GOSPEL

GOSPEL MESSAGE

We believe the gospel is the power of God for salvation through faith in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. It is the good and true story that Jesus has defeated sin, death, and satan through His life, death, and resurrection.

GOSPEL POWER

The gospel has profound implications for those who put their faith in Jesus. It is good news that through Jesus we have been saved from the penalty of sin (justification), are being saved from the present power of sin (sanctification), and will be saved from the presence of sin (glorification). The gospel becomes the very foundation of who we are and how we live.

GOSPEL IDENTITY

We believe that we have been given a new identity in Christ. We are now children of God (Family) sent by the power of the Spirit (Missionary) to serve our King (Servant) in fulfilling His mission to be disciples who make disciples. We find that the gospel meets our every need and reshapes the totality of our world, and rather than move beyond it, we are continually being transformed and shaped by it. 

unity in essentials

PV aligns with historic Christian faith, a faith well-stated in the Apostles Creed. On matters of doctrine, we embrace the maxim “In the essentials unity, in the non-essentials diversity, in all things charity.” In other words, we believe that all doctrine is important, but that common adherence on all points of secondary doctrine is not necessary for salvation or partnership at PV.

THEOLOGICAL DISTINCTIVES

1. GOSPEL-CENTERED THEOLOGY

God is the initiator of Salvation and Jesus is the Hero. God doesn’t respond to us – we respond to God’s initiative and calling. He saves and secures us for salvation and we respond only because of and by his grace. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension and sending of the Spirit are the centre and fulfillment of our faith. It is through him, because of him and in him that we come to be God’s people, are transformed and have hope for final restoration.

2. CHARISMATIC PNEUMATOLOGY

We believe the Holy Spirit is alive and active in regeneration, empowerment and ongoing filling for the purposes of God in this world. We believe all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still available today, but not one of them in particular is required to give evidence of the baptism or filling of the Spirit. 

3. ALREADY-NOT-YET ESCHATOLOGY

We believe the Kingdom of God was inaugurated in Jesus’ first coming and will be consummated in his second coming. We live in the in between where we can experience the reign of Jesus while longing for its completion as we also experience the reality that things are not yet fully as they will be within the new heaven and new earth. We acknowledge the variety of views within inaugurated eschatology and allow for this variety within our family.

4. MISSIONAL ECCLESIOLOGY

We believe the church is the family of God sent by the Spirit to make disciples of Jesus to all nations throughout the world. We are saved by God’s power for God’s purposes to bring him glory in all things wherever we are. The church is always being sent by God to accomplish his mission.

5. GOSPEL COMMUNITIES ON MISSION AS PRIME ORGANIZING STRUCTURE

We believe that for our local context, the most effective structure for making disciples as the church is a Missional Community (MC). This is a smaller group of people who intentionally live out the gospel in everyday life wherever they live, work, learn, and play.

6. ORDERED EQUALITY IN SHARED MINISTRY

We are complementarian in that we believe men and women are created in the image of God equally, and that they complement one another in their responsibilities in the family and church. Men and women are called to use their gifts fully in the ministry of the church under the leadership of biblically qualified elders.