Ministries
We believe the church is made up people who’ve been set free to serve Jesus. Since Jesus himself said ‘I have not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many’ (Mark 10:45), Jesus set an expectation that those who follow him would do the same.
We’re told in the scriptures that we should do good to all people, but especially those who belong to the family of believers (Galatians 6:10). It seems as though the church is commanded to serve its members as of first priority because when the church is strong, so is its witness; when the church is well cared for, its members care well for others; and when the church is well equipped, its members are on mission extending God’s Kingdom by sharing the gospel of Jesus to those who don’t know it.
As a result, below are a few of the key ministries of our church so that our members and their families are well equipped to continue sharing the good news of Jesus to the wider community.
The Church
In John’s account of Jesus’ life, he recalls Jesus telling his disciples two very important things:
“As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples…” (John 13:34–35).
Then in a prayer that Jesus prays to his Father before his arrest,
“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23).
That is to say, by the way God’s people are seen to behave with one another, the world will come to know… and so our witness as the church depends on the health of our relationships with one another. And so we take our responsibility to be the body of Christ very seriously.
The church is not a service to attend. The church is not its leaders. The church is not a building. The church is not it’s network or denomination. The church is its members, and together we are the body of Christ.
As Jesus’ body, our mission is to make Jesus known in what we say and how we relate, to represent all his divine qualities which include his compassion and care, and his justice and righteous love.
Every true church has Jesus as its head, was establish by the Word of God, and continues to be a true church by building on that same foundation. Of all that could be said of the church, we are God’s people, saved by God’s Son, united by God’s Spirit as he guides by his Word. The church makes Jesus known by sharing the good news of who he is and what he’s done, and he makes himself known through us as we reflect his character by the way we unite together as one in love.
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14),
Because we are the church of the Risen King Jesus, we take our responsibility to lead our children very seriously. We have age appropriate rooms for our kids to learn God’s Word in age appropriate ways, through leaders who are godly, competent and safe. Our rooms include Toddlers, Pre-School and K – 6.
All our leaders are well trained and approved, and make every effort to disciple our kids into maturity as they lead them by God’s Word and prayer.
By the time our kids get to Kindergarten, they study the same passage that is being taught to the wider church, so that families can discuss the same passage of scripture together each week and be better equipped to disciple one another in the home.
When our kids get to High School, they are old enough to join our Youth Group. At the same time we want our youth to begin spending more time with the wider church on Sunday mornings to hear God’s Word preached, knowing that God holds youth responsible for how they respond to his Word by the time they’re old enough to make decisions for themselves.
As a result, our Youth Group runs twice a month, so that their time sitting under the preached Word is supplemented by spending time with youth leaders who can better disciple them through the unique challenges our youth face growing up in the world around us.
As with our K – 6 Kids Ministry, when our years 7 – 12 Youth Ministry get together twice per month, they study the same passage of scripture that is being taught to the wider church so that families can discuss God’s Word more easily and be better equipped to disciple one another in the home.
Explaining Christianity
Jesus gave his Great Commission to his Apostles, saying,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations …” (Matthew 28:18–19)..
Explaining Christianity is a FREE, four week course that explains the gospel of God.
Bible Study Groups
Our bible study groups are the engine rooms of our church, because that’s where our members get together in small groups to study God’s Word. Our groups study the passage of scripture that we look at each Sunday so that our church remains united around God’s Word as we study it together – the wider church on Sunday mornings, our kids and youth in age appropriate ways, and bible study groups during the week.
We have a range of groups for our members to join – from men’s and women’s only groups, mixed groups, evening groups or mid-day groups. We believe bible study groups are a great way for Christians to grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus and each other, and are often places where deeper relationships are formed.
These groups are for those who are members of our church, and for people in unique circumstances who we believe we should support by offering these groups to them as well. If you’re not a member of our church and would like to join one of our bible study groups, we recommend you begin with Explaining Christianity or our Church Membership Course.
From there we can get to know you better and help you to move in the right direction as you find yourself in relation to our Lord Jesus and his people.