What we believe | St. John's Anglican Church Highton Geelong
 

What we believe

What is Christianity?

Christianity is - as the name suggests - all about Christ. There is a great deal of confusion about this these days. Many see Christianity as something less - either a worldview or philosphy, or a particular morality or code of ethics; even a set of values and traditions. Of course, Christianity has its own unique version of all of these things. But Christianity proper is something far greater.

Worst of all, many still understand Christianity as a religion whereby people might be able to win their way back into God's good books - as if by following this religion faithfully and carefully we might impress God and win his favour.

The core of Christianity is in fact the loving rescue which Christ effected. Jesus came into this world as the very Son of God to die on the cross and rise again that we might be reconciled to God. Christianity is about salvation - the loving rescue of people who having turned their backs on God now stand estranged from him and will inevitably suffer the consequences for their rejection.

Many feel their estrangement and alienation from God but don't know what causes it nor what can overcome it. How can I know God? How can I please him? Will he accept me? Jesus came as the fullest revelation of God himself. In his death, he reveals both the extent of the problem and God's amazing solution.

Rather than being a series of hoops that you and I need to jump through, Christianity is in fact a message of good news about something which God himself has done. All that is wrong in the world at large and in our own personal lives, Jesus came to rescue us from.
Check out this link for Two Ways to Live - you may find it helpful.

We believe in Jesus Christ

Faith is the critical human component in Christianity. If the claim is that in Christ God has acted to save us from our sins, we have only two options - to believe or disbelieve. Faith is really just another word for trust. Faith means taking God at his word and depending upon him.

Faith is only as good as its object. We sometimes beat ourselves up over our little faith or lack of faith. But the real power of faith comes from who our faith is in. All the faith in the world will come to nothing if it is misplaced - in fact it will only bring you to ruin. But the slightest faith in something / someone reliable, trustworthy and true will never let you down.

Of course, faith is not to be pitted against reason. It is not as if those who have faith must have thrown out the mind. Strong and sure faith is inevitably based on good evidence. But at the same time, faith deals not only in what can be seen, but beyond that in those things which cannot simply be proven and repeated.

We take our beliefs very seriously. We want to do whatever we can to encourage people who share those beliefs. And we'd love to expose them for interaction with those who don't.

We are reformed anglican evangelical Christians

Sometimes labels can confuse or even mark as an unhelpful point of distinction. We think they are honest, and we like to be honest about who we are and what we are about.

Reformed means we find ourselves as a church in the Orthodox Protestant stream of the Christian faith. The slogans ('five solas') of the protestant reformation continue to be vital for Christian thinking proclaiming and living.

Anglican means we are that branch of the Protestant church that has its roots in the English Reformation. Anglican churches can be found around the world and are diverse in style, expression and mission. The three Fundamental Declarations of the 1961 Constitution of the Anglican Church of Australia outline our central commitments and identity.

1) The Anglican Church of Australia, being part of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ, holds the Christian Faith as professed by the Church from primitive times and in particular as set forth in the creeds known as the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed.

2) This Church receives all the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as being the ultimate rule and standard of faith given by the inspiration of God and containing all things necessary for salvation.

3) This Church will ever obey the commands of Christ, teach His doctrine, administer His sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, follow His discipline and preserve the three orders of bishops, priests and deacons in the sacred ministry.

As Anglicans we have recognisable organisational structures. Our Regional Bishop (North West) is Kate Prowd and our Archbishop is Dr. Philip Freier. For more info about the history, mission and vision of the Anglican Church in Melbourne, visit melbourneanglican.org.au

Evangelical means "of the gospel" and we are a church that seeks to make much of the gospel (the good news) that God saves through his Son. We believe that when people hear, understand and believe this good news, a person becomes a Christian and grows as a Christian. We therefore seek to make this good news open, clear and available in our ministries, and we share affinities with such Anglicans as those in the GAFCON movement.

Interested to find out more? Come and join us one Sunday, or contact us.