Vision and Values
Jesus left all those who follow him, with some specific instructions which have come to be known as the, ‘Great Commission’-
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” - Math. 28:19-20
This is our VISION! Because it is set by the Lord Jesus himself, it is not
open to negotiation or change and is our number one priority. (I have sometimes
joked, that for too long in Christian circles, it has seemed more like the
Great Omission than the Great Commission!!) About three years ago we began
to use the phrase, ‘Leading people to Christ … Nurturing people
in Christ’ as our way of restating the Great Commission. Although brief,
it contains several strands of thought. Firstly, it reaffirms our number one
task of bringing people to Christ. Secondly, the word ‘leading’
implies ‘coming alongside and taking by the hand to show the way’,
and as such says something about what our attitude should be. Thirdly, the
words of Jesus indicate not only preaching the Gospel, but ‘making disciples…baptising…and
teaching’ – i.e. the ongoing growth and development of the individual.
We therefore seek to incorporate this into the second half of the vision statement
with the words, ‘nurturing in Christ’.
The words ‘leading’ and ‘nurturing’ also indicate
a continuous process. A number of years ago, God opened our understanding
to see that coming to Christ is a process or a journey – a journey which
is varied and different for each individual. We are called to encourage people
in that process and help them find the way. Furthermore, the sense of ‘journey’
doesn’t end at the moment of salvation – the Christian life is
a growing process which continues throughout our lives, taking us from New
Birth to spiritual maturity.
About two years ago, in response to the realisation that over 30 villages
and towns are represented in the Fellowship, we added the line, “From
the Dales to the Moors”. This describes the geographical area where
we live and most of us work, and so is the main focus of our ministry, prayer
and involvement. Almost every school in the area has regular input from the
church and we have contact with many churches and fellowships of various denominations.
This year we would like to add the words, “and beyond” to show
that, in the words of John Wesley, “The world is our parish”!
The past twelve months has seen a big increase in our commitment to overseas
mission, with teams visiting Ghana and Guatemala. This is in addition to our
long-term support of missionary work in Romania and the Philippines. And so
with people in Australia, U.S.A. , Africa, as well as various parts of the
U.K., I think it’s true to say that we have gone ‘beyond’
the Dales to the Moors area!
I believe that the following values should under-pin all that we are and
all that we do.
New Life Baptist Church is…
- God Centred
Not denomination or program based. We are here primarily to love God with our hearts, mind and strength - Bible Based
This is the final authority in all matters of belief and practice. We seek to teach the Bible in relevant ways, so that it becomes the instruction book for daily living. - Holy Spirit Empowered
Having read & understood the Word of God, the only way we can practise it in daily life is by the power of the Spirit. We believe in, and encourage, the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit, and in the life-changing presence of God to fill every service. - Ministries released
We believe that God calls us to be His Body, and that each person has a distinct role to play. We seek to help each one discover their calling and then fulfil it. - People Focussed
God’s heartbeat is for souls, and ours should be too. Evangelism is the DNA of the church and should be present in everything we do. We seek to be unreligious, unchurchy and people-friendly. The building should also reflect this. - Vision Minded
We always need to sense the direction of the Holy Spirit and be constantly ‘trimming our sails’ to catch the wind. “What is on your heart Lord?” is our constant prayer. - Progress Orientated
A culture of change, where we are always pressing for the next level, and a culture of excellence, where we always seek to do our best for God.
