Our Mission Statement…
…is the big picture of what we believe we are here to do.
The Mission Statement adopted by the Church at a meeting in July 2017 is
‘To go; to win; to grow – making disciples of Jesus.’
This originates with the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew chapter 28 verse 18f:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of [God] the Father and of the Son [Jesus] and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus commands his disciples to share the life transforming Gospel (which simply means Good News) with all those we meet whether that be at work, at home, or at leisure and in any way that is both loving and appropriate.
Our hope and prayer is that as we share this good news, others will come to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and become his disciple too. A disciple of Jesus is simply someone who has committed their lives to follow Jesus, seeking to be faithful to him in every area of their lives. Becoming a disciple is something we learn, and so the church exists to help believers grow as disciples.
Our Vision Statement…
…expresses the focus of where we believe God is leading us over the next few years.
To be a fruitful community which:
is rooted in God’s Love;
is faithful to God’s Word; and
is equipped by God’s Spirit;
to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the people of Seer Green and beyond.
The church is not a building but a family, God’s family. Like a healthy tree, we are called to grow, to be fruitful. Fruit is a sign of life and health as well as something to be enjoyed by others.
The Church building is built on land which used to be a well-known cherry orchard. In a similar way as the trees were fruitful then, we as a church seek to be fruitful today.
Being a Christian is first and foremost about a living relationship with God through His Son, the Lord Jesus, enabled by the Holy Spirit who lives in us and helps us. We seek to be a community which grows in our knowledge and love and experience of God. We believe the Bible is the Word of God and so we seek to study it and apply it to our lives. We want to be a community which grows in our likeness to Jesus. We want to be a community which serves our wider community in ways which demonstrate the love of God for all people irrespective of age, ability, nationality, or gender. We seek to be a community which welcomes new members – whether they are new to church or who have attended church for many years.
Our core-beliefs
We accept the Bible as the guide for all things pertaining to faith and life.
From the Bible, we believe:
- There is only one true God – He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel.
- He has revealed himself in three persons – God the Father, God the Son – Jesus of Nazareth, and God the Holy Spirit.
- All people have sinned and fall short of God’s high standard.
- No one can earn forgiveness for these sins, but God has provided a way to receive such forgiveness: Jesus.
- God sent Jesus to live amongst us to show us what he is truly like.
- Jesus accepted a cruel death in our place but three days later God raised him from death in order to free us from the guilt and consequences of our sins.
- Having risen from the dead Jesus ascended back into heaven where He has been made both King and Lord.
- One day, a time when only God the Father knows, Jesus will return.
- Through faith in Jesus, and faith in Jesus alone, we can be reconciled to God.
Through faith:
- We become disciples of Jesus;
- God gives us his Holy Spirit to live in us, teach us and guide us;
- We receive eternal life.
There are two great commands:
- To love God thoroughly, and
- To love those around us as we love ourselves.
As a disciple of Jesus Christ, we believe it is important to:
- Regularly attend Sunday worship;
- Be baptised as a witness to one’s faith;
- Spend regular time in prayer and Bible study; and
- Be ready to share the good news about Jesus Christ at any opportunity.