Christ the Redeemer lives in community to worship God, grow in Christ, and extend His grace and mercy to greater Portland, New England, and the world.
Human beings do not live by bread alone, but they do not live long without it. To eat is to acknowledge our dependence both on food and on each other. It also reminds us of other kinds of emptiness that not even the blue plate special can touch. — Frederick Buechner
Two Auca Indians sang a haunting chant of worship to God before a great missionary congress in Berlin. One of the singers had driven his spear into the bodies of the missionary martyrs who had landed in the Ecuadorian jungle
Mission - What is our core purpose as a congregation?
Christ the Redeemer lives in community to worship God, grow in Christ, and extend His grace and mercy to greater Portland, New England, and the world.
Vision – What might this mission look like being lived out as a community?
The vision of Christ the Redeemer is to be a vibrant regional congregation engaging greater Portland with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through both sustained personal and congregational relationships. Our membership will consist of people at all levels of spiritual maturity, including a significant number of new believers, all being trained to make the Gospel central and to live with a Kingdom focus. Together we will serve as a regional church planting center.
Values – What are our corporate priorities?
1. We value God above all else.
As a gathering of God’s people it is our primary duty and joy to reverently adore and worship God for who He is. His glory and the way to relationship with Him through Christ are revealed in the Scriptures, where we learn how to value God rightly. As a congregation we will pursue our mission in every facet according to His Word as an expression of our intimacy with Him. This bond will be demonstrated through personal and corporate prayer and will drive our worship, care for one another, and concern for the lost.
2. We value one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jesus has saved us, adopting us into His family. As such we will sacrificially care for one another’s physical and spiritual needs. In the daily rigors of life we will help one another to understand Scripture, develop godly character, and effectively use our gifts and talents to God’s glory. We have family beyond this congregation, and will extend our care to churches in greater Portland, our presbytery, our denomination, and of Christ’s Church globally.
3. We value our neighbors as more important than ourselves.
God created everyone in His own image, therefore, we are committed to treating all with dignity. As those who experience God’s grace, we will joyfully extend His grace and mercy to others through serving our neighbors with acts of kindness and words, both faithful to God’s revealed truth. In love we will call others to biblical faith and repentance.
Approved by the Session: January 25, 2011
