SPECIFIC ISSUES

Baptism and communion are the two ordinances required in the church. We believe that Christian baptism by immersion in water is a public identification with Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Although baptism is not required for salvation, it is commanded of all believers and is for believers only (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38, 41; Acts 18:8).

Scripture shows that a person was baptized after personally receiving forgiveness of sins through accepting Jesus Christ. The waters of baptism are a symbol of our death, burial, and resurrection to newness of life that happens when we become a new creation in Christ (Colossians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:1-4).

At Redemption, our baptism times are a highlight of our ministry year, as Luke 15 tells us there is much rejoicing in heaven at the conversion of even one person, so we figure we should celebrate as well when individuals publicly stand and proclaim their love for and commitment to Jesus Christ.

We try to have a Baptism Celebration about 3 to 4 times a year – stay tuned to our Events page for our next one. If you are interested in being baptized – please register for the event or contact our office. Youth ages 13 to 16 must have a parent involved in the process.

We normally ask parents to wait until their kids get to the age of 13, just to ensure that the children are old enough that they are making their own statement of belief in Christ. We don’t have an exact age and we do leave the final decision with the parent, but we would push back pretty firmly on one younger than 13. We believe the gospel is such that children can come to faith in Christ. Although there is no clear cut example in the New Testament of childhood salvation. At most, scripture talks about “and his household”, but we don’t know how old the children were.

You can view one of our baptism videos here to see the amazing celebration time we enjoy at each baptism event.

Communion is the commemoration by believers of Christ’s death and is a reminder through the bread and the juice of the Saviour’s broken body and shed blood. Communion is to be a time of confession of our sin and should be preceded by careful self-examination (Acts 4:13; Romans 6:3-6; 1 Corinthians 11:20-29).  All who are followers of Jesus Christ through salvation by grace and who have no unconfessed sin or rebellion in their life are invited to join with us in communion. We seek to participate in communion together as a church family on Sundays about every 4-6 weeks.

Our church is a body that welcomes all who know Jesus Christ as their Savior and all who are seeking Him. All Christ-followers are welcome to worship and fellowship with us together and we ask all who do to seek to preserve the unity of the Body of Christ within our church. We have not adopted the terms “charismatic” or “cessationist” to reflect our understanding of the Biblical position on the use of spiritual gifts in the body. We believe that these terms and the movements they represent often tend to emphasize unbiblical extremes that are at odds with our understanding of what the Scriptures teach.

We believe that the Christian life is supernatural and that the Lord continues to perform miracles and equip believers with the spiritual gifts for His glory. We believe that the public use of the often-labeled “sign gifts” (such as the gift of tongues) may still be in operation in some parts of our world as God reaches new people groups and/or in places where missionaries touch those of another culture.

We believe the gift of tongues as described in the New Testament is only one of many spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-31) and is not given to all believers, nor is it proof of being Spirit-filled or of possessing salvation in Christ; is not the primary manifestation of the Spirit’s work in a person’s life, but rather the Spirit’s work in producing a holy life (2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 2 Timothy 1:9) as well as the displays the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

The expression of tongues and other sign gifts are not to be overtly expressed at meetings that are under the organization and authority of our elders, out of courtesy for the various beliefs and positions of other attendees.

We work diligently to help ensure every attendee to Redemption feels warmly welcomed, loved, and served in the name of Christ. Please visit our Welcome Desk on Sunday mornings (upstairs, in the foyer). You’ll receive a warm welcome, and a package that includes various information on our church.

If God leads you to continue attending Redemption, we would encourage you to do the following:

1. We hold an event called Open House about 6 times per year. This is an informal time to hang out with some of our key leaders, ask some questions, and learn a bit about our history and our beliefs.
2. After you’ve attended Open House, we encourage you to sign up for our membership course called Redemption 101. It’s a 3-part course focusing on what it truly means to Worship, Walk, and Work for Christ.

The process for becoming a member at Redemption Bible Chapel is:

1. Salvation in Christ and water baptism
2. Complete the Redemption 101 course
3. Complete the Membership Application
4. You will be notified of your welcoming into membership

Our services are a great time for Worship and the Word and are the highlight of our week. However, you won’t find what you need at Redemption for your discipleship without getting involved in Small Groups and other growth related ministries.

The church exists to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission, and in the spirit of the Great Commandment (Matthew 28:19-20, Matthew 22:37-38).

The commission is fulfilled as disciples of Jesus Christ are made and grow in their relationship with Him and in likeness to Him. God is glorified when we manifest His presence as we do His work ( 2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

In seeking to act upon the church’s purpose, we recognize the extraordinary value in multiplying the reach of His ministry by planting local churches and by associating with existing, like-minded local churches. God is glorified when like-minded churches associate with one another in order to foster relationships that edify, protect, encourage, support and admonish.

To enhance our church planting ability, the fellowship we belong to, Great Commission Collective (GCC) helps connect church-planting churches with other GCC churches who are looking to get involved and support a new plant. These churches work together to provide the process, training, and support needed for a new plant to thrive.

The Lord changes lives and accomplishes His purposes directly through the reading and applying of Scripture, meditating on the truths of Scripture, and prayer. The Lord also uses those who minister His Word as they encourage, exhort, admonish, edify, implore, reprove, rebuke, and console others toward godliness. The Lord also often uses community, mutual encouragement, and prayer, as well as counselling provided by godly mentors. Our small groups seek to, through mutual ministry and shepherding, provide basic level congregational care and help with life’s struggles and difficulties.

When problems become more complicated and intense, we encourage people to seek out trained and qualified biblical counsellors (see note below).

When psychology and other social sciences step beyond observing human behavior and seek to explain the causes of human behavior, they enter spiritual territory, and at times fall short of true help. Ultimately only the God of the Scriptures can explain causes that are non-biological in nature and offer solutions that lead to godliness and a fruitful, joyful life. God has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). He changes us as we discipline ourselves through obedience to the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Timothy 4:7; 2 Peter 1:5-11).

Each Christian’s passion should be to become more like Christ and fulfill the Great Commandment to love the Lord with the entire heart, soul, mind, and strength (Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2, Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37-38).

The Christian who learns and applies the Word becomes mature, and in turn, can help others mature (2 Timothy 2:2).

NOTE:

We also strongly encourage those experiencing emotional or mental struggles to see their personal care physician right away and to always follow the advice and counsel provided by that health care expert. We do believe that counselling is needed and helpful at times in any of our lives, and in times when struggle, trial, or trouble come upon us, we should seek out gifted and qualified counsellors. This counselling approach could come through leaders or members of your small group who have been trained to help with basic issues, or through specially trained and educated Biblical counsellors. Biblical counselling seeks to help us understand beliefs we have embraced which are unbiblical or wrong and how those are influencing our behaviour and feelings. It also seeks to help us discover and embrace proper and more Biblical beliefs which will in turn help change our behaviours and feelings. We believe these functions are simply a part of discipleship and so will happen best in community with others.

We believe God created the universe in six 24-hour days and that before He created the universe, nothing except God existed (Genesis 1; Exodus 31:17; Psalm 33:6-9; Acts 17:24; Hebrews 11:3; Colossians 1:16).

God chose to create the universe and all that is in it to reveal His glory, divine nature, eternal power, infinite wisdom, and supreme authority (Isaiah 43:7; Psalm 19:1-2; Jeremiah 10:12; Romans 1:20; Revelation 4:11).

We deny the theory of evolution, which states that non-living substances gave rise to the first living material, which then reproduced and diversified to produce all living creatures. We believe that all people are descendants of Adam and Eve, whom God created personally and individually and as complete human beings (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:7; Genesis 2:21-22; 1 Corinthians 11:8-9). The fall of Adam and Eve infected all people with sin and death, but the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ gives the opportunity to receive God’s gift of eternal life (Romans 5:18-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22).

God rules over His creation, and cares about and is involved in the lives of individual people (Job 12:10; Acts 17:25; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; Ephesians 4:6).

God is sovereign in His divine knowledge of not only the present, but also the future. God is not limited in terms of time or space but rather controls and directs everything that is. Man has choice and will be held accountable for his choices before a sovereign and holy God. Man’s choice and God’s sovereign control of this world are both biblical truths, and we will not reject either, even though they can appear to be contrary to one another (Romans 9; Jeremiah 32:17; Psalm 139:15-16; Job 12:23; Acts 17:26; Daniel 4:28-35; John 6:64-71; Romans 8:28-39).

It is God’s divine decision to save a person (John 6:37; John 6:44; John 6:65; Romans 8:29-30; Romans 9:11-18; Acts 13:48; Acts 16:14; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:3) and it is God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience that lead that person to repentance (Romans 2:4). The Bible also teaches that each person is responsible to embrace or reject Jesus as Saviour and Lord and that God welcomes all who come to Him by faith apart from works (Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 15:7; Luke 20:9-18; John 6:37; John 7:37; Romans 10:9-13; Acts 16:30-34; Acts 17:30). Both of these two truths—God’s sovereignty in salvation and man’s responsibility for his own sin and rebellion—are taught in the Scriptures. Their co-existence is a mystery and is completely understood only in the mind of our omniscient God.

All glory for the salvation of every believer belongs to God alone (Romans 3:21-31; Ephesians 1:7-9; Ephesians 2:8-9; Jude 24-25).

Those who are born of God’s Spirit through Jesus Christ persevere in the faith (John 15:4-8; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 4:16; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; 1 John 4:13; 2 John 9). God is faithful to His people and empowers them to persevere in the faith (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 1 John 2:19-20).

We believe that everyone who is born of God’s Spirit through Jesus Christ is assured of salvation from the moment of conversion (Ephesians 1:13-14). This assurance relies on God’s decisive and faithful grace rather than on the works of the Christian. Obedience, good works, and fruit-bearing do not earn or retain the believer’s salvation, but indicate the reality of the person’s love of Christ and profession of faith (Luke 6:46; John 14:21; James 2:17-18).

Eternal security in salvation relies on the Lord’s guarantee of each believer’s adoption as His son or daughter (Galatians 4:4-7), His seal of the believer by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14), and the conviction that God gives the Holy Spirit to each believer as a down payment toward future bliss in heaven (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

A person who professes genuine faith in Christ immediately becomes His possession (Luke 23:42-43; Acts 2:40-41; Acts 16:30-34), and nothing can snatch that person out of His hands (John 10:27-29). Having been bought with the price of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion as complete payment for sin, Christians are not their own. They are Christ’s possession (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This assurance is absolutely certain, reserved in heaven, and protected by God’s unlimited power (1 Peter 1:4-5).

Mature disciples who are committed to a relationship with Christ will focus on worshipping Christ, walking with Christ, and working for Christ. That person will experience significant growth in personal sanctification and, therefore, will experience a closer personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and will become “complete in Christ” (Colossians 1:28).

We are committed to multiplying the godly characteristics of leaders’ lives into others (2 Timothy 2:2). This multiplication of ministry is key to the healthy growth of the church. We believe the disciples of Jesus Christ should minister to one another in the local church, rather than one or a small number of professional pastors bearing total responsibility to care for the entire congregation. God has given spiritual gifts to all of His people to provide mutual ministry in the context of the healthy and strong local church (Ephesians 4:11-12).

Satan and his demonic servants viciously oppose the work God performs in and through His people (1 Peter 5:8; Genesis 3:1-7; Ephesians 6:12). God, who by His nature is infinitely more powerful than Satan, in due time will have complete and total victory over Satan (1 John 4:4; Revelation 20:1-10).

Although it is appropriate to pray in Jesus’ name for protection against demonic activity, the Scriptures do not instruct the Christian to “bind Satan in Jesus’ name.” Rather, the Scriptures instruct the Christian to combat Satan by:

• • • humbly drawing near to God, knowing that He will give grace, mercy, and strength (2 Corinthians 12:7-9; Hebrews 4:15-16; James 4:8; 1 Peter 5:6-10)
    • resisting his temptations (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9)
    • rightly applying the truth of the Scriptures (Matthew 4:1-11; Ephesians 4:24-27)
    • forgiving offenses (2 Corinthians 2:10-11)
    • putting on the armor of God’s truth, righteousness, readiness to share the Gospel, faith, salvation and prayer (Ephesians 6:11-20)
    • demonstrating faithfulness to the Lord by enduring trials (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 2:13; Revelation 3:9-10)

Believers cannot be possessed by a demonic spirit for they belong to Jesus and His Spirit dwells inside of them (1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Corinthians 3:16).

We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Scriptures and that they contain all the words of God that we need in order to completely trust and obey Him (2 Peter 1:3). The Scriptures are inerrant in their original writings (Psalm 119:97-104; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 5:18; John 5:46-47; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15-16), and are infallible in their instruction (2 Peter 1:19-21), eternal in duration (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:23-25); the final authority and the standard for faith and practice (Matthew 4:4; Psalm 119); and sufficient for counsel in every issue of life (Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:16).

We believe that the very words of Scripture in the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic are inspired by God. Therefore, we believe that the Bible versions which translate God’s Word most literally into modern English should be preferred.

The chief purpose of mankind is to glorify God by loving Him with the entire heart, soul, mind and might (Deuteronomy 6:5; Isaiah 43:7; Matthew 22:37).

All believing men, women and children are to glorify God and thus fulfill the purpose of their existence. Worship glorifies God through adoration (Psalm 95:6), praise (Psalm 99:5), prayer (Daniel 6:10-11), thanksgiving (Nehemiah 12:46) and a complete yielding to Him (Romans 12:1).

Worship declares His worth, pays Him homage, and celebrates Him in a life of devotion. We seek to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth (Exodus 15:1-21; 2 Samuel 6:14-16; Psalm 5:7; John 4:23-24; Revelation 4:11, Revelation 5:12).

We seek to:

• • • lift high the name of Jesus Christ (John 4:22-26; John 14:6);
    • lead God’s people to lift their hearts and voices to Him, giving Him praise and thanks in music and lyric (Nehemiah 12:45-46; Psalm 66:1-4; Psalm 95:1-2);
    • emphasize fresh and contemporary expressions while retaining traditional elements that recognize the richness of our heritage in the faith (Deuteronomy 32:7; Psalm 33:3; Isaiah 46:8-9; Ephesians 5:19; Revelation 5:9);
    • pursue excellence in worship, knowing that God is worthy of our best (Deuteronomy 17:1; Psalm 33:3,  Hebrews 11:4).

The God who created everything in the universe and the God who entered our existence to sacrifice Himself and die for our sin and rebellion so we could live – and not just live but have abundant and eternal life – that God has invited us to worship Him.

No wonder David asked in amazement, “Why do you care about us humans?” (Psalm 8:1-9 —CEV). Lord we are in your presence — and we are here only able to worship you by your mercy and grace.

The wise men said — “We have seen His star in the east and we have accepted His invitation. We have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2). The presence of God was humanized in Jesus and the wise men encountered Him in worship. Every Sunday we gather as a church body to worship our great and awesome God. We believe this is an amazing privilege and blessing.

When was the last time you worshiped? Not attend worship, but you worshiped. You had an audience, an encounter with God, His glory came down and you were changed!

Worshiping Him is the most significant thing that we can do — it is from worship that everything else flows (service, evangelism, missions, etc.). How often do we really encounter the living God, privately or corporately?

Worship involves seeing what God is worth and then giving Him what He’s worth. True worship treasures God’s presence. At Redemption we seek to encounter God in our times of corporate worship. It is not about us – it is all about Him. Our goal is to help each person turn their eyes from themselves, from their problems, their interests, their distractions and to see Jesus high and lifted up. As we begin to see Him and to value and enjoy Him, He is honoured and glorified and we are transformed.

Our worship team works very hard in preparation, but not to put on a show or to worship for us, but rather to lead us to enter into worship.

Join us this weekend and experience corporate musical worship as we seek to worship God in spirit and in truth. Our goal is the balance – worship based on the truth of God’s revealed Word, and yet also worship engaging the heart, mind, and will as we encounter the reality and beauty of the Most High. Our worship style is modern, and yet with a depth and God-focus which will truly transform you as you enter into offering your praise and adoration to God.

Our church affirms the God-ordained and significant role that women should play in establishing and leading the local church. Every leadership opportunity is open to women, except those that are excluded by Scripture.

The Scriptures clearly state that men are to serve in the office of Elder and that women are not to serve in church positions in which they exercise authority over men or in which they teach men (1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Timothy 3:1-2; Titus 1:6-9).

We do not see this as an issue of equality, for men and women are equal under God. The Bible is clear that men and women do not have the same roles. Qualified women should serve in any leadership position that is not forbidden in the Scriptures.