To be the family of God in our community by providing a Christ centered environment where families as a whole, family members as individuals, and those without family ties are brought into relationship with, and to maturity in Christ.
Gladstone Baptist Church Vision Statement:
Being the family of God;
Bringing others into the family of God.
Rationale: The family is under attack. Loneliness, isolation and individualism are symptoms of a broken relationship with God and broken relationships with others. Our passion is to serve as a healing agent to these broken relationships by exercising our God ordained mandate to be ministers of reconciliation. We seek to reconcile men, women and children to God (Romans 5:11), and to each other (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are committed to bringing people into maturity in Christ and strengthening relationships between believers.
We believe that weak famililes make weak churches and that strong famililes make strong churches. We also understand that there are many for whom the concept of family is either foreign or non existent. We seek to exemplify the attribute of a healthy family in order to be a healing community to these people.
We believe that the family is a God ordained institution (Genesis 2:24), and we are committed to its nurture. We believe that God calls all people to be born again into His family.
How this will be achieved:
- Through a strong Biblically based pulpit ministry.
- By providing a strong network of pastoral care. This will happen informally as people are encouraged to love and care for each other (John 13:34), and it will happen formally in the setting of growth groups (Hebrews 10:25) . There is also a Pastoral Assistant responsible for Pastoral Care.
- By taking seriously the Great Commission of Jesus to His Church, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I command you; and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).
- By providing age appropriate teaching and discipleship at all levels and ages; that is, preschool, primary aged, high school age, young adults and adults.
- By outreach to specific groups within the community.