City Church Unite€¦ · Statement of Faith We confess and believe the great truths and abiding...

StatementofFaith

WeconfessandbelievethegreattruthsandabidingfundamentalsoftheChristianfaith.ThiscommitmentisexpressedthroughouralignmentwiththehistoriccreedsoftheChurch,thetwoprimaryexamplesbeingtheApostlesCreedandtheNiceneCreed.Weembraceahumbleorthodoxyinpartnershipwithothersoflikefaith.Ourcorebeliefsareimpliedordeclaredinthesehistoriccreedsandmaybesummarizedbythefollowingstatements:

• WebelievethatthereisoneGod,eternallyexistentinthreepersons:

Father,SonandHolySpirit.

• WebelieveinthedeityofourLordJesusChrist,inHisvirginbirth,inHis

sinlesslife,inHismiracles,inHisvicariousandatoningdeaththroughHis

shedblood,inHisbodilyresurrection,inHisascensiontotherighthand

oftheFather,andinHispersonalreturninpowerandglory.

• WebelieveinthesalvationoflostandsinfulpeoplebyfaithaloneinChrist

alone,andthatregenerationbytheHolySpiritisabsolutelyessential.

• WebelieveinthepresentministryoftheHolySpiritbywhoseindwelling

theChristianisenabledtoliveagodlylife.

• Webelieveintheresurrectionofboththesavedandthelost;theythat

aresaveduntotheresurrectionoflifeandtheythatarelostuntothe

resurrectionofcondemnation.

• WebelieveinthespiritualunityofbelieversinourLordJesusChrist.

• Webelieveintheinspiration,authority,andinerrancyoftheScripture.

City Church Unite

TheApostles’CreedThoughnotwrittenbytheapostles,theApostle’sCreedistheoldestcreedoftheChristianchurchandisthebasisforothersthatfollowed.

Initsoldestform,theApostles’Creedgoesbacktoatleast140A.D.Manyoftheearlychurchleaderssummeduptheirbeliefsastheyhadanopportunitytostandfortheirfaith—see,forexample,1Timothy6:12.Thesestatementsdevelopedintoamorestandardformtoexpressone’sconfessionoffaithatthetimeofbaptism.ItisnotScripture,butitisasimplelistofthegreatdoctrinesofthefaith.

Theword“catholic”refersto“thechurchuniversal”andwasthewordusedintheoriginalversionoftheCreed.ItdoesnotrefertotheRomanCatholicChurch,butratherthechurch,thebodyofChrist,asauniversalfellowship.Thephrase,“Hedescendedintohell,”(indicatedby“--“wasnotpartofthecreedforthefirstsixcenturiesandthereforeisnotincludedhere:

IbelieveinGodtheFatherAlmighty,Makerofheavenandearth,AndinJesusChristhisonlySonourLord,WhowasconceivedbytheHolyGhost,BornoftheVirginMary,SufferedunderPontiusPilate,Wascrucified,dead,andburied.--ThethirddayHeroseagainfromthedead;Heascendedintoheaven,AndsittethontherighthandofGodtheFatherAlmighty;Fromthenceheshallcometojudgethequickandthedead.IbelieveintheHolyGhost;TheHolycatholicChurch,theCommunionofSaints;TheForgivenessofsins;TheResurrectionofthebody,AndtheLifeeverlasting.Amen.

TheNiceneCreedThiscreedwasformulatedin381ADatthecouncilofConstantinople.TheCouncilatNicaeawasheldin325AD,whichgavetheoriginalformofthiscreed.Thecouncilin381ADfurtherdevelopedthatcreedintowhatistodaypopularlycalledtheNiceneCreed.1

IbelieveinoneGod,theFatherAlmighty,makerofheavenandearth,andofallthingsvisibleandinvisible;AndinoneLordJesusChrist,theonly-begottenSonofGod,begottenoftheFatherbeforeallworlds,GodofGod,LightfromLight,veryGodofveryGod,begotten,notmade,beingofonesubstancetheFather;bywhomallthingsweremade;Who,forusmenandforoursalvation,camedownfromheaven,andwasincarnatebytheHolySpiritoftheVirginMary,andwasmademan;andwascrucifiedalsoforusunderPontiusPilate;hesufferedandwasburied;andthethirddayheroseagain,accordingtotheScriptures;andascendedintoheaven,andsittethontherighthandoftheFather;andheshallcomeagain,withglory,tojudgeboththequickandthedead;whoseKingdomshallhavenoend.AndintheHolySpirit,theLordandGiveroflife;whoproceedethfromtheFatherandtheSon;whowiththeFatherandtheSontogetherisworshipedandglorified;whospakebytheProphets.AndoneholyCatholicandApostolicChurch.Iacknowledgeonebaptismfortheremissionofsins;andIlookfortheresurrectionofthedead,andthelifeoftheworldtocome.Amen.”2

1WayneGrudem,SystematicTheology,(GrandRapids:Zondervan,2000),page1169.2ibid.

AdditionalResources:

TheLausanneCovenantInJuly1974,over2,400participantsfrom150nationsgatheredinLausanne,Switzerland,forthefirstInternationalCongressonWorldEvangelization.Theresulting,LausanneCovenant,draftedbyaninternationalcommitteechairedbyJohnStott,definedthenecessityandgoalsofevangelism.TheCovenantcametoberegardedasoneofthemostsignificantdocumentsinmodernchurchhistory;itwouldbringtogetherevangelicalsfromdiversebackgroundsformissionalpartnershipandshapemuchoftheirendeavorsfortherestofthecentury.ToviewtheLausanneCovenantonlinegotohttps://www.lausanne.org/content/covenant/lausanne-covenant

Uniting the church to transform the city

Prayer Leadership Network

Strategic Resources

Ministry Initiatives

Four Areas of City-Church Engagement

Four City-Church Transformation Strategies

Spiritual Awakening

Leadership Collaboration

Social Blessing

Sustained Transformation

Four City-Wide Outcomes

Specific areas of potential Non-profit Ministry Initiative and Collaboration include: Hospitality, Near Neighbor, Sex Trafficking, Mental Illness, Addiction, Foster Families, Single Mothers, Homelessness.

City Leadership

Media

Marketplace

Non Profits

City Church Unite

The Church of the City

Specific areas of potential Marketplace Initiative and Collaboration include: Business Mentoring, Servant Leadership Training, Integrating Faith and Vocation Workshops.

Specific areas of potential City Leadership Initiative and Collaboration include: Relationship Development, Prayer Ministry, City Needs Assessment, Crisis Care.

Relationships Intercession Tools Collaborative Action

CCU Board Meeting – February 3, 2018