Our Beliefs

Question 1

We believe

Answer

In one God eternally existing in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
That the Lord Jesus Christ, himself truly God, became fully human, was born of the virgin Mary and lived a sinless life. He died for our sins, was buried, rose again on the third day, and is now exalted at the right hand of God the Father.
That everyone is a sinner before God and subject to God’s judgment.
That as a result of Jesus’ death we can be reconciled to God through His grace and saved from the punishment we deserve, as we put our faith in Him.
That the Holy Spirit lives in all believers, marking them as God’s people, and giving them varied gifts and abilities to be able to serve God, one another, and the world.
That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament in their entirety are inspired by God, fully trustworthy and the final authority in faith and life.
That Jesus is coming again to judge the world, to complete our salvation, and to rule as King forever.

Question 2

Core values

Answer

We value the Bible. We are a church that teaches from the Bible through faithful scholarship and in way that is practical, engaging, and applicable to our daily lives.
We value godly living. We encourage every member to actively walk with God, in personal prayer and Bible study, and to be examples to one another as we share together a lifestyle of faithful godly living, individually, in families and as a larger church family who worship God enthusiastically, pray fervently, and support one another practically.
We value relationship and participation. Everyone is encouraged to be involved in church, in home groups and to discover an area of service for themselves. In this way everyone will grow as disciples of Jesus and the church will develop towards maturity.
We value growth and outreach. We will actively share the good news about Jesus to those around us. We will be God’s people, bringing His light into the homes, workplaces and institutions of our society and serving the needs of all generations and cultures in our community. We will also take the good news about Jesus and the practical results of the love of God to the rest of the world.
We value Christian unity. This is a response to the prayer of Jesus in John 17, and as a reflection of the history of the church.

Question 3

Core practices

Answer

While worship involves the whole of our lives, the church meets regularly as a gathered community to worship God with our words, and our deeds and by the offering of our lives to His service; to teach and be taught in the Word of God, to encourage and strengthen individual and corporate life, and to proclaim the good news of God’s intervention in the world in the person of Jesus; His life, death, resurrection, and return.

Among these activities, two hold special place for us as having been taught by Jesus himself, and practiced continuously since the first days of the church:

Those who believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ are baptised by immersion in water as a sign and a testimony of them becoming part of the family of God.
Frequently when the church meets it does so around the communion or The Lord’s Supper in which bread and wine are signs of the body and blood of Jesus, given for our sins, celebrated in the presence of the risen Lord Himself, and as an expression of our unity together as His body on earth.

Question 4

Affiliations

Answer

The church is fully independent and autonomous as a local church. But we are not isolationist. We are a part of a network of churches all around New Zealand (CCCNZ), and we have close fellowship with many churches similar to our own, and we join them in supporting organisations that help to train people for ministry and work together for the cause of the Gospel.

The church will also cooperate and fellowship with other local churches of other denominations in the immediate area, in such activities as advance the glory of God.

We also have partnerships with a select group of para-church organizations on an official capacity, namely Tearfund, Vanguard School, and the Bible Society.

Question 5

Administration

Answer

The day-to-day running of the affairs of the church is the responsibility of a team of staff, headed by our Senior Pastor. We ensure the smooth and spiritual operation of the various ministries, administer the budget and ensure the appropriate funding of all approved activities.

The role of the staff team is to act as enablers and coordinators for the ministry of the church which is carried on by all members.

Some of the organisational tasks may be delegated by the Elders or the Senior Pastor to goal-oriented teams comprised of both staff and members. These might be permanent (e.g. Human Resources, Pastoral Care, Missions teams) or ad-hoc (e.g. Building Committee, Search Committee).

The Chairman of the Elders liaises closely with the Senior Pastor to ensure that the operational side of the church fulfils the goals and vision established by the spiritual leadership.

Northcross Church is led by a team of 12 Elders who are Christian leaders, members of the church in good standing, held in high regard by the congregation as a whole, and who fulfil the qualifications in 1 Tim 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.

The Elders lead the church in all areas of vision and ministry, leadership, and major appointments. Decisions are reached by consensus, through the study of the Scriptures, prayer, honest, and respectful discussion, and the seeking of wise counsel. The Elders endeavor to communicate frequently and openly with the membership, both to inform them of major issues being faced and to seek their feedback and advice, prior to significant decisions being made.

Question 6