Mission
Living by grace
We believe that it is by grace that we are saved. God’s grace is freely given to all people through Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus death, God has forgiven our sins. Furthermore, God offers this forgiveness as a free gift; it is not earnt through any effort on our part. In response we look upon each other as God sees us, precious people, loved by Him and we reach out with love towards our neighbours, our community and the wider world. We believe this to be the influence for everything we are and do as a congregational community.
Word and sacraments
We believe that the Holy Spirit works through the Word and Sacraments to create and sustain our faith. The Word of God is the authority that guides what we believe and how we should live. In baptism our sins were washed away and we were made children of God with the promise of eternal life. Through daily repentance our sins are again washed away and we arise anew to live with God in righteousness. In the sacrament of holy communion, Christ's body and blood are given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins. Through this gift we are refreshed and comforted and our faith is sustained. We believe that our congregational community is only as strong as the contact we have with the Word and Sacraments.
The church
We are members of the Christian church throughout the world, past, present and future. We confess the teachings of the church as they are presented in the Trinitarian creeds and in the Confessions of the Lutheran Church. We are ecumenical in outlook and strive to work together with other Christians in witness and ministry to our community.
The world
Christ, did not despise the world, but became a part of it to fulfil His work of redemption. He came into the world to redeem it, and now sends his church out into the world to carry out the message of the Gospel. We proclaim that message in the way we live our daily lives, showing by example, the love Christ showed towards us.
Ministry
Worship
Our first calling is to gather regularly to hear God’s Word, to receive the Sacraments, and to pray, praise and honour Him. In worship God comes to us in the Word and Sacraments and we respond in prayer and praise. We uphold the liturgy as the framework and context for worship and encourage the use of all forms of expression including music, dance, art, drama, to give voice to our praise and to enrich our meditation.
Care (nurture)
We seek to minister to each other and with each other, according to the abilities and opportunities given us. In our care ministry, we seek to nurture the whole person. Each of us is called to care for the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical well being of people in our church family, our own families, our work colleagues and in the various community groups to which we belong.
We believe that pastoral care is an essential function within the body of Christ. As the body of Christ, our care for one another will extend into care for the wider community. We are committed to practicing hospitality within our church family and the community. In this way the wider community will see and experience how we love one another.
As individuals and as a community we seek the fruits of the Spirit and strive to show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control towards our fellows.
Welfare
The Gospel message challenges us to show love and concern for all persons, especially for those who, by the world’s standards, are despised and scorned. In witnessing the Gospel we do so not just with words, but also in our actions and we endeavour to express our love in practical ways, by serving others at their point of need. We do this without discrimination and with a non-judgmental outlook.
God has blessed us richly with both spiritual and material gifts. In response we actively seek out opportunities to help those less fortunate than ourselves by providing financial aid and practical help. We also seek out opportunities to contribute to, or coordinate with, welfare services sponsored by other organizations in our community.
Education
We believe that it is important to provide opportunities for all age groups to grow in their understanding and appreciation of the Christian faith. We recognize that individuals have different needs depending on their age, circumstances, learning preferences, and maturity as Christians, and so aim to provide a variety of vehicles whereby they can extend their knowledge of the scriptures and grow their faith.
We aim to provide face to face activities such as bible studies, discussion groups, Sunday school, confirmation, etc. We encourage lay people to take a leadership role in initiating and facilitating these groups. In addition we encourage members to undertake self directed study by providing resources to assist them. We also believe that the Christian home is the context in which the faith is learned and encourage parents to take an active role in educating their children.
Service (stewardship)
We affirm that all spiritual gifts, natural abilities and material resources are gifts from God. We encourage every member to prayerfully consider the particular talents, abilities and resources with which they have been blessed, and to use those gifts in the service of God.
We uphold that as individuals and as a Christian community we are to give of ourselves, our time, our energy and money for the good of the congregation, the wider church and the community in which we live.
We are called to be humble servants to each other and to the community in which we live, following the example of Christ, who humbled Himself and came as a servant. We believe that in the spirit of Christ, our service should be down to earth, and should not despise the ordinary, everyday existence.
Outreach (witness)
The worship of the people of God extends into their life in the world. All Christians are called to fear, love and trust in God; to pray for themselves and others; to know that God will bless them as they attend to their particular vocation; and meanwhile to witness to God's love in Christ by pursuing justice and serving others.
We witness the Gospel by our actions, when we show in our daily lives, the example set by Christ - when we love and care for others, when we serve and help our neighbours, and when we stand up for those who are downtrodden and discriminated against.
Fellowship
By faith in Christ we are one with all believers. This oneness, created and nurtured through Word and Sacrament, is strengthened through acts of social interaction and mutual care and support. Thus it is our participation in worship that gives context and energy to our social interactions, and those social interactions strengthen the bonds that tie us together as a community.
We believe that it is important to foster opportunities for people from both congregations to meet together, to share and enjoy life together, and to grow in understanding and compassion for each other.