Our Purpose
Reaching and Building People
Our Priorities
The way we do church at CCC Ryde
1. Devoted to Jesus in Word and Spirit
We are devoted to Jesus in Word and Spirit. Encountering Jesus in the Word and applying the Word to our lives. There is no person, ability or resource as powerful to change the human heart as the anointed word of God - that's why it's our priority. It's Word and Spirit - expressed through the demonstration of the fruits and gifts of the Spirit.
2. A Culture of Evangelism
Culture is dynamic, fueled by the heart beat of a community. Jesus’ heart beat is for all who are lost – and so is ours. We want everything we do to connect people to Jesus. We believe in moments but also a process. We have programs but only if they support people and relationships. We pray because God is the one who softens hearts and we pray for the Holy Spirit to help us speak and act with clarity. What we’re building is a culture - a shared emotion – a shared commitment – where everything connects the ‘lost’ to Jesus.
3. Love Church
The local church is the hope of the world - a community of people indwelt by the Spirit of God, gathered together in unity for the cause of Christ. Jesus loves the church - and we do too. We are committed to building the church. It’s an exciting place where people encounter Jesus through worship, word and people. It’s a place where people grow and are equipped to live life fully alive to God and empowered to represent Christ in the world.
4. Teams
Teams are about doing things with one heart and one mind. The synergy and creativity that the Spirit of God brings to a team is an incredible force. It’s the most effective, sustainable and fun way to do ministry. All of our ministry is done through teams committed to the vision of the church.
5. Everyone is a Minister
Every follower of Christ is a minister. The word minister means servant. As ministers/servants we are all called to take full responsibility for our own growth. We look for opportunities to serve and be fruitful. We’re always working towards the effective investment and stewardship of every talent and resource we have been entrusted with.
6. Value & Develop People
We believe in people, valuing and developing the God-dream in each person. People are gifted and live most fully alive when they use their gifts to love God and others. We create context for the God-dream to be drawn out and developed through relationships and training. Our focus is reproducible, multipliable and life transferable models. Our role is helping others discern their God dream and release them to where they can be most fruitful, while staying connected to them for their progress and joy in the faith.
7. A Multi-generational Church Investing in the Future
We are building a multi-generational church where young and old flourish together. A heritage is built and a life changing culture is handed on to the following generations - a culture of spiritual parenting and investment.
8. Change
We change so we remain relevant. Our desire is to be innovative agents of change in the world we live. Our structures are flexible and dynamic to serve the growth of the church and our style is current so we can connect with people. We write and play new songs. We structure for the new and we live in the moment. We love the time we live in because it's where God has placed us.
9. Life-related communication
Connecting people to Jesus in a way that relates to their world is vital. So we are committed to communicating a message of faith, hope and love in ways that are easy to understand, practical and speak to life's day to day issues.
10. Generosity
We are committed to living generous lives and giving to the vision of reaching and building people.
11. Global partnerships
Everything we do is through relationships. We partner with like minded churches, leaders and ministers around the world who are working towards seeing churches planted and people reached and built.
Our Process
Reaching and building people requires movement. It’s a process that begins before someone decides to follow Jesus and continues as they devote themselves to Jesus. The process continues as people begin to recognise the God-dream placed inside them and developing what God has given them to its full potential. There are four movements in our Process:
1. Decide
Decisions have a lasting impact. We need to ask, “What decisions are we making and why?” We want to help people ask the questions that help them discover Jesus for themselves. Following Jesus continues after an initial decision is made. A fruitful follower of Christ makes daily decisions that shape their life and choices around the values and principles of the Kingdom of God.
Movement 1 > helping people make great decisions
2. Devote
Our values are an expression of our devotion. Dreams without devotion to Christ can capture our heart and steal our freedom. We need to ask, “What are we devoted to and why?” Devotion to Christ is strengthened through:
Prayer
Reading the Bible
Giving
Sharing our faith
Serving in the life of the church and beyond
Movement 2 > helping people in their devotion to Christ
3. Dream
Dreams flow from our devotion to Jesus. We want to create a context where the God-dream can be discerned and drawn out. We need to be asking, “What are we dreaming and why?”
Movement 3 > helping people identify their God- dream
4. Develop
As a follower of Christ we are called to be stewards of what God has given. That means we invest time, money and effort into development the gifts, dreams, people and desires God has placed in and around us. The questions we need to be asking are, “What are we developing, how are we developing and why are we developing that area/person/resource?”
Movement 4 > helping people develop to their full potential
