As you have joined us for worship here in Gorsley please allow us to explain something of the Vision and Values of our church family.

Our Mission statement is:

‘A Country Church with a Heart for the Country’

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  1 Peter 2:9

THE FIVE STEPS OF THE CHURCH

• a.    Exaltation                              1 Peter 2: 9-10

• b.    Evangelism                            Matthew 28:18-20

• c.    Establishing                           Colossians 2:6-7

• d.    Equipping and Enabling         Ephesians 4:11-14

• e.    Encouragement                    Hebrews 10:25

a.    EXALTATION    

1 Peter 2: 9-10   ⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Our aim is firstly ‘To know Christ’.  One of the primary ways we do this is by meeting together to worship – as we focus on the Lord in our songs and prayers and learn from His Word; so we get to know Him better.  We are a diverse church from many different backgrounds yet with a common commitment to Christ.  Our worship seeks to bring together the best of different styles, with a real desire to help people draw near to God and know the reality of His presence with us.

b.    EVANGELISM        

Matthew 28:18-20          ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

We are committed to the vision that the Kingdom of God is built by ‘people reaching people’ with the Gospel.  As a result we would encourage everyone to be committed to praising God and to establishing relationships with unchurched people and to communicating their faith to them naturally.  Our aim is to help people who are saying ‘no’ to God, to say ‘yes’.  We try to be sensitive to the needs of unchurched people in our services and organise periodic social events and outreaches.  We are also using our premises to serve our community as we try to develop stronger links with the locality and demonstrate the gospel in practical ways.  We also seek to support actively our world mission partners overseas.  This we aim to do in prayer, practical support and personal involvement.

c.    ESTABLISHMENT

Colossians 2:6-7           So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness. 

The Apostle Paul tells us that as well as receiving Christ, we need to be rooted and established in him and strengthened in our faith.  We are committed to good Bible teaching and small group learning as the main ways in which this happens.  We have a variety of home groups in different geographic locations, which meet every other week.  On the alternate Wednesdays we meet together as a fellowship at New Community includes a meal for all to enjoy, followed by various meetings, course and corporate time of prayer and praise.

These groups provide an opportunity for people to build deep relationships, worship and pray together and study God’s word in an environment where they can easily ask questions and relate it to their own circumstances.

d.    EQUIPPING AND ENABLING

Ephesians 4:11-14         ¹¹It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹²to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  ¹⁴Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

We believe that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to every believer for them to use for the good of all to strengthen the church.  We seek to help people know their own gifts and then develop them and use them in the appropriate context.  Whenever possible we have training events to better equip people.  We have various teams covering a broad range of areas; from world mission to worship, from buildings to finance.

e.    ENCOURAGEMENT

Hebrews 10:25  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

We’re convinced that all of the other aspects of our church function more effectively when we’re encouraging and being encouraged.  We need to accept people as they are and yet see their potential and expect the best of them.  We need to spend time building one another up in order that God’s people can grow