The Calling of the Community

The community’s call to holiness

• We believe that God, the author of life, has created, called and shown humanity the way to live (1 Peter 1:15-16) in intimate relationship with Him and to reflect His character. 

• We believe the Gospel -- the good news of Jesus Christ, in his life, death and resurrection -- has saved humanity from sin, and has ushered in a new creation and true humanity, which is the union of persons to and transformation into the likeness of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:3-4, Ephesians 4:13) 

• For these reasons, we acknowledge that we are living as a “new humanity” and live under its implication within the presence of and obedience to the living God 

The community’s call to worship

• We believe that God, the one who holds all things together, is worthy of all worship

• We believe that all of creation participates in declaring and proclaiming God’s goodness (Psalm 19:1, Romans 1) 

• We believe that worship involves our entire lives (Romans 12:1) and worship is only possible through the work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:19-21)). 

• We believe Jesus Christ draws our worship and our service into His worship (Hebrews 13:15-16), within the life of the Triune God (Hebrews 10:22, Hebrews 12:22-24). The Triune God is worshipping, interceding and glorying Himself (Romans 8:26, 8:34) 

• For these reasons, we draw into the worshipping God and proclaim his glory in all things, including our day-to-day living, our praise, and our prayers

The community’s call to relationships

• We believe that God, the author of life, has designed humanity to flourish in relation to one another

• We believe that God has revealed the pattern and the ways in which human relationships are to be conducted

• We believe that God’s redemptive plan shapes all human relationships to the correct orientation

• For these reasons we are called to imitate Christ in the way we live in relation to one another and in obedience to God’s revelation for all relationships

The community’s call for creation care and work

• We believe in the goodness of God’s creation and the call for humans to be stewards of it (Genesis 1:29-31) still stands

• We believe that God’s redemptive plan includes the redemption of non-human creation and God does not intend for its destruction

• For these reasons, we are called to join with God the stewardship of creation, taking our work seriously towards the flourishing of all creation

The community’s call for justice 

• We believe that God is a God of justice and will bring all things into account

• We believe that God uses human governments to restrain evil

• We believe God is a God for the sake of the poor, for the oppressed, for the exploited. He is a God that that frees, and protects 

• For these reasons, we are called to join in with God for the justice of the poor, the oppressed and the exploited (Romans 15:7) 

The community’s call for generosity and hospitality 

• We believe that God’s action and posture towards creation is out of abundance, generosity and love. God creates, gives, provides out of His loving character to meet the needs of his creation (Exodus 34:6, Acts 17:24-25, John 3:16, Matthew 6:32-33)

• We believe that all of creation (including our lives, our money and our possessions) are gifts from God (Psalm 24:1 , Ecclesiastes 5:19, James 1:17) 

• We believe that God desires the welcome of all peoples, in particular those viewed as strangers and enemies (Matthew 5:43-48) 

• We believe that the worship of created things is incompatible with the worship of God (Matthew 6:19-21) 

• For these reasons, we are called to join with the loving and generous God in our giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-12), in meeting in the needs of others (1 John 3:17), and in the hospitality of strangers and enemies (Hebrews 13:2)