OUR VALUES
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – ROMANS 12:9-21
EVANGELISM – We are called to bring God glory (1 Corinthians 10:31) by partnering in His mission for His creation – to reconcile the world – back to right relationship with the self-existent eternal LORD and King through His son Jesus by the work of the Holy Spirit. This happens as His people fulfill the mission given by God to “19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – MATTHEW 28:19-20.
At the Shore one of our values is to EVANGELIZE the unbeliever to belief. We do this by living as an evangelist, sharing the truth of Jesus, proclaiming on Sunday’s as well throughout the week at our workplaces and neighbourhoods because we believe the message of Jesus is the most loving thing we could ever share with another (Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 4:1; 2 Corinthians 4:13-14; Philippians 1:14; 2 Timothy 4:5; Psalm 105:1, 145:6; James 1:12; Philemon 1:6).
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. – 2 CORINTHIANS 5:20
DISCIPLESHIP – A disciple is someone who follows and believes in the teachings of another. It is a follower or a learner. It refers to someone who takes up the ways of someone else. Applied to Jesus, a disciple is someone who learns from, and lives like Jesus in every area of their lives, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Making disciples is about worshipping Jesus, serving Jesus, and being a witness of Jesus. When Jesus speaks, we listen and live it out.
What does this look like?
It looks like helping one another develop a Christian mind and Christlike character in the context of biblical community. It looks like equipping people for ministry inside the church, raising people up, and sending people to make Jesus known outside. It looks like being a family who is committed to seeing each other become more like Jesus, forming deep friendships where we can be challenged by another and exhort each other onto love and good deeds.
The Shore members are committed to DISCIPLE the believer to maturity in Christ. To help and care for one another in our growth towards godliness.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. – 2 PETER 1:3-11
COMMUNITY – community is a large value at the Shore. We elevate community because God does. In 1 Corinthians 12:12 it says For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. We desire to build and live in community because this is how God lives, but also what He has called us to as the local church.
The Shore church is a committed body of believers of Jesus to practice the one another’s of Scripture. The greatest of these is to love one another (1 Corinthians 13:13 – So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.).
We see in the book of John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. This is our calling as a COMMUNITY – to love one another which then empowers evangelism and discipleship.
These are our values at the Shore church founded and held to because they come from the Bible – God’s unchanging and eternal Word.
OUR BELIEFS
At the core of what we believe is the gospel of Jesus Christ—the glorious truth that Jesus Christ died and was raised so that sinners would be reconciled to God. The gospel is our primary passion and the driving influence in our church’s desire for evangelism, discipleship towards maturity, and life in community with Jesus and others.
Below is our Statement of Faith (borrowed from the Gospel Coalition which is rooted in the Scriptures and centred on the gospel).
THE TRIUNE GOD
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who know, love, and glorify one another. This one true and living God is worthy to receive all glory and adoration. (Isaiah 40:1-48:22; Psalm 104:1-35; Psalm 139:1-24; Matthew 10:29-31; 28:19; Acts 17:24-28; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:9-12; 4:4-6; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:4-6).
REVELATION
We believe that God has inspired the words of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. These writings alone constitute the Word of God, utterly authoritative, without error in the original writings, complete in its revelation of his will for salvation, sufficient for all that God requires us to believe and do.(Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
CREATION OF HUMANITY
We believe that God created human beings, male and female, in his own image. Men and women, equally made in the image of God, enjoy equal access to God by faith in Christ Jesus and are both called to significant engagement in family, church, and civic life. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 3:1-7; 1 Peter 3:1-7).
THE FALL
We believe that Adam, made in the image of God, distorted that image and forfeited his original blessedness – for himself and all his progeny – by falling into sin through Satan’s temptation. As a result, all human beings are alienated from God, corrupted in every aspect of their being and condemned to death-apart from God’s own gracious intervention.(Genesis 1:1-3:24; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:9-18; 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-3).
THE PLAN OF GOD
We believe that from all eternity God determined in grace to save a great multitude of guilty sinners from every tribe and language and people and nation, and to this end he foreknew them and chose them, all to the praise of his glorious grace. In love God commands and implores all people to repent and believe, having set his saving love on those he has chosen and having ordained Christ to be their Redeemer. (John 1:12-13; 6:37-44; 10:25-30; Acts 13:48; 16:30-31; Romans 3:1-31; 4:1-25; 5:6-11; 8:1-17,31-39; 9:1-23; 10:8-10; 1 Corinthians 1:7-9; Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:8-10; Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:19; Titus 3:3-7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 1:7,9; Jude 1; Revelation 13:8).
THE GOSPEL
We believe that the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ – God’s very wisdom. Utter folly to the world, even though it is the power of God to those who are being saved, this good news centers on the cross and resurrection of Christ. (Mark 1:1; Luke 24:46-47; John 3:16-18; Romans 1:16-17; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2:2; 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; 9:13; Galatians 1:6-9; 2 Timothy 1:8-14; Jude 3-4).
THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST
We believe that, moved by love, the Word became flesh, fully God and fully human being, one Person in two natures. The man Jesus, the promised Messiah of Israel, was conceived through the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven as our representative and substitute. On the cross he canceled the debt of sin and reconciled to God all those who believe. By his resurrection Christ Jesus was vindicated by his Father, broke the power of death, defeated Satan, and brought everlasting life to all his people. By his ascension he has been forever exalted as Lord and has prepared a place for us to be with him. We believe that salvation is found in no one else. (John 1:1-5; Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:4; Acts 1:9-12; 1 John 1:9; Romans 10:9-13; 2 Timothy 1:10; Hosea 13:14; John 10:27-28; John 14:6).
THE JUSTIFICATION OF SINNERS
We believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice, he bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins. By his perfect obedience, he satisfied the just demands of God on our behalf, since by faith alone that perfect obedience is credited to all who trust in Christ alone for their acceptance with God. (Psalm 32:1–5; Psalm 130; Luke 7:47-50; Luke 18:9–14; Acts 10:43; 1 John 1:7–2:2).
THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that this salvation, attested in all Scripture and secured by Jesus Christ, is applied to his people by the Holy Spirit. Sent by the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ, and, as the other Paraclete, is present with and in believers. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and by his powerful and mysterious work regenerates spiritually dead sinners, awakening them to repentance and faith, and in him they are baptized into union with the Lord Jesus, such that they are justified before God by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. By the Spirit’s agency, believers are renewed, sanctified, and adopted into God’s family; they participate in the divine nature and receive his sovereignly distributed gifts. The Holy Spirit is himself the down payment of the promised inheritance, and in this age indwells, guides, instructs, equips, revives, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service. (A study of the Holy Spirit).
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
We believe that those who have been saved by the grace of God through union with Christ by faith and through regeneration by the Holy Spirit enter the kingdom of God and delight in the blessings of the new covenant. Good works constitute indispensable evidence of saving grace. Living as salt in a decaying world and light in a dark world, believers should neither withdraw into seclusion from the world nor become indistinguishable from it. Rather, we are to do good to the city, for all the glory and honour of the nations is to be offered up to the living God. (Isaiah 65:17; Zechariah 14:9-17; Mark 1:15; Matthew 26:29; Revelation 20:1-6).
GOD’S NEW PEOPLE
We believe that God’s new covenant people is manifest in local churches of which Christ is the only Head. The church is distinguished by her gospel message, her sacred ordinances, her discipline, her great mission, and, above all, by her love for God, and by her members’ love for one another and for the world. (1 Corinthians 12:12-26; Hebrews 10:19-25; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).
BAPTISM & THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordained by the Lord Jesus himself. The former is connected with entrance into the new covenant community, the latter with ongoing covenant renewal. They are God’s pledge to us and our public submission to Christ. (Matthew 26:26-29; 28:19; Romans 6:3-11; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34; 1 Peter 3:21).
THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS
We believe in the glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the resurrection of both the just and the unjust-the unjust to eternal conscious punishment in hell and the just to eternal blessedness in the presence of him who sits on the throne and of the Lamb. On that day the church will be presented faultless before God by Christ, and his people will be enthralled by the immediacy of his ineffable holiness, and everything will be to the praise of his glorious grace. (Jeremiah 30:17; Acts 3:21-23; 1 Corinthians 2:15; Matthew 12:36-37; Revelation 3:20-21; Revelation 20-22).
OUR ALIGNMENT
The following are organizations The Shore Church has formal partnership with or is supportive of: