Living Hope Maitland Church of Christ is part of the Fresh Hope movement. When it comes to statements of faith and belief we hold to an ancient Christian idea:

“In essentials unity, in non-essentials diversity, in all things love.”

In other words, we believe that all doctrine is important, but that common adherence on all points of doctrine is not necessary for salvation. We can agree to disagree on some issues as long as we agree on Jesus.

We hold to the Apostles’ Creed to articulate the essentials of Christian faith.

Apostle’s Creed
3RD – 5TH CENTURY AD

 

I believe in God the Father Almighty
maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary,
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit;
one holy Church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting. Amen

 

Our heart

At the heart of Living Hope Maitland Church of Christ exist these key ideas:

We believe that we are greatly loved by God and that He has done everything possible to open the way to relationship with Him.

We believe in the dignity and value of all people no matter their personal circumstances.

We believe that the church is a place to find healing and acceptance.

We believe that when we come to faith we become a new creation. The old is gone and a new life takes its place.

 

On specific topics we believe:

 

 

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. It was written by men under the influence of the Holy Spirit and is the ultimate authority in all matters of faith and practice.

Creation

We believe that the universe was brought into existence by a loving creator God. It did not arise spontaneously, making life random and meaningless.

 

Sin

We believe that sin has disrupted the natural order of creation. Instead of God being in control, people have chosen to try to control their destiny. Sin manifests itself in our lives as selfishness, self-centeredness and unforgiveness.

The Trinity

We believe that there is one living and true God, an eternal community of divine persons (Father, Son, and Spirit), who are equal in every way, operating in distinct and complementary ways throughout the history of creation, fall, redemption, and new creation.

God the Father

We believe in God, the Father, a personal being, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. Under his instruction all of creation came into being and His desire is to be in relationship with His creation. Sin puts a barrier between the Father and His creation.

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, sent by the Father and incarnated by the Holy Spirit. We believe in his sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe that Jesus loves the world so much that he died to atone for sin. We believe in his bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, continual prayer for his people, and future personal visible return to Earth.

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, sent from the Father and Son to empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit lives in every Christian and gives believers spiritual gifts for the benefit of the Gospel.

Humanity

We believe that all people are created in the glorious image of God but have been tainted by sin and separated from God. We believe all who repent of their sin and trust Jesus Christ as their Redeemer are delivered from condemnation and renewed in the image of God.

The Church

We believe the church is a spiritual community comprised of all who have trusted in Christ for redemption. The church consists of God’s imperfect people who are being perfected by grace to be like Jesus. We are a missionary community created by God to positively engage all peoples and cultures in the world with a message of Living Hope.

Baptism by Immersion
We believe that baptism by immersion as practised in the New Testament is an important part of a Christian’s spiritual journey. Baptism does not save the individual. Baptism enables a believer to identify with Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Communion

We believe that Jesus’ instruction to His disciples at the last supper to “do this in remembrance of me” remains relevant, making communion is a central part of our worship.

Christian conduct

We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the good of others. Our conduct should be as Christlike as possible in all areas of our lives.

Future things

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to Earth. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of union with God for the redeemed, and eternal separation from God for the unrepentant.

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