Our Purpose

Advancing the Kingdom of God, by His grace - for His Glory

Our Principles

The words of the Apostle Paul in Acts 20:24, serve as a summary of the principles which govern all ministry at Orange Baptist Church: “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

GRACE permeates all that we think, say and do at Orange Baptist Church. GRACE is the gospel and the gospel is GRACE. The principles which govern the fulfilment of our purpose, flow from hearts which have been (and continue to be) transformed by God’s amazing GRACE. His GRACE defines who we are and empowers us to help others discover who they are in Christ. We see the following five principles flowing from this foundation of GRACE:

Giving is the language of the Kingdom. God gives to us freely and calls us to give to Him in worship and give to His people in service. Our time, energy, gifts, money, skills and our very lives, are ours to keep or to give away. We choose to give them away in service of others and the Kingdom of God.

Receiving - from God freely each day is essential to a fruitful life and ministry. We live and serve in the power of God's love and grace which are given freely in Jesus Christ; we receive His Word through Biblical, authentic teaching.

Acceptance and change. God accepts us as we are, regardless of our performance. He then empowers us to change and become all that He created us to be. Our acceptance of others, inside and outside the Church, will lead them to encounter the transforming, empowering presence of God.

City-wide transformation. Releasing the transforming presence of God across our city is our primary calling and mission, and therefore the central focus and ultimate goal of all that we do. Self-sacrificial giving and service, undergirded by intentional intercessory prayer, will be the greatest vehicle for the transforming power of God to be released in our city. We want to fall in love with our city so that our city may fall in love with God.

Evangelism is the natural outflow of a healthy Church. God will build His Church and enlarge His Kingdom as we reflect His glory and manifest His presence in a needy world. It is to this end that we labour, by His grace and for His glory.

Priorities

The priorities of Orange Baptist Church are encapsulated in the words of the Apostle Paul as recorded in Colossians 1:28-29:

“We proclaim Him (Christ), admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labour, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me.”

Our purpose is to proclaim CHRIST in word and deed, teach people about CHRIST and present everyone perfect in CHRIST.

To this end we work and struggle with the energy of CHRIST within us. So our purpose is CHRIST, from beginning to end. We set our sights on CHRIST as the source and goal of all ministry.

As we fulfil our purpose in CHRIST and allow the above principles to guide us, we will see the following six priorities emerge:

Connect and integrate with the community of Orange in every way, seeking to bring the presence of Christ into each family, neighbourhood, institution and organisation in our city, where our people are represented.

Heal - spiritually, emotionally, physically and relationally, as God leads and empowers.

Reflect God's grace into each and every relationship, inside and outside the Church.

Intercede for our city, touching every aspect of life in our community, through informed, intentional, fervent prayer.

Serve our community through acts of kindness and self-sacrificial love, using the skills and gifts God has given us to help those in need.

Teach the uncompromised truth of the Gospel, providing training and resources for those inside and outside our Church family, in Orange and beyond.