be led by a godly group of servant leaders who function in terms of the scriptural mandate for eldership and who are mentoring others for this role. While recognising the value of associating with other groups of Christians, we believe in the autonomy of the local church, which should be self-governing and independent of any denominational authority and hierarchy.
Bible References:
Acts 14:23, 20:17-38; 1 Timothy 3:1-13, 5:17-20; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4