We are a Christian church in the Reformed, Evangelical tradition. We are committed to upholding the truth of God's timeless word, while remaining relevant to our contemporary culture. A summary of our vision, values and beliefs can be found below.
The Bible is no ordinary book. It is the very word of God, in which he reveals who he is, what he has done, what he wants us to believe, and how he wants us to live. Therefore we keep the Bible at the center of everything we do. Our worship services, home groups, youth groups, and kids programs are all "word-saturated" ministries.
To be gospel-centred means that we believe and embrace the message of Christ crucified and risen to life to save sinners. People can be free from the guilt and power of sin by trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation. This is the message which we cling to and keep at the forefront of everything we do, not least by preaching Christ crucified every week, because this message is the power of salvation to everyone who believes (Rom 1:16).
To be gospel-centered also means seeking to live out the grand themes of the gospel. We strive to reflect both the holiness and justice, and the forgiveness and love of God. We want to fight hard against sin while being gracious to sinners. We want to be holy as God is holy, and we want to forgive much as we have been forgiven much. As those who have been humbly served by Christ, we want to humble ourselves for a life of service to others.
Meaningful gatherings of God’s people to worship him are vital to the health of the church. Far from being a dispensable part of church life, gathering together is an expression of our new identity as part of God's family. Gathering together to worship God isn’t just something that the church does, but it is a reflection of what the church is. This is because the church is by very definition a collective institution(1 Pet 2:10). The rhythm of what we do together on Sundays is vital for forming and transforming us both as individuals, and as a people. Not only this, but the tone and culture of our gatherings shapes and equips us for life. Therefore, we want worship services that are reverent, joyful, relevant, and deep.
Jesus said that everyone will know that we are his disciples if we love one another (Jn 13:35). Therefore, we want to be a place of great love and care between us, with that love and care being expressed in myriad ways through our ministry to one another. We want to embody the virtues of humility, and reject petty self-interest. Our hope is that as the outside world sees the love and care that exists between us, they see the difference that the gospel makes in our life together. This ‘life-together’ will be lived out in many kinds of relationships: small groups, one-to-one relationships, and organic friendships and connections. To work towards this kind of community life together necessarily entails a level of commitment to the local church which we take seriously. In an age of individualism, autonomy and anti-authoritarianism, we promote counter-cultural accountability, meaningful belonging, and healthy respect and honour for church leadership (Rom 12:4-5; Heb 13:17; 1 Tim 5:17).
A healthy church is a church that has a keen sense of being “on mission” for Jesus, both locally and globally. At a local level, we want to be a church that has outreach wired into our DNA. Rather than just occasional programs or events, we want to see a church culture marked by a loving commitment to do good to others, and share the gospel as an ongoing way of life. This is a culture where we are confident in the life-changing power of the gospel, where we care deeply for the spiritual plight of the lost people around us, where we teach and model evangelism, and where we work together as one towards the goal of reaching others with the gospel.
Most of what we believe we hold in common with the Christian church around the world and throughout the ages.
Westside is part of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia (CRCA). Our beliefs are summarised in the ecumenical creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian) and in the Reformed Confessions: the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dordt. We also hold the Westminster Confession in high regard.
God has eternally existed in three equal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is the creator of everyone and everything. He is in control of all things, and is working out his plan to reconcile all things to himself.
Jesus is true man and true God. He is the eternal second person of the trinity, without beginning or end. He took on human nature, and was born in Bethlehem. Jesus died by crucifixion around 30 AD, he rose again on the third day, and returned to His father forty days later. His mission was to die for the sin of his people, and pay its full penalty. Because he was true God he was able to withstand the full weight of God’s anger: He is the ultimate sacrifice. Because he is true man he is our perfect representative: He is able to give us everlasting life, and bring us back into relationship with God. His victory over sin and death means He is both Lord and Saviour.
When Jesus returned to His Father He sent His Holy Spirit as comforter and counsellor (John 14). The Holy Spirit lives in all who believe without exception. His task is to continue Jesus’ work of transforming the lives of believers, to open their minds to the truth of the Word, and to be God’s presence as he lives in them. The Holy Spirit freely distributes gifts to all who belong to the Church, Christ’s body. These gifts differ from person to person, and are to be used to build others up, to spread the Gospel, to address people’s needs, and to develop God’s world in accordance with His design (1 Cor 12).
The Bible is God's word: free from error, trustworthy and authoritative. God used many different people to write the 66 books of the Old and New Testament, but the Holy Spirit remains the primary author. He worked in the lives of these people, used their varied personalities, perspectives and life contexts and yet kept them from error as they wrote what He moved them to say. As a result, when we open the Bible we can be confident that God speaks through it, as clearly and authoritatively as ever. This is why preaching, teaching and sharing Scripture takes central place in the life of our church and its ministries. The Bible gives us all we need to understand God and His plan to rescue us in Jesus Christ, as well as telling us how to live for God in His world.
God made human beings male and female, in his own image, to glorify him. However, human rebellion, against God has brought sin, failing, frustration, pain and despair to our world. The pollution of this fallenness has penetrated every aspect of humanity and our world. Human desires, will, behaviour and thought have all been affected. The ugly consequence is that all people now live in rebellion against God – whether they realise it or not. Without God’s intervention, people have neither desire nor ability to worship or honour Him, and are headed for eternal separation from Him.
In spite of our sin and rebellion against him, God has made a way for us to be reconciled to him through faith in Jesus Christ. God's plan of salvation through Jesus was promised in the Old Testament. Jesus came and lived a perfectly obedient and holy life, and he died on the cross to suffer the penalty for the sins of everyone who believes in him. After three days Jesus rose from the dead, proving that God's justice was satisfied, vindicating his claim to be God, and giving resurrection hope to his people. This is the good news, the power of salvation for everyone who believes in Jesus Christ as their saviour and Lord.
The Church is God’s people. It’s significant that while God’s rescue impacts individuals, He does not want them to be isolated and alone. He draws them into the Church, the family of Jesus Christ. His intention is for them to be a new community, expressing God’s original intention for human relationships. The church is to be marked by love. This will be expressed in worship of God, a desire to see people come to trust him, and a commitment to nurture Christians in their faith. These three elements are central to our mission here at Westside. God’s people – His church – are called to worship and honour him in all of life – not just on Sundays. As God’s Church we encourage one another in becoming like His Son Jesus Christ in word and deed. We are happy to express our unity and solidarity with all Christians and other churches.
The same Jesus who returned to the Father almost 2000 years ago will return again. At that time the whole universe will be purged of all fallenness, rebellion, sin and evil. The Triune God will be acknowledged by all creation as True King and Ruler of all. The universe will be restored to perfection, and our Father will wipe every tear from our eyes. Gone will be mourning, crying and pain. His justice will ensure that all wrongs will be made right. This wonderfully recreated universe, and every creature in it, will honour God all the time. This is the life, the relationship, the community, the justice, the peace, and the world we all deeply long for. It is already guaranteed because Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and those who believe in Him are assured that they will take part in the new heavens and new earth.