St. Andrews Presbyterian Church
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Our Commitment to Maturity

We are committed to helping people mature in believing, living and exhibiting the following core competencies. Beliefs are developed through practices which together produce virtue, or Christ-like character.
 
These competencies are in three areas:

After each belief, practice or virtue described below, a statement summarizes how a mature Christian might express that competency.

BELIEFS

Trinity
“I believe the God of the Bible is the only true God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

Salvation By Grace
“I believe a person comes into a right relationship with God by his grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.”

Election
“I believe my salvation is based entirely on God’s initiative and grace.”

Authority of the Bible
“I believe the Bible is the Word of God and has the right to command my belief and action.”

Incarnation
“I believe Jesus Christ is God in the flesh—fully human and at the same time fully God.”

Atonement
“I believe Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross paid the price for my sins.”

Personal God
“I believe God is involved in and cares about my daily life.”

Identity in Christ
“I believe I am significant because of my position as a child of God.”

Work of the Holy Spirit
“I believe God lives inside me in the person of the Holy Spirit.”

Covenant
“I believe those who put their faith in Jesus become participants in a covenant of love with God.”

Church
“I believe the church is God's primary way to accomplish his purposes on earth today.”

Sacraments
“I believe Jesus has given the church two sacred and symbolic actions—baptism and the Lord’s Supper—also called sacraments.”

The priesthood of all believers
“I believe ministry in the church is the privilege and responsibility of every Christian.”

Humanity
“I believe humans were created in true righteousness, but the sin of the first humans has led to a corrupt nature in need of redemption.”

Compassion
“I believe God calls all Christians to show compassion to those in need.”

Eternity
“I believe there is a heaven and a hell and that Jesus Christ is returning to judge the earth and to establish his eternal kingdom.”

Stewardship
“I believe that everything I am or own belongs to God.”
 
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PRACTICES

Worship
“I worship God for who he is and what he has done for me.”

Prayer
“I pray to God to know him, to lay my request before him and to find direction for my daily life.”

Bible Study
“I study the Bible to know God, the truth, and to find direction for my daily life.”

Single-mindedness
“I focus on God and his priorities for my life.”

Spiritual Gifts
“I know and use my spiritual gifts to accomplish God's purposes”

Biblical Community
“I fellowship with other Christians to accomplish God's purposes in my life, others' lives, and in the world.”

Give Away My Time
“I give away my time to fulfill God's purposes.”

Give Away My Money
“I give away my money to fulfill God's purposes.”

Give Away My Faith
“I give away my faith to fulfill God's purposes.”

Give Away My Life
“I give away my life to fulfill God's purposes.”
 
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VIRTUES

Joy
“I have inner contentment and purpose in spite of my circumstances.”

Peace
“I am free from anxiety because things are right between God, myself and others.”

Faithfulness
“I have established a good name with God and with others based on my long-term loyalty to those relationships.”

Self-Control
“I have the power, through Christ, to control myself.”

Humility
“I choose to esteem others above myself.”

Love
“I sacrificially and unconditionally love and forgive others.”

Patience
“I take a long time to overheat and endure patiently under the unavoidable pressures of life.”

Kindness/Goodness
“I choose to do the right things in my relationships with others.”

Gentleness
“I am thoughtful, considerate and calm in dealing with others.”

Hope
“I can cope with the hardships of life and with death because of the hope I have in Jesus Christ.”