This is the our Vision Statement
Reach . . . Build . . . Send
Our Aim is:
- to reach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ;
- to build them up to maturity in Him,
- to send people into the world to witness to His all-surpassing worth;
- and that this work will continue to future generations.
Our Convictions are that . . .
- The Gospel must be communicated
- Gosport is only the beginning of our mission
- Our view of Jesus is central to conversion and growth
- Growth involves prayer, cost and God’s grace
- Going on to the end requires us to mature in our faith
Our aim . . .
- We will endeavour to shape our aims, lives and praying not by our own desires but by God’s. In everything we do not seek our own popularity or prestige but instead seek God’s will because of the worth we have found in God, through Jesus Christ.
- When we say ‘our’, we include ourselves but also other gospel minded and word-centred churches. We will seek to work together to achieve this aim.
Our aim is to reach others . . .
- We acknowledge that because Christ went out for the lost that we must reflect His heart in going out to the world with the gospel. This includes Gosport, but this is not the limit of the mission. Therefore, we set our eyes further afield—for the ends of the earth need to hear the gospel.
Our aim is to reach others with the gospel . . .
- Nothing of benefit can happen apart from the gospel. This is the seed that produces growth. Therefore, at the centre of church will be the regular preaching of the Bible where Christ is made known. We aim to call people to change their thinking and the direction of their lives that they might receive forgiveness from Jesus Christ.
- We will also look for opportunities as individuals and in groups to speak about what God has done and we aim to live godly lives so that we might make the gospel attractive to others.
- We recognise though, that if people are to truly see who Jesus Christ is in the gospel then God’s Spirit must open their eyes. Therefore, we aim to pray that people would hear the gospel and that their eyes would be opened.
Our aim . . . is to build people up to maturity in Christ
- We seek not only transformation by conversion, but ongoing transforming as we are re-made in the likeness of Jesus Christ. Although this work will not be finished until we die, we aim for a growing knowledge of the truth by the Bible that leads to joyful, godly living and the serving of others.
- Maturity includes persistence and joy in the face of suffering.
- Maturity includes a growing understanding of God through the whole of the Bible.
- Maturity includes putting others first, serving at cost, without a concern for our own worth.
Our aim . . . is to send people into the world to witness to the all surpassing worth of Jesus Christ
- To see who Jesus is, is to discover a treasure of great worth. It is to be stirred to follow Him, and by this view we are drawn to a new way of life. We desire that God would make Christ more fully-known to us and to those we hope to reach.
- We aim to live for Christ in the home, workplace, school or college, so that there is an unavoidable witness of God’s transforming power to those who do not know Christ. We aim to help people so that they may be useful in the situations to which they go.
- We aim to encourage mature Christians to move into areas where the gospel is needed. This may be locally or on the other side of the world. We hope this includes the planting of new churches as well as the growth of existing gospel works.
Our aim is . . . that this work will continue to future generations
- We wish to equip a growing generation for gospel work—this includes the conversion of others, and the training up of those who know Jesus Christ.
- We aim to help those in their families train up their children in what is right.
- We aim to equip leaders for the future, men and women of integrity who know the truth.
- We will actively seek to train Christians to serve either in secular employment or to see them set them apart in gospel work.