Statement
of faith
God
We believe:
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in the holy, unique God who revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - The holy trinity.
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that God as Father made all things and provides for them.
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that God as Son has conquered the sin and misery of our existence and will eventually remove it completely.
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that God as Holy Spirit intercedes for us and teaches us what the truth is and how to live according to the truth.
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that God the Father still rules the world in which we live as the good and loving Father who guides, cares for and protects his children.
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that God the Son as the true man Jesus suffered and died for what is wrong on earth; that He was resurrected as proof of His victory over evil and is now with His Father; and that He will come again for the final healing of all things and for the new life with God.
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that God, the Holy Spirit moves all creation closer to the new life with God; that the Spiit gives faith to every believer, guides us to understand the Bible and teaches us how to live as Christians.
The Bible
We believe:
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that through the Bible we learn who God is.
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that God still speaks to us through the Bible today.
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that the Bible was written by people under the guidance of the Holy Spitit and that the Holy Spirit can guide believers as a community to understand the Bible in their time
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that the Bible is the good news of God's love for people/
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that the Bible also tells of God's condemnation of evil.
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that the various parts of the Bible are presented differently - as narratives about prehistory, prophecies, poems, travelogues, stories, letters and that each part of Scripture must be understood and explained on the basis of it's particular nature and in the light of the whole.
God's Kingdom
We believe:
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that God will establish his Kingdom and bring it to completion.
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that God rules over evrything and everyone.
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that the kingdom of God breaks through where God's will is done and where what is broken is made whole again.
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that the kingdom of God is already present now, but will only reach it's fullness when Christ comes again.
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that believers and the church are called to seek God's will in every area of life and to establish visible signs of God's kingdom.
Sacraments
We believe:
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that baptism and communion are two signs that assure us of God's love for us and strengthen our faith.
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that baptism with water is a sign of God's grace and that Jesus Christ washes our sins from us through his blood, just as we wash ourselves clean with water.
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that baptism tells us that the promises that God has made to believers throughout the ages also apply to us. God promised to be our God and that we can be God's children. The Lord promised to be with us through the Holy Spirit and to live in us and to guide us on the right path.
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that the communion bread and wine are visible signs that remind us of how Jesus' body was broken for all our sins, and how his blood flowed in our place to save us.
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that the living Lord is our guest of honor at communion. We also look forward in faith to the day when we will all celebrate together in God's new world.
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that, although Christians sometimes disagree among themselves about aspects of baptism and communion, this should not alienate us from one another. Our faith in Jesus Christ binds us together and it is much stronger than the differences between us.
The Man
We believe:
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that God created us according to a unique plan.
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that man should act in obedience to God, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in an attitude of love.
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that all people are equal.
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that God made us wonderfully and specially as man and woman.
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that man by nature rebels against God and thus becomes distant from God.
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that the Son of God himself became man to open the way to God for us again.
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that man in Christ is new and is restored to live as a new man.
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that we only know ourselves when we know God.
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that God made people to support and appreciate each other.
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that being human comes to its full development within a network of relationships.
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that Jesus Christ gives meaning to people's lives.
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that we must love God above all else and love other people as we love ourselves.
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that we actively oppose all forms of injustice and prejudice of other people.
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that we, in imitation of Jesus, should care for, reach out to, and help the marginalized in our society.
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that we have the privilege and responsibility to manage and preserve creation.
Acknowledgement
We want to express our gratitude and thanks to ACK North Shore. Ember English Service is an extension of the ACK to help cater to our wider English community. https://www.acknorthshore.com/