Values

GOD

How do you capture the majesty and complexity of God? In our church constitution we have made this humble attempt;

“We believe that there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit…In the beginning God created out of nothing the world and all the things therein, thus manifesting the glory of his power, wisdom and goodness. By his sovereign power he continues to sustain his creation.” (from our church constitution).

We stand together with all Christian churches who worship God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

THE SCRIPTURES

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Bible’s poems, narratives, stories, accounts, and letters are God’s ultimate truth for our innately sceptical culture. We believe the bible is God’s authoritative word to us, both personally and as a church and is the final authority on all matters of faith and practice which it addresses. The Holy Spirit is given to lead us to understanding. Even so, the bible can be mysterious and at times, difficult to understand.  Many times, the truths seem hidden and require time and energy to uncover. But when the hidden secrets are uncovered, these “life treasures” are more valuable than all the precious stones in the world.

THE SCRIPTURES

PRAYER

Prayer is our awareness of God, the one to whom we are talking: where He is, what is important to Him, and what is best for us–not just for me.
(Matthew 6:5-18) 
Prayer is a vital piece of our ministry at Fairfield Baptist. We firmly believe we are incapable of accomplishing anything valuable without God, so our first response is prayer. This conviction has led to a few patterns and practices that we participate in as a church.

First, we try to incorporate prayer into our personal, spiritual lives. This means praying informally as we move through the day and seek to recognise God’s leadership in every aspect of our lives. It also means that we try and set aside some dedicated time to pray during the day. We also set aside time at various points throughout the year for special prayer-based events and fasts. These moments of focused attention and effort help to mold and shape our corporate heart and identity together, as well as draw us closer to God as individuals. 

RELATIONSHIPS

In a fascinating conversation with some religious people Jesus summed up the teaching of the Old Testament in very relational terms like this;  

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself…”

Matthew 22:37-40

Relationships matter first with God through His son Jesus and then with people. A relationship with Jesus is the only hope for a world that has lost its way and is broken because of sin (rebellion against God’s authority). We believe that our response to Jesus determines our spiritual destiny. Jesus is eternally God, was born to Mary by a miraculous conception, lived a perfect life without sin, died on the cross as an atoning substitute for each of us who would trust in him alone, rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven and one day will re-enter his creation and complete God’s purposes for the world.  

A renewed relationship with Jesus can only come through asking his forgiveness for our sinfulness and trusting in him alone as leader of our lives. This trusting sounds very hard, but the Bible tells us that forgiveness is a gift from God and we work together as God’s people to encourage each other to trust God in our lives. 

We value the image of God in all people (whether believers or not). We believe that we were created to live connected with one another: carrying each other’s burdens, sharing our possessions, praying for and confessing our sins to each other, and suffering and celebrating together. It’s in these honest, loving relationships that God transforms us and his love is brought to full expression through us. The way of Jesus cannot be lived alone. 

Acts 2:42-47, 1 John 4:10-12

RELATIONSHIPS

WORSHIP

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.”
Romans 12:1

Worship includes singing praise to God and we do “worship” simply, but enthusiastically when we gather. Our worship services including singing, prayer, teaching from the Bible, and on occasion communion and baptisms. We always gather for some refreshments and relaxed conversation after our services. Our services are open to all including people who are curious about God and just want to see.But worship is more than a church service. Worship is more deeply and broadly expressed as we live out our trust in God in our daily lives. We believe that God has authority over every part of our lives. 

We embrace the salvation Jesus offers as the only hope for healing our relationships with God, each other, ourselves, and creation. This whole offering is our spiritual act of worship. 

AUTHENTICITY AND FREEDOM

We are not a perfect group of people and we believe that there is great gain for us in being honest with each other about our failures and humble in the way that we live.
We also believe that the Christian life does not consist of making endless rules about areas where God is silent in the bible or gives us discretion. We seek to be an authentic community where people are free to express their faith in accordance with the instructions of the bible, the leading of the Holy Spirit, and the way God has uniquely created them.

AUTHENTICITY AND FREEDOM