Getting to know us

Who we are

We are one church meeting in two locations – St James' in Harewood and St. Timothy’s in Burnside. We are made up of people of different ages, nationalities and life experiences, but we are all journeying together to be the community of faith Christ envisioned. Whether you are single or married, with children or not, there is a place of belonging for you where you can make new friends and begin a new phase in your spiritual journey of knowing Christ.

Our top priority is making lifelong disciples of Jesus. From the very young to the very old we want to find out what it means to follow Jesus in the ups and downs of everyday life. There is a place for you in our community so come join us.

What we believe

Our beliefs are found in the salvation story laid out in the Bible. It is a story that has been told for over two thousand years and has transformed lives of people all over the world. We regard the Bible as God’s inspired Word and believe it is given to us so that we can develop a biblical worldview to govern the way we live. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). There are four parts to the salvation story as laid out below.

  • Creation

    The salvation narrative in the Bible has its beginning with the one and only true God (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4) who exists from the very beginning in a community of three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Luke 3:21-22; John 1:1-2, 14, 18; 1 Peter 1:2). Within the Trinity, we find love and mutual submission.

    As an expression of His love and glory, God created the universe out of nothing by the power of His word and saw that everything He created was good. God created humanity in His own image and as the crown of creation giving them dominion over all else that He had made (Genesis 1:26-30).

    In creation, God ordained family and community life when He charged the first man and woman to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28; 2:25).

  • Fall

    In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had a close relationship with God and creation. God provided everything they needed to live a full and satisfying life. However, despite all their needs being met by their heavenly Father, Adam and Eve were tempted by the devil masquerading as a serpent, this led them to disobey God’s command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-6). As a consequence, creation became cursed and Adam and Eve felt shame and experienced spiritual separation from God (Genesis 3:7-24). Since the Fall, all human beings inherit that same spiritual separation being born with a sinful nature that is prone to reject God and embrace sin (Romans 3:10-23; Isaiah 59:1-2).

  • Redemption

    God revealed His grace and love for humanity by not leaving them in their fallen state and separated from all the blessings they needed to live the full and satisfying life He had planned for them. So, from the moment of Adam and Eve’s initial sin that led to the whole creation coming under the curse, God promised redemption through the woman’s seed (Genesis 3:15; Romans 16:20). He reiterated that promise to Abraham, telling him that a blessing to all nations would come through his offspring, namely Jesus (Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:16). God foreshadowed the coming of Jesus in His covenant with the nation of Israel, instituting a sacrificial system for sin which enabled people to find reconciliation with God (Leviticus 16). God then used the prophets to foretell of a new and better covenant that would be established by the Messiah who would atone for sin once and for all (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 53:1-12).

    Jesus proved to be that Messiah by fulfilling all Old Testament prophecies. He was God made flesh (John 1:1-3, 14), entering human history as a man to live without sin as a perfect example (Hebrews 4:15). He died on the cross as payment for our sins (Hebrews 2:17), and then rose from the dead overcoming sin, death and Satan (Colossians 2:13-15). Jesus then returned to Heaven where He now intercedes before the Father on behalf of all those who trust in His sacrifice (Hebrews 7:25). God the Father adopts those people who respond to Christ as His children and unites them as His church. He regenerates their dead hearts to new life and pours out the Holy Spirit for supernatural empowerment so that the church can continue Christ’s work of redemption in the world (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 1:13-14; Titus 3:5-8; 1 John 4:12-16).

    Because of who Jesus is and what He has done, the church holds on to the supremacy of Christ as the only means to receive God’s salvation and to enter into His Kingdom (John 14:6; Colossians 1:15-23)

  • Restoration

    The church, made up of Christ’s followers, are invited to join in and participate in God’s Kingdom life and mission here on earth, while we wait for the Kingdom’s full consummation in the future. Jesus promised that He will return one day to judge the nations. He will bring justice and usher in a resurrection of all peoples, some to eternal torment in Hell (Revelation 20:11-15), and others to life in Heaven (John 5:24). God will finally establish a new heavens and a new earth in which the redeemed people of God will live in perfect, sinless harmony with God and with each other forever (2 Peter 3:13).

Why we exist

Our vision:
We use the triangle below as a way of discussing the three dimensions of our lives that we want to grow here at St Timothy’s and St James’ :
  • UP – Our relationship with God
  • IN – Our relationship with each other
  • OUT – Our relationship with the wider community
Why we exit

Our mission

“Making lifelong disciples of Jesus”

Our Values

  • 1
    We love Jesus
  • 2
    We embrace the Father heart of God
  • 3
    We rely on the Holy Spirit
  • 4
    We live out the Bible
  • 5
    We build Christian community
Check out Parish Events

Address

Parish office:

46 Kendal Avenue
Burnside, Christchurch

Office hours:

Monday to Thursday 9am - 12:30pm
Office closed Fridays and weekends

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