Faith
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Faith is at the heart of a missionary disciple. Without faith we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6). With faith, we see the world and both its challenges and opportunities in a very different light. We value a perspective of biblical faith and the dynamic inspiration of God as we face life’s ups and downs, life’s decisions and restrictions.
Faith comes from hearing God speak (Rom. 10:17), primarily through his revealed Word the Bible, which points to his living Word Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 3:16). Faith is God’s gift to us (Eph. 2:8) which builds by hearing God and acting on what He says. We should weigh together what we think He is saying (1 Cor. 2:16), then walk it out together. Discipleship ‘huddles’ within our church are one of the ways we train ourselves to do this.
Faith can be described as ‘the currency of heaven’ - it unlocks the Kingdom of God, it makes an entry point for God’s supernatural power to break out amongst people.
The process of learning to operate by faith is described by Jesus in Mark 1:15 when He says “The time has come. The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.”
‘Repent’ means ‘change the way you think.’ We are to allow God’s principles and promises in the Bible to impact our lives so that we choose to believe them despite any past experience or scepticism we might have about their effectiveness. We surround ourselves with stories of faith and the things God has done already. We spend time with those who have more faith than we do.
‘Believe’ means ‘step out and act on the new way that you are thinking.’ It is not enough to just change our opinion; we also change what we do. Our church believes this is best done in community with others, so that we are accountable and supported as we learn to operate by faith in the many different areas of our lives; serving others, praying for the sick, trusting God with our money, being transformed at home and at work and sharing the good news of Jesus with those who do not yet know Him…to name just a few!
The Lifeshape which informs Faith is the Circle.
The Circle helps us to apply the principles of our faith by recognising and responding to life’s events (major or minor). Asking ourselves the questions: “What is God saying?” and “What am I going to do about it?”
It helps us to be intentional. It’s about building a habit of learning from life as a disciple of Christ. Then putting that learning into practice in the power of the Holy Spirit, through accountability and community with others.
WE VALUE
- Following the learning circle through its full process
- That every Christian can hear from God (John 10:3,14,16)
- Boldness in risk taking, freedom to try and fail, grace in weakness
- Accountability about our journeys of faith
- “We live by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7) so that God’s Kingdom possibilities and Word take precedence over present circumstances
- Sharing our faith through words, works and wonders
- Openness to reconsider our theology and practices based on the biblical example or considered experience of our community and others we respect