When our apostolic team was first established we discussed what values should shape us as a family of churches - what it was particularly that God was highlighting as important these can be summarised as follows:
We hold similar values to those expressed by our wider Newfrontiers family. As part of the universal church, we hold to the ecumenical creeds (the Apostle’s, Nicene-Constantinopolitan, Chalcedonian and Athanasian Creeds). As Protestant Christians, we affirm that justification is by faith alone, and stand in the tradition of Reformation confessional documents like the Heidelberg Catechism, although we believe that water baptism is only for believers. As contemporary evangelicals, we affirm modern statements of faith such as the Lausanne Covenant and the Evangelical Alliance statement of faith.
1. Word-based - Col. 1:25; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Tim. 4:1-5
2. Grace-filled - Eph. 2:8-10; Acts 11:23; Col. 1:6
3. Spirit-empowered - Eph. 5:18; Acts 1:7-8; Gal. 3:1-5; 1 Cor. 12:1-7
4. Elders in each local church - Acts 14:21-23; 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; James 5:14
5. Ephesians 4 Ministries - Acts 14:21-23; 20:28; Eph. 4:7-16; Rom. 16:1-16
6. Servant-heartedness - Mark 10:42-45; 1 Cor. 4:1-2; 1 Thess. 2:1-12; 1 Peter 5:1-4
7. Local church focused - Matt. 16:17-20 and 18:15-20; Acts 16:5; 1 Thess. 1:4-8; Rev. 1:20
8. Mission ought to be expressed locally, globally and holistically - Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Rom. 15:17-22; Gal. 2:10; Col. 4:5-6
9. Contextual freedom in application - Acts 16:1-5; Rom. 14:1-4; 1 Cor. 9:19-23