Ever-Increasing Circles
A Worshipping Centre
An Inclusive Family
A Transforming Presence
Imagine a stone falling into water and the circles rippling out from the centre. This is a vision of the mission of the church.
At the centre of the life of the church is Jesus and our worship of him.
Everything emanates out from this worship. It involves our corporate worship on a Sunday but involves so much more. It must translate into every aspect of our lives - work, rest and play. The extension of our worship will then draw in our families. It will compel us to consider how we raise up a new generation of children and young people.
Emanating out further, we then find ourselves thrust out into our communities to bring the love of Jesus to a dying world desperately in need of the good news of the Christ.
At the centre of the life of the church is Jesus and our worship of him.
Everything emanates out from this worship. It involves our corporate worship on a Sunday but involves so much more. It must translate into every aspect of our lives - work, rest and play. The extension of our worship will then draw in our families. It will compel us to consider how we raise up a new generation of children and young people.
Emanating out further, we then find ourselves thrust out into our communities to bring the love of Jesus to a dying world desperately in need of the good news of the Christ.
A Worshipping Centre
The shorter catechism asks ‘what is our chief end?’ It answers we are made to ‘glorify God and enjoy him forever’.
The raison d’etre for the church is to turn irreligious people into worshippers of God. Ultimately this is our purpose and defines the success and failure of any church. Jesus must be at the centre of our community and our worship of him.
This involves us individually, as a gathered community and in a completely wholistic way which touches every aspect of our lives.
The raison d’etre for the church is to turn irreligious people into worshippers of God. Ultimately this is our purpose and defines the success and failure of any church. Jesus must be at the centre of our community and our worship of him.
This involves us individually, as a gathered community and in a completely wholistic way which touches every aspect of our lives.
Inclusive Family
True worship is never exclusive, it is always inclusive. It seeks to be committed at the core, but open at the edges.
We are called to be a place of refuge and welcome to everybody, especially children and young people. In Mark 10 Jesus’ disciples thought he wouldn’t be interested in anybody, but the adults. Yet Jesus corrected the disciples and explained the kingdom of God belongs to them. In SBC children and young people remain one of our highest priorities. We want to be a place which creates stronger children rather than always fixing broken adults.
Transforming Presence
The mission of the church cannot stop at the doors of the church. In Mark 9 we read of Jesus looking over the crowds and his heart being broken; the need was simply so great. In SBC we want to be an outward rather than inward looking community.
We don’t want to be about maintaining an organisation or aging institution, but about social transformation. We want to reach the community around our church, broken families and individuals, and those facing material and financial challenges. We seek to let people know the good news of Jesus through both word and deed.
We don’t want to be about maintaining an organisation or aging institution, but about social transformation. We want to reach the community around our church, broken families and individuals, and those facing material and financial challenges. We seek to let people know the good news of Jesus through both word and deed.
