Our Mission
Hertford Street Baptist Church exists for the purposes of Proclaiming Christ and Making Disciples.
Our mission has two parts.
Proclaiming Christ
We believe that God has given us a message of good news to proclaim that centres on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.Â
We are all sinners facing eternal death with no hope in ourselves. But God, being rich in mercy, sent His son Jesus to die in our place for our sins, and rose from the grave to pronounce victory over death. Those who trust in Jesus have had their sins paid for and look forward to new life forever with God. This is the message of good news that saves sinners from death to life. This is also the message that sanctifies believers as they continue to live for Jesus.
We as a church proclaim this good news. We are heralds, announcers, declarers and sharers. We have been commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ to declare His Gospel to the ends of the earth. This means that all we do as a church is shaped by the proclamation of the good news that saves sinners and sanctifies believers into spiritual maturity. Â
We are a church that exists to declare the good news of salvation in Jesus: Proclaiming Christ.
Making Disciples
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has commissioned us to make disciples of Himself.
A disciple of Jesus is a person who follows Jesus in such a way that he or she is learning, growing and becoming more like Jesus in all aspects of life. A mature disciple of Jesus lives for Jesus in all of life by loving God, loving others, living God’s ways, and discipling others through sharing the good news of life in Jesus to those around them.
We want to be part of God’s work in making disciples by seeing people coming to Christ (salvation) and growing in Christ-like maturity (sanctification). We believe that God wants us to make disciples of all nations — that is, from our neighbours to the ends of the earth, including those from every tribe and language.
We are a church that exists to see people come to Jesus and grow in Him: Making Disciples.
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Our Values
Our values emphasize what we uphold at Hertford Street Baptist Church. We are:
1. Gospel Centred
We value the authority of scripture as the Word of God. In particular, we hold to the scripture‘s way of outlining God’s story of salvation, centering on the good news of Jesus Christ, His sacrificial death for our sin on our behalf, His victorious resurrection signalling the defeat of death, and the opening of the way to new life in Jesus. Those who trust in Jesus have a certain hope of a bodily resurrection on the last day and new life for eternity.
2. A Fellowship of BelieversÂ
We value the corporate fellowship of believers as a diverse group of people who are united in the saving work of Jesus. We accept and love every believer that God brings into our fellowship, no matter what cultural, socio-economic, generational or other background. Every believer is valued as a part of the corporate fellowship of God’s people here. Every believer serves for the common good of the fellowship and the glory of God.
3. Ambassadors of God’s Love
We value the Lord Jesus Christ’s call on our lives to be ambassadors or representatives of God’s love for us. We believe that as recipients of God’s love, we are to reflect God’s love, mercy and generosity as we relate to the world around us. This is part of the Great Command to love God and love others. God calls us to love, show mercy and be generous to everyone He places in our lives.
4. Mission Driven
We value the mission the Lord Jesus Christ has given to the church to proclaim Christ and make disciples of all nations. We are serious about obeying Jesus in the great commission and understand that we have to be intentional and focused on working with God in making disciples of all nations. We want to be driven as a church to see people saved into a relationship with Jesus and grow in Him.
5. Prayer Dependent
We value prayer and God’s people humbly coming before God. We have the great privilege to relate with God because of the interceding work of Christ Jesus. We understand that it is God’s world and God’s church, and we are mere instruments in God’s work in this world. God is the sovereign ruler of the universe and not us. Because of this, we depend on Him and seek His face, casting our plans and work to Him, knowing that He listens and answers prayers, and loves to work for our good and His glory.
Our Vision
We believe that God is calling Hertford Street Baptist Church toward this vision:
By God’s grace, for God’s glory alone and as we proclaim Christ and make disciples…
HSBC will be a church on mission, that is maturing disciples and mobilised to multiply.
There are 3 parts to this vision:
1. A Church on Mission
A church aligning with the mission the Lord Jesus has given His people: to make disicples and be His witnesses.
2. A Church Maturing Disciples
A church where the Word of God is actively at work in growing disciples as they conform into the image of Christ.
3. A Church Mobilised to Multiply
A church with a kingdom-oriented focus that is ready, available and intentionally thinking about multiplication.
We pray that God would help us to fulfil this vision as we seek to align with His work for His glory alone.