What We Believe

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Consistent with our Uniting Church identity, Albany Creek Uniting Church’s beliefs are drawn from the Bible and from the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds. The Church also heeds the Reformation Witness in the Scots Confession of Faith (1647), the Savoy Declaration (1658), and the preaching of John Wesley in his Forty Four Sermons (1793). Albany Creek Uniting Church also confirms the place of ongoing theological, literary, historical and scientific study as crucial for the life of the church.Albany Creek Uniting Church affirms that it belongs to the people of God on the way to the promised end. We pray that, through the gift of the Spirit, God will constantly correct that which is erroneous in our life and will use our worship, witness and service for the glory of God.

SALVATION

The Uniting Church confidently believes that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God brings us into right relationship with God, whereby in faith we can:

  • live in a close, loving, personal, dynamic relationship with the living God;
  • participate in the worshipping, caring and serving community of Christians;
  • receive God’s gifts so that life can be what God means it to be – loving, purposeful, joyful, eternal; and
  • tell others of this good news and live it out in acts of compassion, service and justice in the community.

THE BIBLICAL WITNESSES

 Albany Creek Uniting Church acknowledges that:

  • the Church has received the books of the Old and New Testaments as unique prophetic and apostolic testimony, in which it hears the Word of God and by which its faith and obedience are nourished and regulated.
  • when the Church preaches Jesus Christ, its message is controlled by the Biblical witnesses.
  • the Word of God on whom salvation depends is to be heard and known from Scripture.

SACRAMENTS

Albany Creek Uniting Church believes Christ has commanded his Church to proclaim the Gospel both in words and in the two visible acts of Baptism and Holy Communion.

BAPTISM

Albany Creek Uniting Church acknowledges that:

  • Christ incorporates people into his body by Baptism enabling them to participate in his own baptism, which was accomplished once on behalf of all in his death and burial, and which was made available to all when, risen and ascended, he poured out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
  • Baptism into Christ’s body initiates people into Christ’s life and mission in the world, so that they are united in one fellowship of love, service, suffering and joy, in one family of the Father of all in heaven and earth, and in the power of the one Spirit.
  • The Uniting Church will baptize those who confess the Christian faith, and children who are presented for baptism and for whose instruction and nourishment in the faith the Church takes responsibility.

HOLY COMMUNION

Albany Creek Uniting Church acknowledges that:

  • the continuing presence of Christ with his people is signified and sealed by Christ in Holy Communion
  • In this sacrament of his broken body and outpoured blood through faith and the gift and power of the Holy Spirit, the people of God have communion with their Saviour, make their sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, proclaim the Lord’s death, grow together into Christ, are strengthened for their participation in the mission of Christ in the world, and rejoice in the foretaste of the Kingdom which Christ will bring to consummation.

OUR CALLING

As a people journeying together we affirm our calling under God:

  • to preach Christ the crucified and risen one and confess him as Lord;
  • to bear witness to the unity of faith and life in Christ, rising above cultural, economic, national and racial boundaries;
  • to engage in fearless prophetic ministry in relation to social evils which deny God’s active will for justice and peace;
  • to act with God alongside the oppressed, the hurt and the poor;
  • to accept responsibility for the wise use and conservation of the finite resources of this earth for the benefit of all;
  • to recognise, treasure and use the gifts of the Spirit given to all God’s people for ministering; and
  • to live a creative, adventurous life of faith, characterised by openness, flexibility, hope and joy