OUR MISSION
Hope Community Church seeks to glorify God by making fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ through effective reaching, teaching, and equipping ministries.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Adherence to the following five principles shall govern all our work:
Scripture Alone
We affirm the inerrant Scriptures to be the sole source of written divine revelation, which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behaviour must be measured.
We deny that any creed, council, or individual may bind a Christian’s conscience, and that the Holy Spirit speaks privately or publicly contrary to what is set forth in the Bible.
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Christ Alone
We affirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father.
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We deny that the Gospel is preached if Christ’s substitutionary work is not declared, and repentance from sin and faith in Christ and His work is not solicited.
Grace Alone
We affirm that in salvation we are rescued from God’s wrath by His grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life.
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We deny that salvation is in any sense a result of human work. Human methods, techniques, or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerate human nature.
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Faith Alone
We affirm that justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. In justification Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God’s perfect justice.
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We deny that justification rests on any merit to be found in us, or upon the grounds of an infusion of Christ's righteousness in us, or that an institution claiming to be a church that denies or condemns faith alone can be recognised as a legitimate church.
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The Glory of God Alone
We affirm that because salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God, it is for God’s glory, and that we must glorify Him always. We must live our entire lives before the face of God under the authority of God and for His glory alone.
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We deny that we can properly glorify God if our worship is confused with entertainment, if we neglect either Law or Gospel in our preaching, or if self-improvement, self-esteem, or self-fulfilment are allowed to become alternatives to the Gospel.
OUR CORE COMMITMENTS
In prayerful dependence on our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, Hope Community Church seeks to glorify God by remaining committed to:
The authority and sufficiency of God's Word- the Bible.
Christ-centered worship.
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Growing into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
Local, national, and global evangelism
Leadership development and planting new churches in Ireland.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
The Bible
We believe that the Bible, comprised of the sixty-six books in both the Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, inerrant, infallible, and has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
(Mark 13:31; John 8:31-32, 20:31; Acts 20:32; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20)
God
We believe that there is one living and true God who reveals Himself to us in the Scriptures as eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that these have distinct personal attributes without division of nature, essence, or being, are co-equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption.
(Genesis 1:1-2; Deuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1; Acts 20:32; Romans 1:19-20; 1 Corinthians 8:4,6; Ephesians 4:5-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:9)
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God, the Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit; perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, righteousness, grace, compassion, mercy, and love.
We believe that His perfect knowledge and sovereignty extends to all things past, present, and future; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
(Leviticus 11:44-45; Matthew 23:9; Luke 10:21-22; John 3:16, 4:24, 6:27; Romans 1:7, 5:8; 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 2:5-6; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 4:8; Revelation 1:6, 4:8)
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God, the Son
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only and eternally begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, truly God and truly man.
We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal, visible return to earth.
(Matthew 1:18-25, 20:28; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1,14, 20:28, 30-31; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6-8, 6:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:15-19, 2:9; 1 Peter 2:21-23; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 9:28)
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God, the Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment – and to regenerate, sanctify, equip, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that he is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide.
(Zechariah 4:6; John 3:17-18, 14:16-17, 26, 16:7-14; Romans 8:4-6, 9; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Galatians 5:22-26; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)
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Man and the Fall
We believe that all mankind was created by God in His own image; that the first man, Adam, sinned and thereby suffered physical, spiritual, and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sin nature and are sinners by volition, and are therefore, likewise, under the same condemnation.
(Genesis 1:26-27, 2:17, 3:6-7, 17-19; 5:2-3; Psalm 51:7; Proverbs 28:13; Ecclesiastes 2:11; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:20-23; John 1:13, 3:14-16, 5:24, 30, 7:13, 8:12, 10:26; Romans 3:10-18, 5:12,19, 8:1, 9:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; James 1:14; Revelation 19:3, 20, 14:15; 21:18)
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Salvation
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who submit to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense, salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
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Regeneration
Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the belief and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ and surrender to Him as Lord and Savior.
(John 3:14-19, 36, 5:24; Romans 2:4, 5:8-10)
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Justification
Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein He pardons all our sins and declares us righteous in His sight, solely because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone.
(John 10:28-29; Romans 3:23-26)
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Sanctification
Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual holiness and maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him via the instrument of the Scriptures. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.
(John 17:15, 17; Galatians 5:22-25, Ephesians 5:18, Colossians 3:16)
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Glorification
Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed, wherein they shall receive imperishable resurrected bodies, and live in eternal sinless perfection.
(Romans 6:22-23, 8:28-30, 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, 1 John 3:2, )
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Good Works
We believe that good works contribute no merit towards man’s salvation; rather, they are the fruit and evidence of a true and living faith. By these, believers express their thankfulness to God, make the gospel attractive, and demonstrate Christ's love in the world. The believer's ability to do good works comes not from himself but from the Holy Spirit who is at work in him.
(Ezekiel 36:26,27; Matthew 5:16, 25:31-40; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:12-13; James 2:14-18; 2 Peter 1:5-10)
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The Church
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body in which all regenerated persons – past, present, and future – are members.
We believe in the local church, which consists of a fellowship of believers, under biblical leadership that gathers to worship God through the preaching of the Word, fellowship, the administration of the ordinances, prayers, and the practice of church discipline.
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We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
(Matthew 18:15-18, 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, 2:42,47, 14:23; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:19-22; Hebrews 3:6, 10:23-25;1 Corinthians 1:2,12:12-13,27; Titus 1:5; 1 Peter 2:5,9)
The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances, Baptism and The Lord’s Supper, to the local church to be observed until His return.
Baptism
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of the believer in water into the name of the triune God, administered only to those who give a credible profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 8:36-39, 16:29-33)
The Lord’s Supper
We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death for all those who have been saved by His grace.
(Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-33; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Christian Conduct
We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.
(John 14:15, 23-24; Romans 12:1-3; 1 Corinthians 4:2, 10:31; 2 Corinthians 9:6-9; Philippians 1:27-28; Colossians 1:9-10; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 John 2:3-6)
Gender, Marriage, and Sexuality
We believe God created humans male and female; therefore gender is determined and fixed by God.
We believe marriage is an exclusive, God-ordained, life-long, covenant union between one man and one woman and that all sexual relations are reserved exclusively for this union.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality (e.g., adultery, fornication, homosexuality, pornography, or gender reassignment) is sinful and in direct violation of Scripture.
(Gen. 1:27, 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Eph. 5:31-32; 1 Tim. 1:8-10)
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The Sanctity of Life
We believe that all human life is created by God and begins at conception. We believe the unborn child is a living, unique, and complete human being. Therefore, we believe that any intentional, pre-meditated termination of life, including that of the unborn, is an act murder and is condemned by God.
(Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 32:6; Job 10:11-12; Ecclesiastes 11:5; Psalm 139:13-16, Matthew 5:21; Mark 10:19)
The Last Things
We believe that God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal felicity of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.
(Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15)