We Believe
At Cranbrook House of Hope we have a common, shared Statement of Faith, Mission & Values.
Statement of Faith
There is only one true God who is the eternal King, Creator and Redeemer of all that is. He is perfectly holy, just, loving and truthful. He has revealed Himself to be eternally self- existent - one being in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative Word of God.
Humankind was created in the image of God to know and enjoy Him, yet we willfully rejected the Lordship and glory of God for which we were intended. Because of this, sickness, death and judgment entered the world and now creation experiences the effects and consequences of sin.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God, was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is God's Anointed One, empowered by the Holy Spirit to inaugurate God's Kingdom on earth. He was crucified for our sins, died, was buried, resurrected and ascended into heaven, and is now alive today, in the presence of God the Father and in His people. He is "true God" and "true man."
We are saved by God's grace, through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Anyone can be restored to fellowship with God through repenting, believing and receiving Jesus as their Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit, convicts, regenerates, justifies, and adopts us as we enter the Kingdom of God as His sons and daughters.
The Christian is enabled to live a holy life and minister supernaturally through the indwelling and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit according to Acts 1:4-8 and 2:4 is poured out on believers that they might have power to be witnesses.
The victorious redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides freedom from the power of the enemy, namely from sin, lies, sickness and torment.
The Church consists of all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. He gave His church the ordinances of Baptism and Communion. The Church exists to carry on the ministry of Jesus Christ and further advance His kingdom by undoing the works of the enemy, preaching and living the good news of God's love, disciple the nations, baptizing and teaching them to love and obey God.
Heaven on earth involves the ever-increasing government of God and culminates in the Blessed Hope, the glorious visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ for His overcoming bride, His church.
Mission
Our Mission is revival: The personal, regional, and global expansion of God's Kingdom through His manifest presence.
1. Our first ministry is to God, so we worship with extravagant joy and gratitude.
- Our personal relationship with Him is our number one priority.
2. Salvation frees us from the power of the devil - sin, lies, sickness & torment.
3. Every believer is a supernatural minister of the gospel of power whom signs & wonders should
follow.
- All ministry flows from the prayer, "Thy kingdom come... on earth as it is in heaven."
- We equip and send the church to carry on the works of Jesus.
4. We demonstrate God's grace, His unconditional love & transforming power, to everyone.
- We impact every socioeconomic group & cultural realm that mercy
& justice would reign because we pastor a city, not just a church.
5. Christ is returning for a glorious overcoming bride - His Church
- We are more than "sinners saved by grace", we are saints - sons & daughters of the King.
- So we expect to successfully fulfill the Great Commission - passing on revival from one
generation to the next - even if the world grows darker in the last days.
- We embrace the biblical government of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and
teachers.
Vision
Bringing God's Kingdom to earth as it is in heaven.
We Believe
1. We owe the world an encounter with God; therefore we are relentless in the pursuit of His presence and power both inside and outside the church walls (Acts 16:25-34).
2. What we believe after we pray is just as important as what we believe while we pray (Mark 11:24; John 5:14,15).
3. We see problems as opportunities to see how big our God is (James 1:2-5; Romans 5:3-5).
4. Prayer and worship times (both private and corporate) are foundational to our calling as individuals and as a church (Mark 11:17; John 4:23, 24).
5. Celebrating joyously in God's promises and in His goodness (which includes laughing at the lies of the devil) is a secret to our strength (Nehemiah 8:10; Psalms 2:2-4).
6. Training people for ministry, life skills, and leadership is central to our fulfilling the great commission (Ephesians 4:11,12; 2 Timothy 2:2).
7. The first step in spiritual warfare is taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Warfare is not beating up on the devil; Jesus already did this. Therefore we proactively capture thoughts that do not glisten with faith, hope, and love (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
8. Personal hope (the confident and optimistic expectation of seeing God's goodness) is to be a major pursuit of our lives. We believe there is hope for every person and every situation we encounter (Romans 5:3,4; 1 Corinthians 10:13).
9. The power of life and death is in the words that we speak over ourselves, others, and every aspect of our lives (Proverbs 18:21).
10. We motivate people through vision, a revelation of God, and the power of God rather than by guilt, law, or condemnation (Proverbs 29:18; Acts 16:30).
11. Honour brings life; therefore we cultivate high levels of respect in all relationships and speak with respect, even if we are in disagreement (Ephesians 6:2,3).
12. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy; therefore we place a high value on declaring the great things God has done (Revelation 19:10).
13. Generosity and gratefulness are two gateways for us to experience the promises of God in our lives and in our church (Acts 10:2,3; Psalms 100:4).
14. We pursue relationship with spiritual fathers and mothers and desire for them to speak into our lives (Acts 16:13-15).
15. We understand that to walk in wisdom, we must have a plan for our personal and ministry growth (1 Timothy 4:14-16).
16. As new covenant believers, we repent primarily to God's promises and our prophetic destiny rather than just from our sins and weaknesses. We are more for good than we are for evil (2 Corinthians 3:7-18).
17. We create a culture where failure is a learning experience, not an identity, as we seek to walk in higher levels in Christ (Philippians 3:12-14).
18. We are called to empower and support other churches/ministries and their leaders (Colossians 4:12-13).
19. We believe that those we are ministering to want to serve God and that they will rise to our belief in them (1 Corinthians 13:7).
20. Healthy ministry to the church and world must result from a greater emphasis on being healthy in our immediate family relationships - especially our marriages (1 Timothy 3:2,4-5).
21. Integrity, being an example of Christian living, and having a good reputation are foundational for effective ministry and leadership (1 Timothy 3:1-5).
22. God has delegated His authority to us to enforce Christ'a victory over demons, sickness, and lack. Therefore, like Jesus and the apostles, we speak to mountains, situations, sicknesses and disease (Mark 11:22-24; James 4:7).
23. All that we do must have a "1 Corinthians 13 love" as its foundation or else it is worthless (1 Corinthians 3:1-5; and Chapter 13).
24. The quality of our lives is based on the quality of our commitments. We make covenant commitments to God, to family, to a local church, and to a core group of people in our lives (Epeshians 4:1-6,9).
25. Servanthood is essential to greatness in God's kingdom. Therefore, we strive to cultivate and demonstrate a true servant's heart in the church and in the world (Matthew 20:24-28).
26. Because God's Kingdom is proactive, we don't wait for things to happen, but seek out opportunities for light to shine in darkness - being empowered by God's love, sensitivity, and wisdom (Matthew 10:5-8).