OUR MISSION
          To be a Transforming Community Committed to Jesus Christ

Each word in the statement is significant:

“Jesus Christ”  is the reason we are here, and the one we follow.  

“Committed”   speaks of  more than just a verbal acknowledgement of faith.   It is a faith that is expressed in action.  
 
“Community”   talks of the kind of people and place we want to be:  where everyone is valued and everyone contributes. 
 
“Transforming”   sums up our focus to be outward.   We believe we are here to serve people outside the church community and be a blessing to the city in which God has placed us.   We want to see those who do not know Jesus come to faith.  We want to demonstrate in very practical ways the love of Christ, especially where there is brokenness and pain.  We want to be part of transformation both locally and overseas.

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OUR VALUES
We recognise that it is only as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit that we can live out these values.

Biblical Truth:  
We will teach, make decisions and live on the basis of the truth as revealed in the whole of Scripture. 

Spiritual Development:
We will promote personal growth towards maturity in Christ and a lifestyle of service.

Community:  
We will be a place where relationships are based on love, acceptance, honesty, accountability and forgiveness.

Corporate Worship:   
We together will worship and pray in creative and relevant ways.

Missions:
We will be intentional in seeking to bring transformation to lost people and a fallen world.

OUR VISION - 2016-2020
 
Determining Vision
In 2015 we conducted a church wide process to renew and  clarify our vision as a church.    We first spent a week in prayer, seeking to hear what God was saying through his people.  From this we saw a number of themes emerge.  We reflected these back to the church for comment.   We then had a retreat for ministry leaders and elders, to further clarify and refine the key points. Over the next five years, this vision will become the key grid by which we determine what we do.   Strategic plans will be drawn up for each of the areas, and ministry plans will reflect this vision.    Bringing change involves taking small steps across a wide range of areas, and doing those actions consistently over years.


1) To  Seek a Deeper Relationship of Intimacy and Reverence with God
We want to ensure that our activity as a church comes out of relationship with God – that at the heart of all we do is a personal  and deep relationship with Him.   We want to make sure we are not consumers of God – like a product to help us -  but that He is a consumer of us – that He is Lord, and everything is about His desires.
 
As we grow in this, we will see our Sunday services have:
•an atmosphere of reverence along with  celebration.
•times of corporate and individual confession, repentance, silence and space.
•stories of God’s deep work in people’s  lives.
•a sense of spiritual hunger and expectation of God speaking.
 
And in people’s lives there will be :
· An increase in prayer.
· A hearing from God.
· A  willingness to serve, and take steps of costly obedience.
· A growing awareness of the presence of God.
· Use of spiritual gifts.


2) To Intentionally Disciple our Children and Youth within an Intergenerational Community
We want to arrest the high faith drop out rate of children and youth of church families by empowering parents,  and reinforcing this by helping young people encounter God in church programmes.  We want church to be a strongly intergenerational community, so that there are not  young people isolated but involved in all church activities.

As we grow in this, we will see:
· Adults knowing the children’s names
·  Interaction after Sunday service between generations.
· A sense of family in the church.

3) To Minister to those who are Struggling
The heart of God to those who are struggling is seen throughout Scripture.  Luke 14:15-24 is one key passage in this. To minister to those on the “outside” requires high grace, and a willingness to overcome barriers by letting go of some things. As we grow in this we will see

· New ministries targeted to needs.
· Strong support for existing ministries
· Inclusion and belonging of themarginalized within church services and groups.


4) To be talking about Jesus
 
We want to fulfil the Great Commission (Matthew 28:28-29) by talking about Jesus to those who do not know Him.  We recognize the challenges of this in today’s world, and the need for new approaches. But we do not want to sideline or ignore the heart of the mission of Jesus.  We believe in the power of the gospel message to change lives and that opportunities are there for us. (John 4:35  ).
 
As we grow in this we will see:
•Increasing number of new Christians being baptized and discipled.
•Every person equipped to share their faith.
· An increase in the number of conversations about spiritual matters.
· Fresh expressions of church evolve for new believers.
· Increased prayer for the empowering of the Holy Spirit.