Challenge Community Church

PRACTICES AND DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

(These we hold to be essential for those committing to membership at Challenge, though not fundamental to personal Christian faith)

 

• Challenge Community Church is an independent local church.
• The church is led by a group of men recognised by the congregation and comonly known as elders or Pastors.
• We recognise other local churches and are happy to have fellowship with them.
• We welcome into Membership all who:
• have received Jesus as their Saviour and Lord;
• are seeking to live a life worthy of Christ;
• accept these shared beliefs and practices;
• and wish to be fully involved in the mission of this local church.
• We practise baptism of believers by immersion, in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We understand this to be a God-given mark of Christian discipleship, and we encourage all involved with this local church to obey the Lord in this way.
• We regularly share communion as a church. This is observed in a simple manner and in a variety of settings each month. ALL who are committed to our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ are welcome to participate in this special time of remembrance, communion and worship.
• We recognise the ‘priesthood of all believers’. Furthermore, the Lord gives gifts to His church, and each member is encouraged to use their gifts to advance God’s kingdom in and through this church, as well as in the wider community.
• A variety of ministries are active in the life of the church, and everyone is encouraged to become a contributing member in a ministry team. Each team is led by a person who feels called and equipped for the role and who is recognised and appointed by the Elders.
• We believe that men and women are equally precious to God. As the Scriptures indicate, however, they have God given roles, in society and in church life, that are in some respects different – but always complementary.
• We believe that at the moment of ‘new birth’, each person receives the Holy Spirit – ‘baptised in one Spirit into one body’ – 1 Corinthians 12:12. Each Christian is, moreover, commanded to be filled with the Spirit as an ongoing experience in daily life.