Barton’s Core Values

1              GOSPEL: The Gospel changes everything. 

The Christian faith is not the story of our striving to know God. It is the story of the God of love reaching out to us in the form of Jesus, stepping down into human history and offering us life in all its fullness. The Gospel is the good news of Jesus’ amazing sacrifice on our behalf, exchanging our rebellion and sin for his completeness through God’s awesome grace. We are called to rely on Jesus’ completed work (rather than our own efforts) for forgiveness and a personal relationship with God.

2              TRANSFORMED PEOPLE: The Gospel continuously transforms our lives from the inside out.

We are set free from the burden of things that once weighed us down and renewed as these are taken away. ‘In Christ’ we are given a new identity and a new family. Because ‘Christ is in us’ we have a new wisdom, new love, new power, new motivation and new worldview. The new freedom we find in Christ allows us to grow into the people we were made to be and to truly enjoy life, despite its challenges, as we seek to live obedient lives that please God.

3              COMMUNITY: The Gospel creates a new community.

We believe that as the Gospel transforms us, we are called to become a new community; removing the barriers that society can build, so that whatever our differences and backgrounds, the reality of God’s love can be seen as we are bound together by the unity we know in Christ. The way of Jesus cannot be lived alone, and as such our community serves as a sign of God’s coming kingdom as we seek to encourage, disciple and challenge each other to know more of Jesus in our own lives.

4              Missional: The Gospel compels us to communicate God’s message of forgiveness to our world.

God’s great love compels us to proclaim the Gospel, living it out in our lives and declaring the truth of Jesus’ love to those around us (our family, friends, neighbours and colleagues). Both as individuals and together we seek to reach out with the Gospel with integrity and respect, providing a welcoming environment for people to hear the good news of Jesus’ love. We believe that in Canterbury we are in an ideal position to share the message of God’s love with a wide circle of people from all ages and nationalities, as we seek to obey Jesus' command to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.

5              Serving: The Gospel motivates us to sacrificially serve our neighbours, community and world. 

We were created to live for something larger than ourselves. It is in the service of others that the expression of Jesus’ love finds voice. God has given every believer gifts and resources, which are to be used not just for the benefit of God’s people but also the wider community. We want to see our community working for measurable change, along with others in Canterbury, amongst the oppressed and marginalised in our society, using our gifts and resources for the needs of others.

6              Culture: The Gospel transforms societies as well as individuals.

The transforming nature of God’s Grace should be evident in our society as God’s people live and serve in their communities. The impact of the gospel is shown in the concern we have for the oppressed, for justice issues and for the environment. In addition, the Gospel should resonate through the arts, business, government, and education sectors of our society.

As a fellowship we are committed to supporting engagement with our culture, helping each other to be the best we can be, and making positive contributions to all areas.

7              Enjoying God: The Gospel causes us to celebrate life with great joy. 

Through Jesus, God gives us ‘life in all its fullness’ and what God has begun in our lives he will bring to completion when Jesus returns.

Now, by the outworking of the Holy Spirit, we celebrate and acknowledge all that Jesus has done for us, living lives filled with hope, gratitude and worship that flow over into every aspect of our lives. God’s word describes the 'inexpressible and glorious Joy' experienced in response to our relationship with him. We want that Joy to be evident in all we do, knowing that our hope is real and that all of life contains opportunities to enjoy and experience God's goodness.