Letter from Jon, September 2024 

Dear Liberty Friends and Family

This morning, as we launched into a new season of church life, we took the opportunity to review and restate our vision as a church, which, as I mentioned, is actually more of an identity statement than a vision statement.  It sets out the kind of people that we believe God is calling us to be as we move forward.  Having a clear picture of our identity as a community of believers is incredibly useful as it helps us evaluate who we are now against who we would like to be, set priorities, make good choices and live with confidence and purpose.

In case you missed this morning or would like to review what was brought, here are the statements, bearing in mind that they are still in draft form as we continue to discuss and refine with the Elders, but I hope they give you a strong flavour of who we believe God is calling us to be. 

Christ-centred Community

 Jesus is our Lord and Saviour, the centre of everything we are and do.  He is the centre of our worship from the songs we sing when gathered to the daily lives we live when scattered.  He is the Good News we proclaim with our words and our lives; the One whose life and teaching we explore and follow, inviting others to join us.  He is the perfect example of full humanity that we seek to become more like. He is our King, the hope of a kingdom already in our midst and a kingdom coming.

 Spirit-filled Community

 We believe that the Holy Spirit is God present with us and in us, challenging and changing us, conforming us to the image of Christ and bringing the Kingdom of God to bear in us and through us. We see the Spirit at work in our daily, frontline lives and also when we are gathered in worship.  We are seeing lives and communities being transformed by the hope of Jesus Christ as we join our lives to the work of the Spirit.

 Mission-shaped Community

 We are seeing God's mission to rescue and restore his creation, to see his kingdom come on earth, becoming a reality in our midst as we work with the community around us bringing hope to the hopeless, the broken, the vulnerable and marginalised and providing a place of belonging to the lonely, bringing transformation one life, one family, at a time. 

Beyond our own immediate communities we are partnering with churches and ministries locally, nationally and globally to see God's kingdom come.

 A Community of Christ Followers

 In all we do we believe in the power of community, of a people following Christ together, providing a place of belonging and acceptance for all ages and stages of life and faith.  We are united in our core beliefs and united in love over our differences.  Together we are seeking to become more like Christ as each person discovers their own calling and gifting and finds their place to serve.

 I am excited about this new season.  There is so much to give thanks for and so much I am personally grateful for as I consider the Liberty Church Family.  Thank you for being you and for choosing to be a part of who God is forming us and inviting us into.  May we see his Kingdom come in so many ways in the months to come.

Much Love

Jonx