Our Story...
Our story begins where your story begins. A God who speaks into a cosmic nothingness and creates a universe full of beauty, potential and energy. In the midst of this canvas, this God creates humanity and beckons them into a love relationship with him.
When they reject him, this God enacts a divine story of restoration, culminating in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dying and rising to win humanity back. God pours out his Spirit on these followers of Jesus, and calls them to share, create and live the story of God in the world around them.
In 1896, a handful of men and women in Cambridge decided to gather weekly to share God's story with the community, to worship and enjoy God, and to bless those around them. Through challenges and adventures, hope and heartbreak, this gathering has grown to our current community at Raleigh Street Christian Centre.
Businessmen and women, architects and artists, musicians and stay-at-home-Mums, teachers, students, entrepreneurs and employees, retirees and babies - we are a gathering of ordinary people who love God, love hearing his story shared, and love the challenge of living fully alive with him.
When they reject him, this God enacts a divine story of restoration, culminating in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dying and rising to win humanity back. God pours out his Spirit on these followers of Jesus, and calls them to share, create and live the story of God in the world around them.
In 1896, a handful of men and women in Cambridge decided to gather weekly to share God's story with the community, to worship and enjoy God, and to bless those around them. Through challenges and adventures, hope and heartbreak, this gathering has grown to our current community at Raleigh Street Christian Centre.
Businessmen and women, architects and artists, musicians and stay-at-home-Mums, teachers, students, entrepreneurs and employees, retirees and babies - we are a gathering of ordinary people who love God, love hearing his story shared, and love the challenge of living fully alive with him.
Statement of Faith
(Summarised Version)
We believe that the following doctrines are foundational to mature Christian faith.
We believe in:
- The authority & inspiration of the Bible – Inspired by God and written by men, the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct
- The Trinity – There is one God, existing eternally in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- God the Father – All people can trust the Father of creation to provide their earthly needs. But Christians can also trust their heavenly Father to provide for their spiritual needs. He also expects His children to talk to Him, in prayer.
- God the Son – The virgin birth, humanity & deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
- God the Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit's indwelling, sealing and empowering of all believers in Christ
- Mankind – The perfect creation of humanity by God. The sinfulness of the entire human race is a consequence of sin by the first man, Adam.
- Sin – is disobedience to God. God has established that the penalty for sin is eternal separation from Himself, but has provided a way of reconciliation with Himself through Jesus Christ.
- Salvation – is made up of three aspects: (i) God’s grace in reaching down to us, (ii) our faith in reaching up to God, and (iii) our belief in the death and resurrection of Christ removes the barrier of sin between us and God.
- The Church – Christ is the Head of the church. Each individual church is a group of believers who meet together for teaching, worship, fellowship, sharing communion and prayer. The church also prepares God’s people for evangelism and service.
There are also certain doctrines or principles in the teachings of Raleigh St Christian Centre, which we hold to be important. These may distinguish, but not divide us, from other believers and churches that are faithful to Christ
- Assurance of salvation and eternal security of believers
- The observance of believer’s baptism by immersion and regular practice of the communion service
- The Headship of Christ - Christ is the only head of the church and the centre for gathering. We believe that every church, and every individual believer, is directly accountable to Christ. Christ has entrusted the leadership of the church to elders, men who are recognised as Christ's under-shepherds.
- Every Christian has been given, by God, at least one spiritual gift to use in building up others in the church. We believe that each Christian should be encouraged to identify and use these gifts, especially to function as part of the church. Therefore we believe that all Christians are equal in the sight of God, but may have different roles.
- The personal, imminent and premillennial coming of the Lord to the air to rapture (catch up) the church. This is followed by the Tribulation of 7 years, the thousand year earthly reign of Christ, the eternal state of punishment for the unsaved, and eternal blessing for the saved.
