Our Identity
COURAGEOUS & FAITH BASED INNOVATION with the aim of effectively communicating God’s love and message to our culture.
The core message is eternal, but methods of communicating that message can change. We celebrate creativity and believe that it is a result of the Holy Spirit’s work in a Believer’s life. Because we view Christianity as a journey, change and innovation are assumed and expected. Taking risks is worth it to effectively reach people, and we’re committed to that.
MISSIONAL in our approach to personal and Church life.
Our aim is to be guided and motivated by mission, as individual Believers and as a Body of Believers. The Church exists for the world, not for herself. We see all people as in need of redemption (namely that Jesus paid the ‘ransom’ for our spiritual rescue). We believe that the Church is God’s agent for redemptive change in our culture and around the world. (Matthew 28:18–20; Luke 19:10; I Cor. 9:22–23)
SMALL GROUPS as a strategy for spiritual growth, deep relationship and care.
We want to provide a safe place for everyone to be transparent with God, themselves, and others. We believe that spiritual growth happens best in the context of committed and loving relationships with other Believers, where they can encourage and challenge one another, as well as pray, serve, learn, and grow together. In small groups, people can find a place of belonging. (Acts 2:42–47; Galatians 6:1–2)
SERVANT LEADERSHIP in the church and in the world.
At the core of Jesus’ definition of leadership was servanthood and this is a model we want to follow. As followers of Christ we are first called to be servants. In God’s economy, only those who possess and display the heart and lifestyle of a servant, qualify as spiritual leaders. We determine to serve God, fellow Believers and our community, not merely as an activity but as a way of life. (Mark 10:42–45; John 13:1–17)
STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE in all we do.
We believe that giving our best efforts honors God and inspires people. Perfection is not the goal. We simply believe that God deserves our best. Our aim is to display good stewardship of all He has entrusted to us, knowing that careless efforts can be a distraction to people who are genuinely seeking spiritual answers to life. (Colossians 3:17, 23; Psalm 78:72)
VIBRANT AND RELEVANT WORSHIP where people can connect with God.
We value expressions of worship, in the corporate setting, that are varied, genuine and pure in motive. Everything that takes place in a Sunday gathering is ‘worship’; in fact, every aspect of our life is worship to God. With the Holy Spirit’s direction, we aim to worship God in a manner that is vibrant, real, contemporary and relevant. Believers will be inspired and challenged. Seekers will be encouraged to continue their journey of seeking and invited to respond to Jesus’s invitation of a personal relationship with Him. We welcome people from all walks of life, regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey. (John 4:24; Romans 12:1–2; Colossians 3:16; Heb. 10: 24–25)
Affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada www.paoc.org
PAOC Statement of Essential Truths and Positions and Practices
Core Values
With a genuine desire to honor God & advance His cause, we place high value on:
1. The Bible as God’s authoritative Word to us.
We believe the Bible to be God’s self-disclosure as well as an accurate account of humanity’s experience with the living God. We desire to respond obediently to God’s written and authoritative Word in all matters of personal faith and practices of church life. (2 Timothy 3:16–17; Hebrews 4:12; James 1:22–25; 2 Peter 1:20–21).
2. Prayer as the means to intimate connection with God.
We believe that prayer is the conduit to receive supernatural enablement and a significant way in which we are reminded of our need to depend on God. We are convinced that prayer is integral to accomplishing anything of eternal value. (Acts 2:42; 12:5; I Thessalonians 5:17 -18; Eph. 6:18; James 5:16).
3. Loving and Authentic Relationships within the Community of Believers.
God created us to be in relationship with each other as followers of Christ. It’s within the Body of Christ where God’s love is experienced and expressed! Life change happens best in community with other Christians. (Acts 2:42 – 47; Galatians 6: 1–2; Heb. 10: 24–25).
4. Equipping and Mobilizing Believers to reflect Jesus in their world.
We believe that Jesus is the only hope for a spiritually lost and broken world and that living out genuine and authentic Christianity is what Believers are called to do. Authentically representing Jesus in our culture will eternally impact many. (Colossians 4:5; I Thessalonians 4:12)
5. People …all People.
People matter to God and so they need to matter to us. We believe that small things done with great love make a difference, therefore we are committed to showing God’s love to people, no strings attached. Responding with the compassion of Jesus to the poor and underprivileged is a significant part of this value. (Matthew 5:16; Luke 15; I Timothy 2:3–4)
6. The Ministry of every Believer Expressed through their Spiritual Gifts and Passions.
The Church’s effectiveness at fulfilling its mission depends on Believers discovering and using their gifts. We are committed to helping people serve with their spiritual gifts so that spiritual maturity within the Body will result. (Romans 12:3–8; 1 Corinthians 12 – 14; Ephesians 4:1–16; I Peter 4:10).
7. Unity in Diversity.
We strive to protect the unity of this local church body by focusing on the things that unite us, not that which divides us. This unity will stem from our common passion for the primary truth of the Gospel as well as the Christ-like attitudes of respect and appreciation for the fact that God has made us all different. (Psalm 133:1; John 17:20–23; Romans 15:5; Ephesians 4:3)
8. Godly Marriages & Strong Families
We will place high priority on helping broken and hurting families and on providing support for marriages and families to be healthy and whole. (Matthew 19:4–6; Colossians 3:20–21).