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What We Believe




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Core Values

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

We are passionately committed to the spiritual growth of each participant. We believe that spiritual growth is a life-long process. We believe that spiritual growth happens through prayer, worship, small groups, and Bible study. We will continually develop opportunities to nurture our relationship with God. John 15: 1-5, Galatians 5: 22-25

LOVE

We are passionately committed to living lives that reflect the love of Jesus Christ. We desire to be a loving community that accepts people where they are on their faith journey. While we hold to a core of foundational beliefs, we welcome all – regardless of their belief system. Respect, dignity, belonging, and caring are touchstones of this loving acceptance. 1 Corinthians 13, John 4: 1-26, 1 John 4:7-12

COMMUNITY

We are passionately committed to building a congregational family where all participants belong. Our ministries strive to reach people of all generations. Acts 2:42-47, Ephesians 2:19-22

OUTREACH

We are passionately committed to sharing the love of Christ with those not yet committed to Christ and the church. We welcome opportunities to partner with the local community in serving others. We exist not only for ourselves but also for others. Luke 5: 27-32, Luke 14: 12-14, Hebrews 3:2

INTEGRITY

We are passionately committed to honesty, openness, fairness and authenticity in dealing with others and in managing the ministry of St. Andrew’s. Trustworthiness, truth telling, justice and grace are touchstones of our life together. Ephesians 4: 25-32, Philippians 2: 1-4

INNOVATIVE EXCELLENCE

We are passionately committed to demonstrating the relevance of Jesus Christ in creative and innovative ways. We strive for excellence, which honours God and inspires people. Leviticus 22: 20-22, Numbers 18: 29-30, Colossians 3: 23-24

TEAM MINISTRY

We are passionately committed to team ministry. We value the gifts of all participants working and serving together. We encourage leaders who will lead with a servant heart. Romans 12: 3-8, 1 Peter 5: 2-3

PRAYER

We are passionately committed to surrounding all we are and do in prayer, seeking to put God first in every aspect of our ministry. Prayer is our link to both God’s power and God’s peace. Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Chronicles 6: 18-21, Matthew 6: 5-13

Essential Beliefs

WE BELIEVE IN GOD

The creator who exists as the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1: 1, 27)

“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.” (Matthew 28: 19)

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14)

WE BELIEVE THAT GOD IS LOVE

God demonstrates the power of His love through His grace, forgiveness and mercy. Through God’s love we are accepted unconditionally.

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement, because of this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4: 16-18)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

“Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.” ( Psalm 25: 6)

“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.” (2 John :3)

WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD...

providing relevant guidance for our daily life.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. All the words are true; and your righteous laws are eternal.”(Psalm 119: 105, 160)

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3: 16-17)

“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Proverbs 30: 5)

WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR

He died on the cross for our sins. God raised him from the dead. Through faith in Him we receive the gift of eternal life.

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means, “God is with us.””(Matthew 1: 22-23)

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

Regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead; Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 1: 3-4)

WE BELIEVE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST AMONG US

The Spirit empowers us to live as disciples of Christ.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. But I tell you the truth; it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 14: 16-17, 16: 7)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1: 8;

“We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”(1 Corinthians 2: 12, 3: 16)

WE BELIEVE THAT WORSHIP IS BOTH PERSONAL AND CORPORATE

The Sacraments of Baptism and The Lord’s Supper connect us to God. Prayer nurtures our relationship with God.

“Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in

Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a times is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4: 21-24)

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” (Psalm 95: 6)

“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” (Matthew 28: 19)

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11: 23-26)

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5: 16)

WE BELIEVE THAT THE COMMUNITY OF THE CHURCH WAS ESTABLISHED TO BE THE BODY OF CHRIST ON EARTH

We are called to serve Him in faith.

“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”(1 Corinthians 12: 27)

“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grave given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12: 4-8)

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into this wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2: 9)

“To prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4: 12-13)