OUR TWO RIVER BANKS
We have set for ourselves two main objectives as a church, we call them our “Riverbanks.”
Riverbanks help direct a flow of water to its end destination and, more importantly, ensure that the river does not become stagnant or worse a swamp.
To Know Jesus
Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV)
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
This translates to how we relate to each other, and all that we do in our local church, from Sunday corporate gatherings to prayer meetings and J Kidz or any of our leadership training and equipping courses. We want to know Jesus Christ in an ever deeper, ever growing way!
To Make Him Known
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Making Christ known guides all that we do in our community and around the world. It’s about how we relate to each other, our families, our neighborhood, city, region, and nation.
It’s about multiplying across Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Queens and even the world. Our strategy is about ‘going’, not ‘attracting’. We want to be a healthy local church that is active in our community for Christ. We want to stay mobile, flexible and relational.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
Because we all come from many different backgrounds and cultures and our share of experiences, you might want to discuss the following with one of our elders for further clarity. We encourage questions, so ask away!
We establish all of our doctrine explicitly and exclusively from the Bible. We regard the following doctrines as essential, though there are many non-essential doctrines on which we have a perspective (also derived from Biblical conviction). Non-essential doctrines are important but not crucial to a believer’s walk with God. Therefore, we will not allow non-essential doctrines to take priority over those doctrines we see as explicit and essential.
During the 16th century, some 500 years ago, Jesus intervened in the life of the church. The church had moved away from truth and needed correction. Jesus brought that correction in the form of the Reformation.
During the Reformation, there were five areas of emphasis that emerged with great significance. It is from these same five Latin phrases that we get our foundational statement of faith.
SOLA SCRIPTURA
The Bible alone is the sole authority for all matters of faith and practice. Scripture and Scripture alone is the standard by which all teachings and traditions of the church must be measured.
SOLA GRATIA
Through grace alone are we saved. Salvation is proof of God’s undeserved favor; we are rescued from God’s wrath by His grace alone, not by any work we do. God loves us just the way we are, not as we should be!
SOLA FIDE
By faith alone do we receive God’s salvation and all of God’s promises. We have faith in Jesus, believing that He is God’s son, who died for our sins. We are declared righteous by God (justified) on the basis of our faith alone and not by works.
SOLA CHRISTUS
Jesus is the Lord and Savior of the church. No one and nothing else can save. Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross is sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to God the Father.
SOLA DEO GLORIA
To God alone is praise and glory due. Salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God for His glory alone. As Christians, we must magnify Him always and live our lives in His presence, under His authority, and for His glory.
What we Believe
We invite you to explore our beliefs and join us in our pursuit of living out our faith in boldness and passion.
The Trinity
There is one God, the Creator of all things, who is eternally self-existent – one God but in three persons. This doctrine is a mystery but is nevertheless true. We believe in God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity has different functions. Each shares every divine attribute and is equal in power and authority.
God the Father
God the Father is holy and perfect. He is all-powerful, always good, always faithful and ever reaching out to us with the good news of His grace through His Son Jesus Christ, through whom He offers us redemption and eternal relationship. He is the perfect Father who is never changing in His love, compassion and grace for us. He is always longing for humanity to be restored to Him through faith in Jesus Christ, His Son.
God the Son (JESUS CHRIST)
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary. He is fully “true man” and fully “true God.” He is the only one who can reconcile us to God the Father. He lived a perfect sinless life and was crucified on the cross, where He paid the price for our sins and our shame – the very things that separated us from God. He died for us, was buried and was resurrected so that we may have eternal life. He is the Head of the Church and in all this He has preeminence. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father where He rules and reigns as the King of kings and the Lord of lords who will soon return to make all things new. Jesus opened the way for man to live eternally in God.
God the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit – God Himself – lives in every Christian from the moment they put their faith in Jesus. He guides us into all truth and reveals to us God’s righteousness and convicts us of our sin. He assures us of our salvation, comforts us, guides us and sanctifies us. The church, from the beginning, was birthed in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and of His power. His presence and power, manifest in numerous ways including signs, miracles and wonders. His Power is available and needed just as much now as it was at the birth of the church. We also believe that the Holy Spirit empowers Christians through dispensing numerous gifts to continue the work of Jesus in this world, which in the Bible is called “The Kingdom.”
Relationships Matter to US
Relationships take the priority – not performance, skill or giftings. We see fellowship as a core value established by God in his Church from the beginning (Acts 2:42 | John 15:13).
Baptism
We believe that all Christians, once they put their faith in Jesus, should be baptized in water (full immersion) as a statement to themselves, their community and even Satan that they are now “within Christ” and therefore no longer “in sin.”
Participating not Spectating
In line with “relationships matter to us” (above), no believer in Jesus should live as an island but ought to be integrated into a local church and fulfill the ministry God has given them there.
Truth Before Tradition
What we see in the Scriptures always supersedes any tradition. Our theology fashions our behaviour, not the other way around. (2 Timothy 2:15)
Elder-led
God has established that local elders should lead a local church – not a headquarters, an arch-bishop, the state or any other kind of authority figure.
Our relationship with other churches, organizations and denominations does not override this Biblical value as we are not in a denomination of any kind.
