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Vision The Essential Values of the 3 Counties Church The 3 Counties Church is part of the Body of Christ Jesus in the
Three Counties area where Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire meet.
We believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ and we affirm the central
truths of the Christian faith as expressed in the Old and New Testaments
of the Bible. We believe that the Bible is the written Word of God and
we accept it's complete trustworthiness and supreme authority in all
matters of faith and conduct. As a church, our position may best be
described as being Evangelical Charismatic, believing in the importance
of doing everything for the glory of God. Here are some of the essential values that shape us at this time:
From the Bible, we understand that the Church is the primary agent
for the purposes of God on the earth. Unity in Diversity - We seek to have a wide open heart to all those who call themselves
Christians. We believe that the family of God is glorious in it's
diversity and much bigger than any one of our congregations or even the
whole Three Counties Church. We believe that God loves His whole church,
including those whose theologies, methods and opinions differ from
our own. He wants us to reach out to bless and be blessed by other Christians.
We seek to hold together two congregations as one church and reach
out and work with other churches in the area. We align ourselves with
the wider church and this is most clearly expressed through our links
with the Evangelical Alliance and the King's Church, Aldershot. Pastoral Care - We believe that the Body of Christ should be specifically cared for. We are called to share the love of God with one another. This love should be practical so we endeavour to exercise compassion to all who are in need, whilst at the same time teaching personal responsibility. As we find our acceptance, affirmation and healing through the Lord Jesus, we develop a secure basis to relate honestly with one another. Good relationships are grown in a soil of mutual respect, trust, accountability and commitment. Prayer - This is so vital that we never stop talking about it or cease from encouraging it. We believe that it is very important to have times of corporate prayer, but the culture in which we live makes it very difficult for every member of the church to come together on a regular basis. Therefore diversity is essential as we encourage everyone to be regularly praying. Anointing - In addition to our desire to be sound in theology, we also desire the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We seek to
be charismatic, believing that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit need pursuing and
seeking. We hunger for an even greater outpouring of the Spirit and live
with the tension of appreciating all we see yet yearning for more. Worship - We believe in giving God's love back to Him in worship which is the
vital core of our life. We experience nurture and life from our Father
as we worship Him. We express our worship both in our lifestyle and in
our praise and we encourage a freedom of expression in the way we do this. Balance - By balance we do not mean an innocuous blandness that seeks to please
everyone, but a desire to teach the whole Bible and to hold together paradoxes that at times would seek to tear us apart. We
acknowledge that there is great mystery in some of the ways of God. The Kingdom - Our desire is to see the Kingdom of God extended through the power of the risen Jesus, in the Three Counties area. We long to see the power of the Holy Spirit and His gifts at work in people, as the Father heals, saves and delivers. Many of our people are serving God in their places of work, family
and communities. It is our desire to recognise, honour, support and
strengthen those in these positions and to help them to see this as the
place where God has called them to be "salt and light". We aim to make
sure that church is not an added burden to these people, but a resource
and a blessing. Worldview - The Gospel is for all the nations, and we are committed to looking for ways to enthuse God's people toward mission. Our Worldview Prayer Meetings and Worldview Days are aimed at encouraging our members to be involved. It is our desire to keep the challenge of "going" constantly before the people. Evangelism - The Good News or Gospel is also to be shared locally. We encourage people to see that their "neighbours" are those people that they meet at any time and in any place. We are committed to sharing the good news of Jesus geographically and socially. We seek to do this by organised mission, personal testimony, love and service within the community. Discipleship - Jesus commissioned His followers to "make disciples" and we want to be obedient to this. We aim to grow in the disciplines of Christ, and then to cause others to see and accept those values. Personal study of the Bible, obedience, identifying gifts, training and mentoring are all essential in producing a motivated church with servant hearts which can serve the purposes of God in the future. The Next Generation - Children and young people are a gift from God and we are committed to them, not only seeing that the future is with them but also seeing that they are an important part of the church now. As we seek to pass on to them the essential heart of the Christian faith both in terms of doctrine and practical lifestyle, it is our desire to release and encourage them so that they may seek for themselves a personal and growing relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We aim to work with them in discovering the shape of the Church for the future and seek to equip them to live for God in their generation. We recognise that revival is a sovereign work of God and we desire and pray that He would move in a mighty way. Whilst we work hard for God as He builds His church and Kingdom we have an underlying ache to see an outpouring of the Spirit of God.
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