Please read the following statements of faith, belief & practice:
1. WHAT WE BELIEVE
About The Bible - We believe that God divinely inspired human authors to write the sixty-six books of the Bible, which is the inspired, infallible and authoritative Word of God. We look to the Bible for the revelation of the character of God and the final authority on all matters of faith and conduct.
Biblical References – 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21
About God - We believe there is one Divine Being who has existed eternally. He exists and reveals Himself to man in three distinct, equally divine persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that He is totally loving and completely holy.
Biblical References - Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
About Jesus - We believe that Jesus is the eternal divine Son of God who is fully God and fully man. Jesus, the Saviour of mankind, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life on Earth, performed undeniable miracles, was crucified for our sins, was buried and raised from the dead. Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven and will return again to receive His Church.
Biblical References – Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Matthew 24; Mark 16:19; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:18, 14:2-3; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 14; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 9:28
About The Holy Spirit - We believe that the Holy Spirit is God’s gift to mankind to help us live a life fully devoted to God. We believe in the Spirit-filled life, a life of separation from the world and characterized by godly fruit and Christ-like character. We believe in the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an experience subsequent to salvation with the primary evidence of speaking in tongues. We believe that the purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to empower believers to reach out to people in the power of God.
Biblical References – Luke 11:13; John 14:26, 16:7-15; Acts 1:8, 2:1-4, 8:14-17, 9:17, 10:44-46, 19:1-6; 1 Corinthians 12 & 14; Galatians 3:14, 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:18
About Mankind - We believe in the creation, test and fall of mankind as recorded in the book of Genesis. We believe that mankind was created to have relationship with God but that sin separated each of us from Him and His purpose for our lives. We believe that everyone is born with a sin nature that affects their motivation, affections, decisions, and actions. We believe that mankind is incapable of attaining divine righteousness by their own effort.
Biblical References - Romans 3:10-18, 23, 5:12, 18, 6:23; James 4:17; 1 John 5:17
About Salvation - We believe that Jesus as both God and man is the only One who can reconcile us to God. We believe that salvation is by grace, through repentance and faith in the perfect work of the Cross of Jesus in which we receive the forgiveness of sins.
Biblical References – John 3:16-17; Romans 5:11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 9:12, 22
About The Church - We believe that the local church is the place where believers gather together to encourage one another, learn from the Bible, minister to one another and represent Jesus to a broken world. The local church provides identity to its members and is God’s design for everything that we need for spiritual maturity which includes direction, relationship, protection, teaching and accountability.
Biblical References – 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Psalm 92:13-14; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:4-8; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Timothy 3:15
About Eternity - We believe that our eternal destination of either heaven or hell is determined by our response to Jesus Christ.
Biblical References - Mark 9:43-48; John 3:16, 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 20:10-15
About Our Enemy - We believe in the reality and personality of Satan and that he is a created being, not equal with God in any way but defeated and awaiting his eternal judgment together with his angels.
Biblical References - Matthew 25:41; Luke 4:1-13; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:10-15
2. WHAT WE PRACTICE
Water Baptism - We believe in the necessity of water baptism by immersion as an outward sign and testimony that an individual has made the commitment to follow Christ. We believe water baptism is for people who are old enough to come to that decision based upon their own personal faith.
Biblical References - Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38-41; 19:1-6; Romans 6:3-4
Communion - We believe in the necessity of regularly receiving communion as a way of celebrating and remembering what Jesus did for us on the cross.
Biblical References – Acts 2:42, 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Baby/Child Dedications - We believe that children are a gift from God. We believe that baby dedications are an excellent way to celebrate God’s precious gifts and for parents to make a public commitment to train, lead and spiritually nurture their child in the ways of God.
Biblical References – 1 Samuel 1:27-28; Psalm 127:3; Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16
New Testament Church Government & Leadership - We believe that the Biblical form of church government is a plural eldership with a senior leader, who qualifies on the basis of their spiritual life, character, domestic life, and leadership ability. A plurality of eldership provides proper checks and balances and emphasizes the concept of team ministry as an effective and balanced approach to leadership and vision in the church.
Biblical References – Acts 15:6-9; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 4:14, 5:17; Titus 1:5-9; Acts 14:23, 20:28
Tithing & Giving - We believe in tithing (the first 10% of our income) and giving offerings as God’s financial plan to carry on His ministry through His Church. The tithe is what we return to God while our offering is something that we give to God.
Biblical References – 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Matthew 23:23; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Acts 2:44-45, 4:34-35; Malachi 3:8-12; Luke 6:38; Proverbs 3:9-10; Genesis 14:17-20
3. STATEMENT ON MARRIAGE, GENDER, SEXUALITY & HUMAN LIFE
Christian Marriage - We believe in the sanctity of marriage as established by God through the Bible. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman who are spiritually aligned, in a binding commitment recognized morally by God, enacted verbally and validated legally.
Biblical References – Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 7:2-3; 1 Corinthians 7:10-11; Ephesians 5:22-33; Hebrews 13:4
Gender - Since marriage is exclusive to the union between one man and one woman, our God-given gender matters. We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, and that these two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. We believe that the rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
Biblical References – Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 5:2; Matthew 19:4-5; Mark 10:6
Sexuality - As a church, we believe that sex is a gift from God. It is a gift, however, to be enjoyed only within the boundaries that God provides. The Bible teaches that these boundaries are within the context of Christian marriage, between a husband and a wife. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
Biblical References – 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4
Sanctity Of Human Life - We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically and mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect and value all human life.
Biblical References – Genesis 1:26-27; Exodus 20:13; Psalm 49:7-8; Psalm 139; Jeremiah 1:5
Please read the following Impact Interns “code of conduct”:
Intimacy - It is my desire to deepen my relationship with God and make knowing Him my first and most important priority.
Character - It is my desire to let God shape my character and transform me into His image. I will take note of God’s Word and apply it to my life.
Study - It is my desire to study diligently to show myself approved and grow in my knowledge of God’s Word.
Faithfulness - It is my desire to faithfully complete all of my assignments on time and be prompt in my attendance to all prayer times, class times, ministry assignments and worship services.
Honour - It is my desire to honour leaders entrusted with my care and those I minister to as unto the Lord.
Purity - It is my desire to walk in purity toward those around me, to avoid any immoral activities that engage in any behavior that is contrary to Biblical ethics, and to use any social media time with wisdom knowing the example God is asking me to set for others.
Relationships - It is my desire to be an encouragement to my fellow interns and build healthy relationships with others. Furthermore, it is my desire to follow Biblical guidelines in dealing with any offenses that may occur.
Excellence - It is my desire to communicate a spirit of excellence in my speech, conduct, appearance and attitude.
I hereby declare that all information contained within this application is true to the best of my knowledge. If Impact Church is notified that any information contained on this application is false, I understand that it could be grounds for dismissal from the Impact Interns program. I also understand that if accepted into the Impact Interns program, I will at all times conduct myself as a Christian and seek to honour the following:
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The expectations of the Impact Interns program
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The “Statements of Faith, Belief & Practice” of Impact Church
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The Impact Interns “Code of Conduct”
I am fully persuaded that it is the will of God for me to be enrolled in the “Impact Intern” Program for the 2024-2025 year. My hope is that I will develop a stronger personal relationship with God, so that I will mature in Christian character and ultimately be better prepared to serve more effectively in my local church and my future ministry.
