OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH
WE BELIEVE the Bible is the actual word of God, inspired by Him, written by man. It is the Father’s revelation of Himself and His relationship with mankind. From Genesis to Revelation it reveals His pursuing love and plan to draw His children to live with Him forever.
WE BELIEVE God has eternally existed as three distinct persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who exist together in perfect unity. Together they are one.
WE BELIEVE in the divinity of Jesus Christ who is the Son of God, the long awaited (Jewish) Messiah, who’s coming inaugurated the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God on earth. We believe in His virgin Birth, His sinless life, His miracles, And His death for us on a cross where he took the punishment for our sins. We believe that by the power and the will of the Father he was resurrected from the dead and ascended to be with Him in heaven. Jesus then sent the Holy Spirit to be with us, fulfilling His promise, “I will never leave you as orphans”. We believe He’s coming back, in His personal physical return to rule the earth in power and love. He is the only way into relationship with the Father; no one comes to the Father except through Him.
WE BELIEVE that each person comes into being through the will of the Father yet are lost, like children without a home, because of sin. We all live in this orphan state, separated from Him until we believe in Jesus Christ, The Son of God, and what He did. All must trust in Jesus to be saved from this state of “lostness”. Everyone who believes in Him is saved and will not die alone as an orphan but enjoy everlasting life with Him now and into eternity.
WE BELIEVE this salvation is a work of grace enabling us to know and encounter Jesus Christ, and that this spiritual rebirth is by the Spirit of God, not achieved by our own works.
WE BELIEVE the Holy Spirit lives in all believers and brings love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control into our lives. We believe our sanctification (is a life long process) is achieved by the work of the Spirit in us and not by self discipline nor strength of will.
WE BELIEVE another work of grace is to know and encounter the Holy Spirit through the baptism in (with, of) the Spirit, receive power and given charismatic gifts, empowering us all to be ministers of this good news (grace) to others. It is His will that we are continuously filled with the Holy Spirit with the goal of being full.
WE BELIEVE another work of grace is to know and encounter the Father’s love, when we receive the Spirit of son ship through which we receive the revelation and experience of being loved by the Father, causing us to cry out Daddy, Father.
WE BELIEVE in the resurrection of every person; to eternal life with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the believer and eternal judgment and separation for the unbelieving lost.
WE BELIEVE all believers are welcomed into this unity with the father, Son, and Holy Spirit and seek community together; to become more like Jesus in every way, who is the head of His body, the Church throughout the earth. Though we are set free from the Law we are commanded to love God and one another, enabled to do so only as His love flows in and through us.
WE BELIEVE that is the Father’s will that the church’s life and ministry exist under His blessing of an “Open Heaven” and that returning the tithe to Him is the key that breaks the spirit of poverty and releases blessings, more than we can hold enabling us to be a blessing and a resource to others.
OUR STATEMENT OF VALUES
We Value Intimate Friendship With God
We want to know God for who he is-his heart and mind and ways-and we want to love God with all our heart and soul and strength.
- We value worship as our primary response to love and intimacy. We want our worship to express praise, gratitude and affection. In our worship we desire God to live with us and establish his presence among us.
- We value the written Word of God as the revelation of his heart and purposes. Through the written Word and through listening prayer we desire to communicate with God, hearing his heart and expressing our own.
We want to become like Jesus, who was God in human form. We want our character to be shaped by his humility, honesty, servant-heart, generosity, compassion, mercy and total submission to his father.
- We want to grow in holiness and God-likeness by responding to the Holy Spirit and submitting to God.
We want God's Kingdom to grow through outreach and loving relationships. Inside and outside the walls of the church we want to see God's power heal people physically, emotionally and mentally. We want spiritual bondages broken.
- We value the love of God as the motivation for all expressions of the Kingdom of God. We want ministries of healing, mercy and outreach to be anchored in the love of God and human friendship.
- We value the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit as our guide and encourager in loving God and ministering to others.
- We value bringing kindness, acceptance, practical support and the good news of God's love to the poor and outcast.
We understand the church as God's family, not bounded by physical walls. We want to build the church with encouragement, training and equipping.
- We value being together and being with God. We want to enjoy playing and working together as members of a large family. We value the safety and friendship that comes from knowing one another in God's love.
- We value the various members of the church as the ministers of the Holy Spirit. We want to see each member trained and equipped to function effectively in his or her area of gifting and calling.
- We value the diversity of the church, including generational diversity. We want persons of all ages and backgrounds to participate in ministry. We want to serve children and youth to prepare them equally for participation in the Kingdom of God.
In Victoria, across the island and the Pacific northwest we want to
see churches serving and being encouraged by each other.
We value the administrative and ministerial support provided by the staff and volunteers of Victoria Harvest Church
We recognize the fact that church is far more than Sunday services; rather, it is people serving people.- We value the members of our church family who perform the tasks that allow our church to operate: the office staff and volunteers who support them.
- We value those who teach, lead and serve us.
- We value those who clean, decorate and maintain our church.
- We value those who organize events and those who provide service to participants.