STRATHCONA BAPTIST CHURCH
A Framework for our Vision
Our Mission
Our mission describes what we are all about. It is the reason Strathcona Baptist Church exists, and answers the question: What are we doing?
We are a people of invitation on the journey from brokenness to wholeness in Jesus
Our Values
Our values describe what motivates us to do the things we do. They are the reason that we engage in the mission God has given us, and answer the question: Why are we doing this?
The Real Me: Authenticity
We value being honest about who we are, where we are at in our journey, and how we are doing. We value being able to speak the truth in love to one another, and being able to hear the truth spoken in love.
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Our Authenticity is demonstrated when we extend love, mercy, and grace as we speak the truth to one another.
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The Holy Spirit: Expectancy
We expect that the Holy Spirit is at work in people's lives: speaking, leading, healing and forgiving. We have patience for the work that He wants to do, and that He, alone, is able to do in each other and in ourselves.
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Our Expectancy is demonstrated when we pray: we ask, we listen, we follow and we receive from God.
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The Poor: Love
We recognize that poverty takes many forms, and that we all experience poverty at various times and in various ways: in spirit, in finances, in physical and mental health, in relationships, in emotional strength... We also recognize that God has a deep love and compassion for the poor, and calls us to minister with and meet the needs of those in poverty as he enables us.
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Our Love is demonstrated when we accept people as they are, pray for and support people in the unique ways they need, and recognize that it is the Holy Spirit alone who changes us.
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Old Strathcona & Beyond: Service
We believe that God has intentionally placed us in this geographic community as one expression of his Kingdom. We love Old Strathcona and the people who live, worship, play and work here, and we desire to be Jesus' hands and feet to our neighbours.
We also believe that the Kingdom of God requires us to look beyond ourselves and our immediate neighbourhood to see and serve the world that God loves.
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Our Service is demonstrated when we are actively involved in the life of the community, and advocate and work for justice, mercy and compassion on behalf of all of our neighbours.
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One Another: Celebrating and Equipping
We believe that Jesus is building his church with people of diverse languages, cultures, backgrounds, personalities, interests, and spiritual gifts.
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Our Celebration of one another is demonstrated when we express our thankfulness for and delight in the uniqueness of what each person brings to the community.
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Our Equipping is demonstrated when we develop our God-given gifts and passions, learn from our mistakes rather than fear them, and pray for, encourage, and train one another.
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Our pathway
Our pathway describe the things we do in community to be on our mission together. This is the way that we develop disciples, and answers the question: How do we do this?
Connecting Intentionally in meaningful community
Our mission depends on each of us being in meaningful community with others. We need to be a church community in which everyone is known deeply by someone else; a community where no one feels like they are journeying alone.​
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Serving Uniquely from spiritual giftedness
Everyone who is a part of the Body of Christ is gifted by the Holy Spirit. We grow best in our walk with Jesus​, and the Body functions best in its mission in this world, when we are using our gifts to serve others.
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Growing Spiritually in relationship with Jesus
Our journey from brokenness to wholeness happens as we deepen our relationship with Jesus. Our capacity to love others grows directly in relationship with the strength of our love for Jesus.​
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Engaging Compassionately with others on their journey
Not only are we on the journey from brokenness to wholeness in Jesus, we are inviting others to be on that same journey. For all of us, that journey only begins as we are invited to follow Jesus; for most of us, that invitation needs to come more than once... And once we start the journey, our great privilege is to invite others to Jesus! It is not our task to change or heal anyone; it is our privilege to walk with them as Jesus brings healing and wholeness in their lives.
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Our Life Marks
Our Life Marks are the ways we evaluate how we are doing. These are not a "finished work" in us, but are the marks of growth as the Holy Spirit works in us, individually and corporately. They answer the question: How do we know we are "on mission"?
Compassion for Others
I am growing in my compassion for people, in their brokenness, who are on their own journey to wholeness; my life is marked by a growing sense of patience, mercy and empathy.
We are a community that will be known for our compassion for people: regardless of whether they consider themselves part of our community or not.
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Growing in my Experience of Spiritual Freedom
I experience increasing freedom from the pain and hurt my brokenness causes in my life and in the lives of the people around me. I experience more freedom from the sin that "so easily entangles" as I grow in obedience to Jesus.
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We will be known as a community where people are set free from their brokenness and sin, by Jesus.
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Authenticity in Relationships
My relationships with others are marked by honesty, transparency and patience.
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We will be a community that speaks the truth in love to one another; we will be known for engaging in and resolving conflict well, for making room for our differences, and for "keeping the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
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Active Service
I am actively involved in the Kingdom of God, seeking opportunities to use my Spiritual gifts to meet the needs of others. I am learning to use the Spiritual Gifts I have received more effectively as I serve and grow.
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We will be a community that is known for looking beyond ourselves as we act to meet the needs of those around us.
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Generosity
I recognize that everything I have has been entrusted to me by God—my time, my finances, my possessions and my abilities—so I live with an attitude of open-handed generosity towards others.
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We will be a community that is known for being generous with our resources as we encounter the needs of those to whom God call us.
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