Vision Statement of Eden Baptist Church

We desire to be a family, rooted in the Word of God and prayer, whose love for Christ and for one another overflows in joyful sharing of the gospel with all, especially with those friends, neighbours, students and internationals whom God has given us a unique opportunity to reach.

Eden shares many characteristics with other Christian churches. We are a community of people who are committed to following Jesus Christ, and we believe that a right relationship with God is possible only through him. We believe that God's written word, the Bible, is true and tells us how to know God and live for him. Our convictions can be described as 'evangelical, reformed and baptist' and are explained in our statement of faith, 'A Firm Foundation'. Our mission arises both from these convictions and from our understanding of the time and place in which we live.

Our mission

Our mission is to glorify God with the worship of our lives. We believe that he has called us to the following priorities at this time and in this place:

• Community - We believe that relationship with God brings about new family relationships between Christian believers. In a world of broken relationships and fractured communities, we desire to demonstrate the truth of the gospel by our care for one another. The moving population of Cambridge provides us with a challenge, but we seek by God's grace to become a loving community where both long-term members and those who are passing through the city for a shorter time are encouraged and strengthened as Christians. We want each member of the body, of whatever age or life-situation, to be valued and to use the gifts that God has given them to build up the body.

• Teaching and learning - We want to see Jesus exalted through biblical preaching that declares his Lordship over all of life. We acknowledge our own need to grow in godliness, so we are committed to learning regularly from the Word of God as a community, in order that he would transform us by his Spirit. We want to apply what God teaches us in practical daily living and active concern for the society and world in which he has placed us, becoming 'doers of the Word ' and not listeners only. We are also committed to providing biblical teaching for the children and young people of the church family.

• Prayer - We believe that in prayer we enjoy the relationship with God that Christ has won for us, and express our dependence on God. Prayer is foundational to all that we undertake in God's service as God's servants. We therefore seek to be a praying community whose members are supported by intercessions that also embrace the needs of the church worldwide, our nation and the world. We want the habits of prayer and worship to be central to every aspect of our corporate life, whether in small groups or in meetings of the whole church.

• Evangelism and mission - We believe that God is glorified when the gospel is faithfully communicated, and that it is through the gospel that God's Spirit awakens faith. We therefore want to be equipped and active in sharing the gospel with our friends and neighbours. We want to be good stewards of the location of our meeting-place in a busy city centre. We also desire that God would raise up people from Eden to take the gospel to others in Britain and overseas, whether returning to their own country or being sent and supported as expatriate workers. We desire to support these men and women through our prayers, practical care and financial giving.

• Students and Internationals - A large number of students and young professionals from many different nations attend Eden. We believe that part of our fulfilment of the Great Commission is to evangelise, teach and train them so that they will be equipped to live for Christ when they leave Cambridge. We seek to integrate our student and international ministries into the life of the whole church so that we can learn from them and they from us, and demonstrate that Christian faith must be lived out in commitment to a local church.

The Members and Elders of Eden Baptist Church
October 2000