Living Our Beliefs
God has identified characteristics of healthy, well-balanced New Testament churches. Inasmuch, we recognize the authority of Holy Scripture and believe:
1. Members are baptized.
Baptism, when accompanied by faith and repentance, is how we are accepted into God’s community. It is essential to membership into the body of Christ, which is the church. At each baptismal service, we renew our own baptismal covenant that consists of a belief in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We promise to continue the apostles’ teachings, resist evil (repent when we fall into sin), proclaim the good news, love our neighbor, and strive for justice and peace. Baptism is the first step in becoming a disciple for Christ.
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16: 15 – 16) and, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19 –20)
2. Members have a relationship with Jesus as their personal Savior.
Jesus identified the beginning of a Christian life when He told Nicodemus: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And also: “Except a man be born of water (baptism) and of the Spirit (anointing of the Holy Spirit), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3: 1-5) Some can point to the day and the hour they first accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Some never know when he/she passed from death to life. While the experience is different for every individual, we do know that believers are to seek a new life in Christ, to make a 180-degree turn (metanoia) from their old life, and to persevere in maintaining that new life. (2 Cor. 5:17)
3. Members regularly attend church.
Each member of All Saints is committed to each another and shared worship is a first priority. We know that a healthy, well-balanced, church is always teaching what, who and why it believes. The body of Christ is commanded to love each other (Jn 13.34& Jn 15.12), pray for each other (Luke 1.18), encourage each other (Heb 10.25), teach and admonish each other (Col.3.16 and Eph. 4.12), greet each other (Rom. 16.16), serve each other (1 Cor.15.16), accept each other, honor each other (Rom. 12.10), bear each other's burdens, forgive each other (Eph 4.32 and Col. 3.13), sing hymns to each other (Eph. 5.19 and Col 3.16), submit to each other and be devoted to each other. As the body of Christ, we are called to "...stir up each other to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, but encouraging one another...and all the more as the Day draws near." We can only do this by being present with and for one another to be discipled and to worship together as one. In the end, Christ tells us that you need me and I need you.
4. Members are actively involved in parish ministry.
“As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. ” 2 Tim.4:5 Each of us has been blessed by God with gifts, talents and skills that are to be used in His Service. At All Saints we have a multitude of opportunities to put our special talents to work. Our website (www.allsaintsjackson.com) lists the ministries active at All Saints. If you have a calling for something not listed there, let us know and we’ll work with you to get you plugged in. We may never know all the ways we can serve.
5. Members are committed to move toward the biblical minimum of a 10% tithe.
As Christians we believe that all we have comes from God. The Lord commanded Moses in Leviticus that the tithe is holy to the Lord. Jesus said in Matthew 5 that He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Paul said in Second Corinthians that God loves a cheerful giver and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully. Members of All Saints are committed to move toward the biblical minimum of a 10% tithe. This may take time for some of us to reach but is a worthy goal considering the many blessings we have received from our Lord Jesus Christ.
6. Members are committed to unity in the church and refrain from gossip.
Taming the tongue is one of the greatest challenges for every Christian who seeks to please God and build, not tear down the faith community. In the spirit of building up community and unity at All Saints, members will resist promoting, listening, or engaging in gossip as a means of venting issues with other members or our leadership. While the Bible calls us to a high standard that can only be achieved with the grace of God, yet we are still called to this standard.
The Biblical standard for dealing with the inevitable problems in the body is clear. If injured by another person, I will go to that person in love to resolve the situation. (Matt 18: 15-18) ‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let sucha one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Proverbs 12:18....."There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 6:19.six things the Lord hates......"a false witness who breathes out lies and sows discord among brothers" Psalm 15 teaches..."there is no guile upon his tongue: he does noevil to his friend; he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor". Proverbs 18:21..."Death and life are in the power of the tongue." James 1:26...."If anyone thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man's religion is in vain." Psalm 39:1...."I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue."
7. Members actively participate in small sharing groups.
Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us “…let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…”
Members give priority to participation in a small sharing group that meets regularly for prayer, Bible study, and fellowship, unless due cause prevented. Christian formation classes and ministry teams, while offering tremendous opportunities for Christian growth and service, do not provide the same opportunities for prayer, Bible study and fellowship as small sharing groups.
8. Members are committed to the Great Commission.
“Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to do everything I have told you.” Matt 28:19- 20 (CEV) and “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21 (NIV). Our mission as a church and members is to be part of building God’s kingdom. This gives eternal meaning and worth to our lives. God cares about people. He died for them. When we are about God’s business, we are about making disciples for Christ. So we will support the church in this mission and share in it by praying for those who are not part of God’s family, inviting the unchurched to church and welcoming the guests who come to worship at All Saints.
9. Members strive to lead a godly life.
Col: 1:10 “to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”Gal 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Phil 1:6 “And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Members of All Saints Anglican Church will strive to live a Christ-like life. Recognizing that we are all human and therefore imperfect, we will strive to live a life like that modeled by Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament. Further, we acknowledge and will attempt to follow those moral laws given to us by God in the Old Testament and then unchanged by Jesus in the New Testament.
10. Members will grow in their gifts and talents.
“One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” Prov.11:24 “For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Matt 25:29 God wants us to grow in His service. He wants only the best for us. Our gifts and talents from God will wither and perish if we do not share and grow them in his service.
10-11-04