These are our core beliefs at WIC. They are foundational truths taught in the bible.  All of our teaching and ministry flows from these these biblical foundations. Read down for our core, lifestyle and ministry beliefs as well as our core values.

Our Core Beliefs

God

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.  He has eternally existed in three persons:  the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three are co-equal and are one God.  (Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God.  Jesus was born of a virgin and lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross.  He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death.  He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.  (Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; John 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13.)

Holy Spirit

He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ.  He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation.  The Christian seeks daily to live under His control. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.  He gives every believer gifts to be used in ministry to other Christians and to the world. The gifts of the Spirit are still valid and operational in the lives of believers, for the building up of the “church” (1Corinthians 12:4-11, 28-30) and demonstrating the power of the spoken Word (John 14:12; Mark 16:17).

The Bible

The Bible is God’s Word to all humans.  It is written by human authors, under supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.  Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error.  2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:10-160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5

Humanity

Humankind is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character.  He is the supreme object of God’s creation.  Although humans have tremendous potential for good, they are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”.  This attitude separates humankind from God.  (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2.)

Eternity

Humankind was created to exist forever.  After death, one will either exist eternally united with God in Heaven, or exist eternally separated from God in Hell.  The gift of eternal life is offered to all but  given only  to those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.  John 3:16; 2:25; 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 18:8; Matthew 25:44, 46

Salvation

Humankind was created to exist forever.  After death, one will either exist eternally Salvation is a gift from God to humankind.  Humans can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works.  Only by trusting Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can humans be saved from sin’s penalty.  Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:1; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6, John 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26.

Eternal Security

Because God gives people eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.  It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.  John 10:28-29; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5.

Lifestyle Beliefs

Beliefs are not worth much unless they are translated into actions. Based on what the Bible teaches, we uphold the following:

The Bible as our Sole authority

“The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:15

Since God’s Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, we accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced with a decision is “what does the Bible say?” We practice daily Bible reading, Bible study and Bible memorisation (Psalm 119:11). The Bible is the basis for our world view.

Priesthood of Every Believer

“Christ loves us, and by His death He has freed us from our sins and made us a kingdom of priests to serve God…” Revelation 1:6 (GN)

“You are…the King’s priests…God’s own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God.’ 1 Peter 2:9 (GN)

The Bible teaches that every Christian is called to “full time” Christian service, regardless of his or her vocation. We practice the truth that every believer is a minister by encouraging every member to find a place of service and ministry. Every believer has direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading.

Tithing or Giving

“Honour the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10

“A tithe of everything you produce belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Leviticus 26:30

“Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7.

baptism by Immersion

“For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ…” Colossians 2:12 (GN)

We practice baptism by immersion under water, the way Jesus was baptised, and the way the Bible commends.

spirit-led living

We believe the only way possible to live the Christian life is by God’s power within us. So we seek to practice a daily dependence on God’s Spirit to enable us to do what is right. Romans 8:12-14; Galatians 5:18-26; Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 5:18

telling others about christ

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15

Ministry Beliefs

The congregation is led by a Senior Pastor working in conjunction with the WIC leadership.

The WIC leadership (comprising the Pastoral team and the Elders) provides leadership for the church, seeking to fulfil the vision of the congregation as discerned by the WIC leadership. WIC is a congregation within Wesley Mission, a Parish Mission of the Uniting Church in Australia

We believe in mutual accountability and team ministry.

We are of the mind that maintaining mutual accountability is essential to healthy Biblical relationships. We seek to walk under accountability at all levels.

The Senior Pastor together with the Pastoral Team heads up the different ministries within the congregation. They are assisted by the Elders to execute the vision cast by the WIC leadership.

We believe in discipleship through ministry and life groups.

A church that is healthy and maturing in the Lord consists of members that are willing to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. This happens through nurturing and discipling within ministry and life groups. It is vital to the health of the congregation that we invest in the next generation.

We intentionally seek to mentor the next generation through discipleship where the youth draws from the wisdom of the elderly and the elderly benefit from the energy of the youth. We also value one-on-one discipleship that believers might grow in their faith and worship. Read about our lifegroups

We believe in putting people before programs and projects.

Through the ministry of Jesus Christ on earth, God demonstrates his concern for people. Similarly, it is our godly concern that we placed people over and above any programs and projects in our decision making process.

We believe in the “priesthood of all believers”.

While we uphold every member of our congregation as a minister, we also recognized that the “priesthood of all believers” is singular in that Christ vested his authority in his church. It is vital that believers are members of a local congregation or assembly of believers. God deposited the gifts of the Spirit to the church so that each member may use their gifting for the edification and building up of the church.

We believe that God calls his people into various vocations.

We believe that God calls people into various vocations (business men, doctors, lawyers, nurses, tradespeople, etc.) in order to extend His Kingdom and serve His people in the world.

We believe in the extension of God’s Kingdom through multiplication of ministries and services.

It is our intention to grow our congregation through multiplication of life groups, ministries and services both locally and abroad. This reflects the call of Jesus in the Great Commission – “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19, 20).

The injunction here is to “make disciples of all nations,” not just church members. The mandate is quite far reaching. The role of the church in any locality is to make an impact in the community to which we are a part of. We reveal God’s heartbeat in the places to which we are called. We see this exemplified in the life and ministry of Daniel and Joseph.

We seek to be a Kingdom minded people and intentionally seek to partner not just with other churches but also businesses, community groups and the Government etc. in furthering the interest of God in His world.

Core values – These shape us and how we do what we do.

Intergenerational – We encourage people to build social and spiritual bridges across generations to foster authentic relationships as a united community.

Prayer/Spirit-led – We believe in the power of prayer, seeking God and encouraging one another through prayer. Being led by the Holy Spirit in life and ministry.

Proclaiming the gospel – We are passionate about proclaiming the gospel locally and globally.

Small Groups – Gathering in small groups is vital to discipleship (Including Life Groups).

Nurturing faith in children and youth – Growing in a genuine relationship with Jesus.

Word-based – The Bible is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, that every believer may be complete, equipped for every good work.