OUR VISION
“We envision a world reconciled to God through Christ, reflecting His glory.” As a people, this is what we are about. This vision gives direction and propels us forward as a church.
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
“A World reconciled.” This envelopes the scope of High River Baptist Church, that is, our ministry is not limited to our own High River and neighbouring communities. We have grown to have a global missions focus, with a global vision (2 Corinthians 5:19).
“Through Christ.” This is the means given to us for reconciliation. Recognizing this keeps Christ central in all we do. We need to be able to demonstrate the Good News in all our activity.
“Reflecting His glory.” This represents the central and foundational nature of our vision about reflecting and bringing God glory. This is why all things were created in the first place, to reflect and bring Him glory:
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1)
This is the ultimate end to everything from worship to evangelism and discipleship. We use the word “reflecting” when it comes to bringing Him glory because His glory existed even before all creation came to be. His glory is not limited to His creation, so we seek to simply reflect it, in all we do.
OUR MISSION
Our mission statement is “Actively Being Christ’s Disciples”. God’s Holy Spirit helps us live this out by giving us the strength and guidance to love God through worship, to love each other in the fellowship of the body of Christ, and to love the world through being witnesses of God’s transforming activity in our lives. God wants us to grow in our love for and obedience to Him through Jesus, by God’s Holy Spirit. He tells us to love each other, to live in unity and to grow together to maturity. We live in relationship with God & with each other in Christ’s body.
Jesus’ call on His followers is the “Great Commission” He gave before His return to heaven:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me … go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I’ve commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18f).
He called us “salt and light” – to reflect Him in this world, and to spread the good news of the gospel to those who don’t know Him. We do this by helping believers know and use their spiritual gifts, preparing them for service, by the Holy Spirit’s power.
“It was he who gave some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so the body of Christ will be built up.” (Ephesians 4:11-12).
God has entrusted many lives to High River Baptist Church over the years. Recently many individuals and families have come to faith and been baptized, and we have grown spiritually. This is the life of faith!
STATEMENT OF FAITH
A. We believe that the Bible is God’s Word, that it was written by men divinely inspired, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
B. We believe in the Trinity of the Godhead existing eternally in the three persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections, and worthy of the same homage, confidence, and obedience.
C. We believe in the Virgin birth of Christ, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection, and His coming a second time to receive the church unto Himself.
D. We believe that man was created by a special act of God and after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness; and that he fell from his high and holy estate through disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit, and in consequence, the threatened penalty of death was then and there inflicted, so that he totally lost all spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins and subject to the power of the devil.
E. We believe in Salvation by grace, that it is the free gift of God, not by any virtue or works of men, but received only by personal faith in Jesus Christ; and that all true believers are eternally secure in Christ.
F. We believe that the local church is an autonomous congregation of baptized believers associated under Christ, for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that the Lord our Saviour prescribed for His disciples the two ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is a symbol and proclamation of the sinner’s death to sin and his resurrection in newness of life in Christ Jesus. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the Lord’s death to be kept by His disciples until He comes again, according to His promise and the Father’s revealed plan.
G. We believe in Heaven as a literal place – the final and eternal blessed abode of the believer; and in Hell as a literal place – the final abode of eternal punishment for the unbeliever.
OUR CONSTITUTION
Click here to Download a PDF of Our Consitution
