Statement of Faith
Doctrinal Basis of 'Orama Christian Community'

Human Nature:
We are part of God's creation, made in God's image: male and female we are created. We are free to reflect God's own nature, to make choices to love, to create, to reason, and to live in harmony with God and all creation. However we are free to disobey, or deny the reality of God. From the beginning we have misused our freedom. We work against God and put ourselves in the place of God. We sin we fail. God has acted in Jesus to bring us back to a loving and forgiven relationship. In that action all humanity is offered re-creation and wholeness.

God:
We come into relationship with God by God's initiative in our thinking, and understanding: by experiencing and reflecting on the wonder and mystery of creation, birth and death, guilt and the need to find meaning, and worth beyond ourselves. Christians learn about God in the Bible, in the teaching of the Church summed up in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, and through sharing in the living community of faith, God is eternal, earth maker, pain bearer, life giver; source of all that is and shall be. We learn that God is one, yet revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit- a Holy Trinity.

God as Father:
There is one God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, of that is, seen and unseen, God creates all the worlds that are, and is sovereign over all, God is in all and through all, and all that God creates is good. It means that the world belongs to its creator, and that we are called to enjoy it and to care for it in accordance with God's purposes. It means that all people are worthy of respect and honour because all are created in the image of God, and all can respond to the love of God.

God the Son:
Jesus is the only Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

God the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is God at work, in the world and in the Christian Community now, the giver of life and truth. The Holy Spirit reveals God's truth through human experience, in the Bible, and in the witness of the believing community. The Holy Spirit enfold, nurtures and strengthens us in the love of God. By the power of the Holy Spirit people enter into the new life of the kingdom, receive Jesus as Lord of life and become disciples. They grow into love and harmony with God, their neighbours, themselves and all creation. The Holy Spirit gives a variety of gifts to the people of God, produces fruit in their lives, and equips them for ministry in the world. The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The Bible:
We value the Holy Scriptures because the Holy Spirit inspired their human authors and through the Scriptures God's word continues to speak to us individually and corporately. We understand the meaning of the Bible, with the help of the Holy Spirit, who guided the people of God in interpretation and understanding.

The Church:
The Church is the body of which Christ is the head, and all baptized believers are members. It is called the people of God, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a community of faith and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Our mission as a faith community is to proclaim the good news of God's kingdom, to make disciples, to work for justice and peace, and to strive for reconciliation and healing in a broken world.

Ministry:
All believers are called to serve. Our vocation is to witness to Christ in the world using the gifts the Spirit gives us. Within the believing community we share in the worship and in government. The purpose of all ministry is to continue Jesus' servant ministry in the world by witnessing to God's reconciling love, to bring in the Kingdom of god, to build up the body of Christ, and to glorify God's holy name.

Prayer:
Prayer is our response to God's love. We pray in the name of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. We recognize many different ways of praying. We can pray with or without words, by ourselves or with others. The main kinds of prayer include adoration, praise, thanksgiving, confession of sins, intercession to God for others and for ourselves. The prayer of listening to God is called mediation or contemplation.

Christian Lifestyle:
We live this life by prayer, by regular worship and by using our time, talents and money to serve Christ in the world. As followers of Christ we seek to be loving in all relationships, honest, thankful, generous and forgiving. We seek to honour marriage and the importance of family life, to work for peace and justice, and to be responsible stewards of God's creation.

Christian Hope:
Our Christian hope is that nothing, not even death, shall separate us from the love of God which endures and prevails forever. We believe that God in Christ will come in glory to judge the living and the dead in the fullness of time. We look to resurrection life and participation with the saints in glory. We anticipate the coming of Christ and we live in the newness of eternal life which the Spirit gives: we work for the fulfillment of God's purposes for the whole creation.