We believe that the Christian faith is fostered in communities of love where Christ is at the centre. We have a desire to work with God’s Spirit to see our Churches grow, in order to foster new communities of faith, and to enable passionate worship, intentional faith development, loving service, and caring mission.
As we reflect on what makes for a healthy Circuit, we can learn from the forest, because a forest is healthy when..
- ..it is rooted in good soil – we seek for our churches to be rooted in the love of Christ.
- ..it is well-watered – we seek for our churches to be refreshed by the Holy Spirit.
- ..it is dynamic, where death leads to regeneration – we seek for our churches to recognise that in death comes new life, that what dies in the forest becomes the source of resurrection life.
- ..it is diverse – we benefit from our churches having a diversity; we are not seeking a monoculture of church, but instead living communities of faith that are messy, individual, and good news to their community.
- ..it is interdependent – we seek to work together using our gifts to strengthen one another.
- ..there is space for new life – we seek to foster new communities, and make room for the church at the margins.
Healthy churches are ones that are rooted in Christ, grow, and show the fruit of the Spirit that is “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5.22 NIV