Why we exist
Our primary purposes as a Church
To know the Father and to make Him known to the people of Upper Hutt.
To love the Father: this is about our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Our aim is to be a church that knows & loves the Father with all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength. Matthew 22.36-40
Not just knowing about him, but having an intimate relationship with the Father. Not one just based on his many blessings – of having our sins forgiven, but daily experiencing his presence in our lives. We want to encourage one another to develop our love of the Father, and that is why we gather together to worship Him.
To love one another: this is about our relationship with one another.
We aim to be a church that loves one another in both both word & deed.
Love your neighbour as yourself. Mark 12:31
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35
One way we express our love of the Father, is by connecting with one another and caring for one another in practical ways. Our goal is to create the kind of community that Jesus envisaged, where nobody stands alone and everybody has a sense of belonging. Becoming this kind of community means practicing kindness, forgiveness, doing acts of service, hospitality, reconciliation and being generous towards one another.
To love this world: this is about our relationship with those who don’t yet know Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
It’s about bringing the good news of the gospel to individuals and communities by showing them God’s love for them, in both word and deed. Luke 4.18-19
What we believe
The Word of God
We believe all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the divinely inspired Word of God, the supreme authority in all matters for Christian belief and living.
The Trinity
We believe in one God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, Sustainer of all things. God eternally exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that each person being fully God.
God the Father
We believe that God the Father is an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. He concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of all people, desiring to reveal himself as Father to all.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s eternal Son. He is not only true God, but true Man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Having lived a sinless life, He died on the Cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin, rose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven. He is now our High Priest and Advocate and will visibly return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the person who brings God’s life into the lives of believers, working within them to transform them into the likeness of the Son and empowering them to serve God. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are given as the Spirit wills, irrespective of gender, race or social position. They are to be expressed with humility, love and self control for the edification of the church and its mission in the world.
Humanity
We believe that humanity was created in the image of God; that Adam and Eve sinned and passed on a sinful nature to the human race. All people are sinners by nature and by practice and are therefore spiritually dead and apart from God’s salvation through Jesus are lost eternally.
Salvation
We believe that the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ. Salvation is by the grace of God, purchased by the blood of Christ and received by faith, apart from any human merit, works, or ritual. All people who put their faith in Christ are justified and become God’s children. The conviction of sin will result in repentance and spiritual fruit. We believe in a final judgment of all people. Those who truly belong to God’s kingdom will dwell with God forever, those who do not will be eternally separated from Him in Hell.
The Church
We believe that the church is the spiritual body of which Jesus Christ alone is the Head and is composed of all persons who have been saved through faith in Jesus. This body expresses itself in local assemblies gathering for worship, instruction, evangelism, and service. As part of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand, we practise a visible pledge of commitment, one to another, through a formalising of membership. We observe believers’ baptism by immersion and regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
Christian Living
We believe that the supreme task of every believer is to glorify God in life and conduct. Each Christian should be a faithful steward of all possessions and seek to realize in every area of life the full stature of maturity in Christ.
Rimutaka Baptist Church 