Our Biblical Purpose
The Biblical purpose for the church is to glorify God through exalting Him, edifying one another and equipping believers for effective ministry and outreach.
Our Vision
Centre Street Church will be a Biblically functioning community of fully devoted followers of Christ committed to accomplishing God's redemptive purposes in the world.
Our Mission Statement
Centre Street Church exists to introduce people to Jesus and to help them become fully devoted followers of Jesus.
We are an evangelical denomination and a part of the EMCC www.emcc.ca
About God
We believe in the one true, living and holy God, who alone is the Creator, Sustainer and Ruler of all things visible and invisible. God exists eternally as a trinity of three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are distinct but inseparable, eternally one in essence and power.
Genesis 1:1-2; Isaiah 44:6-8; John 1:1-3,14; I Corinthians 2:9-12; Colossians 1:15-16, 2:9; Hebrews 1:3
About Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, who is truly God and truly man and in whom the divine and human natures are inseparably united. He is the eternal Son of God who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary as Jesus of Nazareth. He came to reveal God to people and announce the coming of God’s Kingdom. Having lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to the Father, He died on the cross to pay the penalty for people’s sin, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. In doing so, He provided the only way for people to be rescued from sin and to experience forgiveness and fullness of life, both now and for eternity. He is the only Mediator between people and God.
Matthew 1:18-25, 4:17, 23; Luke 23-24; John 1:1-18, 6:37-47, 10:10; John 14:6; I Corinthians 15:3-8; Hebrews 4:14-15, 9:14-15; Ephesians 4:11-16
About the Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is fully God and one with the Father and the Son and who works in people to make them aware of their need for freedom from sin and a relationship with God. The Holy Spirit enters and lives in every person who trusts and follows Jesus Christ. He gives them spiritual life, understanding of spiritual truth, guidance in doing what is right and power to be the person God created them to be and to accomplish God’s purposes for their lives. The Holy Spirit also gives all Christ followers special abilities and gifts to use for God’s glory and the service of others.
John 3:5-8, 16:7-14; Romans 8:5-17, 26-27; I Corinthians 2:10-12, 12:4-11; Ephesians 3:16-21; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 6:10-18
About the Bible
We believe that the Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the authoritative written Word of God and contains no error in all that it teaches. We believe in the historical interpretation of the Bible. It was written by human authors under the inspiration and supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and teaches and trains Christ followers how to grow in relationship with God and others and live a holy and fulfilling life.
Psalm 119:105; Matthew 4:4; John 17:17; II Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; II Peter 1:20-21
About People
All people are created in the image of God, being like Him in character, and are made for truthful and loving relationship with Him and one another. People are the supreme object of God’s creation and the ones to whom He has given the stewardship of all He has made. All people are marred by a sinful nature which is expressed as an attitude of self-centeredness and disobedience toward the will of God. Sin creates a barrier between people and God and causes much destructiveness and pain in the world, and so reveals people’s desperate need for God and inability to change and become all that God originally created them to be. God love’s all people and has made provision for their restoration.
Genesis 1:27-28; Psalm 139:1-16, 23-24; Romans 1:18-21; 8:5-8; Ephesians 2:1-3; John 3:16
About Salvation
God is merciful and freely extends His grace to all people. Through Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection to life, God has provided the way for people to be forgiven of their sins and restored to a perfect relationship with Him. All people who respond to God’s mercy and grace by repenting of their sins and self-centeredness, putting their trust in Jesus Christ as their Saviour and committing themselves to following him as their Lord receive spiritual life from God. Although good works cannot remove anyone’s sin, every person who experiences God’s forgiveness will begin to live a new life and do good works as a natural evidence of their new heart and faith.
John 3:16-21; Acts 2:22-42; Romans 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:19-23; II Corinthians 5:14-6:2; Ephesians 2:8-10
About Holy Living
We believe that God calls every follower of Christ to live in total dependence on Him and His power; to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit; and to be fully dedicated to doing His will. Living a life of holiness involves a specific decision to respond to God’s grace by fully surrendering one’s life to God. Holy living requires a daily and continual surrendering to God and learning to live in constant communication with the Holy Spirit. As Christians confess their sin, receive forgiveness, trust in the Holy Spirit and obey God’s will, they will reflect the character of Jesus in their lives in an increasing way and receive His power for holy living and effective service.
Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-21; Romans 8:1-4, 9-14, 12:1-2; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:21-24; I Thessalonians 5:23-24
About the Church
We believe that the true Church consists of people around the world who have put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord and who gather together in local communities of faith to follow Jesus together. Jesus created the Church to reflect His character and extend His heart and hands to a broken world. The Church seeks to love and worship God in a spirit of unity, to help the spiritually lost enter into a relationship with Jesus, to encourage and equip one another to become fully devoted followers of Christ and to advance God’s Kingdom in the world.
Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:19-22, 3:8-1, 14-21; 4:1-16; Colossians 1:18-23
About the Sacraments
We believe that the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are pledges and symbols of God’s selfless love for us and of our commitment to following Jesus Christ. They are reminders of Jesus’ love and provision for us, His presence with us, His unity that binds us together and His sure promise to return and take us to be with Him forever.
Baptism - Matthew 3:13-17, 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-42; Romans 6:1-7 Lord’s Supper - Luke 22:14-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26
About Eternity
We believe people were created by God to live forever, and that after death people who do not know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and have not responded to Him in faith will be eternally separated from God’s presence in hell, while those who know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and have placed their faith in Him will live eternally with God in heaven. At a time of God’s choosing, Jesus Christ will return again to the earth in great power and splendor. He will come as the perfect Judge who knows every person’s heart and rewards each person according to who they have lived their life for and how they have lived it. He will create a new heaven and earth, and with His followers establish the full reign of God’s Kingdom for all eternity.
Matthew 25:31-46; John 14:1-4; Acts 1:9-10; I Corinthians 15:50-57; I Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:1-22:5
Guiding Principle #1: Pursue God
Distinguishing Characteristics
1. We will move from the church taking responsibility for causing individual spiritual growth to happen to helping people take responsibility for their own growth through practicing spiritual habits.
2. We will move from the church carrying the responsibility for the ‘discipling’ of children to equipping parents to disciple their children.
3. We will move from measuring the spiritual health of our church by the number of people attending church to the number of people experiencing God in the community through the sharing of good news and the doing of good deeds.
Guiding Principle #2: Pursue Relationships
Distinguishing Characteristics
1. We will move from talking about small groups as a program of the church to talking about small groups as communities that create belonging, spiritual growth and mission.
2. We will move our groups from the idea that discipleship is something the church does collectively to calling individuals to personally disciple others, one at a time.
3. We will move from only building relationships with those inside the church to building more relationships with those outside the church.
Guiding Principle #3: Pursue Mission
Distinguishing Characteristics
1. We will move from a classroom based approach to spiritual development to experiential learning pathways.
2. We will move from groups being formed on the basis of ‘study’ to groups being formed on the basis of opportunity to be ‘missional’.
3. We will move from celebrating the ministries of the church to celebrating the stories of people doing the work of ministry.
Guiding Principle #4: Pursue Generosity
Distinguishing Characteristics
1. We will move from sporadically calling our people to give generously to regularly reminding our people to live a lifestyle of generosity.
2. We will move from being a church that increasingly needs more people resources internally to a church that increasingly releases people to serve outside the church.
3. We will steadily move from using our resources for ‘nonmissional ministries’ to increasingly using more of our resources for externally focused causes in our community, our nation and our world.
Guiding Principle #5: Pursue Simplicity
Distinguishing Characteristics
1. We will help our people to move from living life as the world calls us to live to helping our people live their lives with a Biblical world view.
2. We will help our people move from living a more complicated spiritual life to one that is purposefully measured by growth in the five Guiding Principles.
3. We will move from being a ‘strategic planning’ church to being more of a church that follows God as He builds His church ‘organically’.
Our Values
1. We value people because people matter to God and need to know Him.
2. We value the corporate worship experience as being vital to the celebration of God's presence among us.
3. We value scriptural preaching and teaching communicated with grace towards the transformation of lives.
4. We value the practice of prayer.
5. We value small groups as being strategic to the building of a Biblically functioning community.
6. We value the unity of loving relationships permeating every aspect of church life.
7. We value a discipling process, which moves people to become fully mature followers of Christ.
8. We value the empowerment of people to do the work of ministry with a servant heart according to their giftedness.
9. We value servant-leadership given by Spirit-filled people.
10. We value giving our best to God because this honors God and inspires people
Our Seven Step Strategy
Step 1: We Care
Step 2: We Share
Step 3: We Build Bridges
Step 4: We Worship
Step 5: We Support
Step 6: We Disciple
Step 7: We Minister
Our 6 E's of a Fully Devoted Follower of Christ
Embracing Christian Growth
Exalting the Lord
Experiencing Biblical Community
Exercising Good Stewardship
Evangelizing the Lost
Extending the Kingdom
THE BIBLE IS OUR SOLE AUTHORITY (II Tim. 3:15)
Since God's Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, we accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced with a decision is "what does the Bible say?" We practice daily Bible reading, Bible study and Bible memorization. The Bible is the basis for all we believe.
WE ENCOURAGE SPIRITUAL GROWTH
(Col. 2:6,7) through the following avenues:
a) Regularly attending worship, being obedient to God's word, and keeping Christ at the centre of your life and priorities.
b) Being part of a small group for Bible study, prayer, sharing, caring and reaching out to a hurting world.
c) Utilizing your spiritual gifts/talents in some ministry of the church or through the church.
d) Regularly and faithfully giving AT LEAST a tenth of your resources back to God - including time, talent and treasure. This includes giving God THE BEST of your time and ability to do the task He has called you to (not what's left over).
e) Giving at least one evening a week to spiritual focus and fun with your immediate family.
f) Daily living your life in such a way that God would be glorified, and specifically praying for opportunities to share Jesus with others.
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