About RCRC

• Theme Verse
• Vision
• Values
• Our Beliefs
• What we believe

Theme Verse

1 Peter 2:9-12 reminds us of the purposes of the Church:

• “Chosen and saved”: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God – God has made us his people through his Son.
• “Worship”: that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. God’s grace is purposeful – we are called to worship him in all things.
• “Witness”: Live such good lives … that they may see your good deeds and glorify God. God wants his Gospel to be seen, heard and believed by the lost.

Vision

More specifically:

• Have worship services which honour God and which faithfully and effectively present God’s Word.
• Have effective leadership which equips people for their service and leads them toward maturity in Christ.
• Demonstrate devotion to prayer in all aspects of church life
• Have small groups as context for pastoral care, support, nourishment and prayer.
• Own pastoral care as the work of the body, and stimulate all people to be fully developing disciples.
• Have effective youth and children’s programs which nurture toward faith and maturity.
• Hold outreach as a primary calling and minister accordingly
• Stimulate compassionate response to local, national and international needs.
• Require best use of people’s gifts and church resources, through faithful and intentional stewardship of our financial resources.

Values

Various aspects of church life change from time to time: differentopportunities arise, certain weaknesses may either develop or beovercome. The values that drive the church and shape itsexpression, however, will rarely change. These values are neither tobe contrasted with our statements of faith or seen as reinterpretingthem. Instead, they are the way we give practical expression to whatwe believe. They flow out of our beliefs and they filter all we seek todo.

R E D L A N D S

Radical Gospel Focus

The good news about Jesus’ death is God’s means to transforminghuman lives, their society and their world. This message has beenentrusted to the church. As good stewards we must communicatethis good news passionately and effectively. Everything we do,every attitude we hold, every goal we aspire to must contribute tothis grand endeavour (Rom 1:16-17; see 1 Cor 9:7-27).

Enthusiastic Service

We value service in the likeness of Christ who came not to beserved, but to serve. We value the humility and grace which seespeople gladly discover, develop and deploy their gifts for the good ofChrist’s body. We strive for excellence in everything we offer inservice to God and others (Matt 20:26-28; Rom 12:5-8; 9-21; 1 Cor12:4-11; Mal 1:6-14).

We value a heartfelt, generous, and compassionate response tolocal, national and international needs (Gal 6:9-10).

Determined Witness

Lost people matter to God. Consequently, we are God’s co-workersin bringing people from darkness to light in the Gospel (Luke 5:30-32; Luke 15; Matt 18:14; 1 Tim 2:3-4; 1 Cor 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1; Matt28:16-20; Acts 1:8).

This witness involves presenting clearly the Gospel of Jesus Christin all we do (1 Cor 9:12, 16, 22). It involves doing this in a way thatthe people around us can best understand (1 Cor 9:19-23).

Love & Unity

We embody love which looks to the interests of others. This is thedistinguishing mark of the Christian. It characterises the ministry ofJesus Christ our Saviour. Love will permeate every aspect of ourchurch life (Phil 2:4; John 13:33-35; 1 John 3:11; 1 John 4:7-12).

We embody love which strives for unity and peace in the body ofChrist. We prize that which builds the body and builds it up (Eph4:1-3; 1 Cor 12:7, 31; 1 Cor 14:12).

Authenticity

We value Christian life and expression which has both integrity tothe Gospel and integrity in the lives of those who believe in JesusChrist. The Gospel brings real hope to real people in a real world(James 2:1-26; Matt 6:1-24).

Nurturing Growth

We want to see the growth of the Body, Jesus’ new community, so itmore and more reflects God’s will for the church. At every level ofchurch life we seek to build the body so it increasingly reflectsGod’s will for his Church (Eph 5:25-32).

We value each and every member’s growth in faith and devotion toJesus their Saviour. It is normal for a believer to seek continuousspiritual growth (Eph 4:17 – 5:2; Gal 5:22-23), and to move towardmaturity in Christ.

It is normal for the body of Christ to grow in number as more peoplecome to believe in Jesus Christ (Col 4:2-6; Matt 28:19-20; Luke 15)

Dynamic Leadership

We value effective, excellent and faithful leadership as the Godhonouring mechanism for growth in believers and the church ingeneral (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Pet 5:1-4).Thisleadership will be modelled on Jesus’ servanthood (Matt 20:20-28).Christ-like submission is the means to responsible relationships inchurch, family and individuals contexts (Eph 5: 21 – 6:9; Col 3:12 –4:1)

Seeker Sensitivity

We value communication in public worship meetings thatcommunicates Gospel realities and the eternal truths of God’s Wordin language and forms readily understood by the world around us (1Cor 9:12b-27). We do this so the Gospel can be clearly andeffectively heard.

Our Beliefs

Our beliefs are outlined in the statements of faith our churchsubscribes to:

• The Heidelberg Catechism
• The Belgic Confession
• The Canons of Dort
• The Apostles’ Creed
• The Nicene Creed
• The Athanasian Creed

It is not really necessary for us to add to these documents, as theyadequately summarise what we believe. For those who seek a briefindication of the major teachings of these statements of faith, werefer to “What We Believe” (below).

What we Believe

In a world where so many things are changing we really need toknow what the Bible says. At Redlands CRC our statements of faithprovide detailed explanation of our views (these are available onrequest). This brochure is offered as a brief summary of our views inten key areas. We hope it’s helpful. If you want further clarificationwe’re more than happy to discuss these things with you.

Father, Son & Holy Spirit

The Bible tells us that God is three-in-one, or “trinity”. Father, Sonand Holy Spirit are individually both God and Lord. They are coequaland co-eternal with each other. They can neither be blendednor divided. Each is fully God in their own being and essence. Ashumans, we cannot possibly comprehend the profound mystery ofthe Trinity, but because that’s what the Bible clearly says, wehumbly accept it. This is the eternal God who has planned therescue of his universe from before the dawn of time. All Christianchurches accept and uphold this teaching from the Bible.

Jesus Christ

We believe Jesus is true man and true God. He is the eternalsecond person of the trinity, without beginning or end. He took onthe human nature, and was born in Bethlehem around 5 BC. TheNew Testament tells us that Jesus died by crucifixion around 33 AD,that he rose again on the third day, and returned to his father fortydays later.

His mission was to absorb the sin of hispeople, and pay its full penalty. Because hewas true God he was able to withstand the fullweight of God’s anger: He is the ultimatesacrifice. Because he is true man he is ourperfect representative: He is able to give usultimate, everlasting life, and bring us backinto relationship with God. His victory over sinand death means he is the most powerful person in the universe. Assuch he has both the right and the desire to rule all people and theuniverse.

People

When God created our universe it was “very good”. Humanrebellion, however, has brought sin, failing, frustration, pain anddespair to our world. The pollution of this fallenness has penetratedevery aspect of humanity and our world. Human will, behaviour andthought have all been affected. The ugly consequence is that allpeople now live in rebellion against God – whether they realise it ornot (all have sinned). Without God’s intervention, they have neitherdesire nor ability to worship him or honour him, and are headed foreternal separation from him.

God Initiates Rescue

God is a gracious creator. While human sin grieves God greatly, heis not prepared to leave people in their rebellion – lost peoplematter to Him. The Bible tells us that God has always planned therescue of human beings and their universe. From the verybeginning, the Old Testament reveals God’s promises to send arescuer, or messiah. The New Testament tells us this rescuer isJesus Christ.

God’s ability to save and rescue people out of their rebellion isabsolute and limitless. Even though human rebellion has pollutedevery aspect of who we are, God’s gracious initiative will always win.He acts in human lives, opening the heart, mind and soul. His HolySpirit enables us to hear his word, see our realcondition, and turn to him in faith. God’s planto choose and rescue people is so powerfulthat nothing can frustrate it, break it, ordissolve it. As a result, anyone who trusts inthe rescue Jesus has won on the Cross, andwho acknowledges Jesus as leader andmaster of their lives, can be confident thattheir forgiveness and eternal life isguaranteed. There’s simply no way God wouldhave sent his dear Son to rescue people unless his plan to rescuehis people was assured of victory.

This forgiveness and eternal life is our saving God’s gift: it comes bygrace. We cannot earn it by our attempts to live a good life. Eventhose things we would identify as being most noble and selfless arestill polluted with our rebellion and failing. So they can never bringus into relationship with God. The only way to enter this relationshipis by trusting in Jesus’ rescue, and asking him to rule our lives.

The Bible

God’s word is the basis of our confidence. The Bible is trustworthyand authoritative. God used many different people to write all thevarious books, but the Holy Spirit remains the primary author. Heworked in the lives of these people, used their varied personalities,perspectives and life contexts and yet kept them from error as theywrote what he moved them to say. As a result, when we open theWord we can be confident that God speaks through it, as clearlyand authoritatively as ever.

This is why preaching, teaching and sharing the Word takes centralplace in the life of our church and its ministries. Like a lamp to adark path, the Bible gives us all we need to understand God and hisplan of rescue in Jesus Christ, as well as telling us how to live forGod in his world.

The Church

Even though the word “church” is often used for a building, theScriptures show that the church is people - God’s people. It’ssignificant that while God’s rescue impacts individuals, he does notwant them to be isolated and alone. He draws them into theChurch, the family of Jesus Christ. His intention is for them to be anew community, expressing God’s original intention for humanrelationships. The church is to be marked by love. This will beexpressed in worship of God, a desire to see people come to trusthim, and a commitment to nurture Christians in their faith. Thesethree elements are central to our mission here in Redlands.

When the church is all it’s called to be, there is no better place, nobetter family or community on earth. Churches that live out God’sgreat command (to love him with all their being and to love otherpeople as themselves), and who shoulder God’s great commission(to make disciples of all nations) will shine the wonderful light ofGod’s kingdom into the darkness of human hearts and their world.

God’s people – his church - are called to worship and honour him inall of life – not just on Sundays. God wants our lives to match ourwords. The Bible talks about God’s people being both salt and light.They are called to add goodness to the world by developing it in away that honours him. They are called to workagainst the spread of evil and unbelief. Theyare called to make the good news of hisrescuing work in Jesus known to all.

We are happy to express our unity andsolidarity with all Christians and otherchurches. The best way for this to come toexpression is in shared commitment and understanding of theGospel. The love Christians have for one another is a powerfulwitness to a watching world.

Worship

While the word “worship” gets us thinking about what happens onSunday, God’s word reminds us that worship is really an “all of life”response to God’s goodness and grace (Rom 12:1-2). We are calledto show our faith and honour Jesus Christ in every aspect of life (eg.Col 3:17 – 4:1). “Worship” is everything we do to show our thanksfor all God has freely done for us and given us in his Son, JesusChrist. The way we do our work, how we conduct our finances, howwe spend our time, in addition to how we honour God at church –all of it is worship.

In terms of Sunday worship meetings, we have an enduringcommitment to keeping the word of God central in all we do. Westart with the word. We finish with the word. The preaching of theword is really the focal point of our services. We do this becauseGod speaks to us and leads us through his Word. Our church vision,our shared expectations, the manner and style of our Sundaycelebrations are built on foundations drawn from God’s word.

When people come together to worship God they are there to reflecthis glory back to him. He is the focus, not people, nor their needs.Labels like “traditional” and “progressive” are immaterial when theGospel is the focus of all we do. So we are called to yield ourindividual views, preferences and expectations to the Gospel, and tokeep God and his grace the central reality. We are firm in the beliefthat doing this will result in greater unity in the Body of Christ, and amore determined commitment to realise our mission in the Redlands region.

The Holy Spirit

When Jesus returned to his Father he sent His Holy Spirit ascomforter and counsellor (John 14). The Holy Spirit lives in all whobelieve without exception. His task is tocontinue Jesus’ work of transforming the livesof believers, to open their minds to the truth ofthe Word, and to be God’s presence as he livesin them.

The Holy Spirit freely distributes gifts to all whobelong to the Church, Christ’s body. These giftsdiffer from person to person, and are to beused to build others up, to spread the Gospel,to address people’s needs, and to develop God’s world inaccordance with His design (1 Cor 12). Only when God’s people usetheir gifts fruitfully will the church increasingly move toward matureexpression of what God designed it to be (Eph 4). Accordingly, it isevery believer’s responsibility to discover their gifts, develop them,and use them to honour the Lord and build the church. Redlands CRC runs several programs to assist people in this.

The best indicator of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of abeliever is commitment to the Spirit-revealed Gospel and thepresence of all the Spirit’s fruit in their lives (Gal 5:22-26).

Baptism

In Baptism God promises to be the God of his people and the Godof their descendants (Acts 2:37-41. The water used in baptismpoints to the reality of the cleansing work Jesus has done on theCross. It also assures us that Jesus’ death is effective in bringingfull forgiveness for all our sin. Some have referred to Baptism as a‘sign which points’, and a ‘seal which verifies’. The Bible makes itclear that children are part of God’s covenant community. Inbaptism they are rightly identified with that community (eg. Acts16:13-15; 33-34; 1 Cor 1:16). A child’sbaptism does not imply a child has faith, orthat their parent’s faith is somehow passed tothem, nor does it guarantee they will have faithat some later date. Baptism guarantees thepromise of God to be their Lord and Saviour.As such, baptism draws children toward a faithresponse where they accept and own thepromises God has made to them.

When adults are baptised, the message is thesame. They are assured of God’s promise oflove and forgiveness, and drawn towarddeeper commitment. There’s hardly a betterreason for celebration in the church than tosee these promises so clearly displayed, andbetter still, accepted. Our typical method of baptism is sprinklingand pouring, but the mode is not important. What is important iswhat baptism signifies: the certainty of God’s promise offorgiveness and cleansing in Jesus Christ.

Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is the church’s meal of unity in the death andresurrection of Jesus Christ. Like baptism, the Supper points usstraight to the certainty of the promises of God, and the truth ofwhat he has done for us in Jesus Christ (1 Cor 11:23-26). As truly aswe see bread broken and wine poured, so truly did Jesus Christabsorb all the anger and wrath of God for our sin and rebellion. Thismakes the Supper a celebration of forgiveness, and a means ofstrength for following Jesus.

The Supper is only open to those who have a living relationship withJesus Christ (1 Cor 11:27-29), and who place their total confidencein him. Jesus always welcomes to the fellowship of his table allthose who are sincerely sorry for their sins and who renew theirpromise to live a godly life.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the two sacraments that Jesushas commanded in his Word.

The Future

The same Jesus who returned to the Father almost 2000 years agowill come again. At that time the whole universe will be purged of allfallenness, rebellion, sin and evil. The Triune God will beacknowledged by all creation as True King and Ruler of all. Theuniverse will be restored to perfection, and our Father will wipeevery tear from our eyes. Gone will be mourning, crying and pain.God’s justice will ensure that all wrongs will be made right. Thiswonderfully recreated universe, and every creature in it, will onlyhonour God all the time. This is the life, the relationship, thecommunity, the justice, the peace, the world we all deeply long for.It is already guaranteed because Jesus Christ has risen from thedead. Those who honour Jesus today are assured that his grace willmake them part of his new universe.

Until Jesus returns, our calling as God’s people is to show God’strue design for life, even in our fallen world and as best we knowhow. Until he returns, and in His grace and power, we areincreasingly to come under his Lordship, to seek a strong, healthyand vibrant church, and to work for the overthrow of every work ofthe evil one.