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' It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.' (Roy Disney)
'On a group of theories one can found a school; but on a group of values one can found a culture, a civilization, a new way of living together among men.' (Ignazio Silone)
'Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18)
Who we are is defined by our values (why we do things), our mission (what we do), and our vision (where we want to go with what we do). Mueller Community Church (MCC) holds to the essentials of biblical orthodoxy. The values statements below make explicit our doctrinal position.
Values - We value:
The Bible
The Bible, including both the Old and the New Testaments, is God's revelation to men, (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). The Bible is without error in all it affirms, and is our authority in matters that it addresses. We stand firm where it stands firm and remain flexible where it is flexible.
God centredness
God is a Person who has revealed Himself as a Trinity in unity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit—three Persons and yet one God (• Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 8:6).
Jesus Christ is God; He took upon Himself our nature, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is fully God and fully man possessing both deity and humanity united in one person, without division of the person or confusion of the two natures.
He died upon the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of the world; He arose from the dead in the body in which He was crucified; He ascended into heaven in that body glorified, where He is now our interceding High Priest; He will come again personally and visibly to set up His Kingdom and to judge the quick and the dead (Colossians 1:15; Philippians 2:5-8; Matthew 1:18-25; 1 Peter 2:24-25; Luke 24; Hebrews 4:14-16; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 11:15-7; 20:4-6, 11-15).
We honour the Lord Jesus Christ as head of the church. We want to relentlessly pursue God's heart and to follow Him in the power of the Holy Spirit. God's purposes will be accomplished not by our efforts, but by His work through us and in us.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is co-equal with God the Father and God the Son and is of the same essence. Yet He is also distinct from them.
The Holy Spirit is a person, not an impersonal force - He teaches, guides, comforts, and intercedes, possesses emotions, intellect, and will. He is spoken of as God and the Christian who is indwelt by the Spirit is indwelt by God. The Holy Spirit is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and eternal. He does works only God can do, such as creating, regenerating and sanctifying.
The Holy Spirit today plays a major role in the salvation of the individual. He unites the believer with Christ and places him in the body of Christ, the church. He also unites the believer with Christ in His death, enabling him to live victoriously over sin. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer permanently and guarantees the security of the believer.
The Holy Spirit sovereignly bestows spiritual gifts or abilities for service to every believer. These are to be distinguished from the "sign gifts" which we believe were manifestations of the Holy Spirit to authenticate the messenger and the message of the good news during the foundational period of the church. Therefore, MCC believes that "sign gifts" are not normative for the church today.
Creation
We believe that God created all things through Christ. In particular, man was created in the image of God but fell into sin, and the relationship between God and man was broken. God was so committed to restoring that relationship that He dealt with our sin in Christ who bore our sins in His own body on the cross. In return, man has to make a full, heart-felt committment to Christ. A resored relationship with God is therefore not dependent upon church membership, intermediaries, sacraments or works of righteousness to attain or sustain it.
The reward for making that faith attachment to Christ is everlasting life. On the other hand, there is retribution for the unbelieving (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:10, 23; John 3:3; Acts 13:38-39; 4:12; John 3:16; Matthew 25:46; 2 Corinthians 5:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).
The Church
The Church is an elect company of believers baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body; its mission is to witness concerning its Head, Jesus Christ, preaching the good news among all nations; it will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air ere He appears to set up His kingdom (Acts 2:41; 15:13-17; Ephesians 1:3-6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:6-8; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
His Grace
We have benefited from the goodness and grace of God in everything; therefore we eagerly extend it to others. In our pursuit of holiness, we acknowledge our imperfection and provide grace and encouragement.
Prayer
We believe prayer is an essential part of MCC's work.
Autonomous leadership
We acknowledge the significant leadership authority Christ has put in the hands of the elders. We expect all leaders to exercise that authority by modeling humility, selflessness, grace, care for His sheep and sacrifice, so that others might advance in their faith and faithfulness.
Because the Bible is authoritative for our service, this means that MCC is an autonomous church. All decisions are made by MCC leaders and we don't defer to an external authority. Nevertheless, while independent we are not isolationist, and we have many links of fellowship with other Christians throughout Australia and the world.
Excellence
We believe excellence honors God and reflects His character. We strive for excellence in all areas of our ministry and lives.
Authenticity, simplicity, dignity
We want to be authentic, open, and sincere, acting with integrity. We wish to do nothing "for religious effect" but rather to live, serve and worship for the simple glory of God. There is a dignity associated with ministry and we want to wear it.
Diversity
We accept the rich diversity of ages, life-stages, ethnic, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. However, we want to speak to the universal needs of the human race, not only specific demographic ones. Therefore, we focus on such concerns as sin, redemption, forgiveness, individual significance, and truth above styles, tastes and preferences. Because each believer has received a spiritual gift from God, it should be employed in serving the diversity of needs that are faced.
Freedom with sensitivity
We seek to create a church environment that resonates with MCC members. Members are encouraged to express their heart for God while being sensitive to others.
Unity
While we embrace diversity, we insist on unity - unity in the essentials, liberty in the non-essentials, and charity in everything. That is, for God to make MCC a great church, we think that we need a great commitment to the great commandment and the great commission.
Relevance
It was Paul's practice to become all things to all people that by all means he might save some (1 Cor. 9:22). We regularly assess each church practice to ensure that it serves its purpose. If it does, we keep it; if not, we work to find a fresh and innovative way within the spirit of Scripture.
Contemporary style
MCC is an English-speaking church. Our target audience are people who know English, whether as a second language, or third. They may speak with a strange accent, or be too intimidated to speak much at all. It doesn’t matter. If someone understands English, we want to minister to them.
We are not charismatic. Nevertheless, we are not anti-charismatic, but pro-charismatic in the biblical sense, fully embracing the power of the Holy Spirit, and seeking to help people discover their spiritual gifts and use them for the body of Christ and our community.
Accordingly, each Sunday when we meet as a church we study the Bible, providing insights into an historical document that makes a difference in how we currently live. On these occasions, you can expect other activities like, prayer, singing, drama, video clips, communion, world-class music, as well as preaching. Through these Sunday activities and mid-week Bible studies, small groups, seminars, retreats, and other activities, we develop people to spiritual maturity, and equip every believer for an effective ministry.
Children
Children are our present and future. Our aim is to raise passionate followers of Christ by investing time, energy, and spiritual resources in them.
Community
Because all people matter to God, they matter to us. Belonging to MCC requires a commitment to being intentionally involved with others in accountable and encouraging relationships. Christian growth happens best in clusters of caring, sharing, and encouraging people. Here people can experience both the benefits of a larger church and yet enjoy the kind of relationships that only develop in small, safe settings where every member takes responsibility for the well-being and reputation of others they know in the body.
Mission
Our slogan "Passion for God; Compassion for our community" epitomises who we are, what we do and why, generally. But what is our mission specifically? How can we reach our community specifically?
We recognise that most Australians, despite their Christian heritage, no longer go to church. Thus to reach them with God's saving message, our mission is to look beyond Sunday and engage them where they are, not expect them to come to where we are.
MCC is a group of people who share a common experience - God has brought us into an abiding personal relationship with Himself and each other. We are a family, and we stay together because of our common interest in serving God and our community. We describe it as having passion for our God that drives compassion for our community. This means that our goal is to bring men, women and children into the same meaningful relationship with God that we enjoy. So, MCC is a place where the hurting, the depressed, the frustrated, and the confused can find love, acceptance, hope, forgiveness, and encouragement.
That's our mission.
Evangelical in focus
We believe that the message in the Bible about Jesus Christ coming to share our world that we might share His is both credible and authoritative, and the best news anyone could ever know. This message of the saving death and resurrection of Christ is urgent, and we seek to continually proclaim it, both in word and our lives, to individuals that need to receive it for personal conversion.
Vision defines where MCC is going with its mission. MCC's vision involves such Monday-to-Friday activities as:
- Mueller College: our Christian school: ministers to some 1300 students.
- Mueller College Early Learning Centre: ministers childcare to more than 120 families for kids 6 weeks and older.
- Mueller College of Ministries: MCC's-based Bible College.
- Mueller Performing Arts Centre: to be used as a Christian Convention Centre facilitating the Lord’s work globally.
- Peninsula Palms Retirement Village: ministers to 83 independent living units.
- Residential Care Facility: ministers to 63 aged folk who cannot care for themselves.
- AMOS: short-term missions to Aboriginal communities.
- Street Van: refreshments to those on the streets.
- Christian Care Centre: counselling and support.
- Wood Turner's Club.
- Christianity Explained.
- MCC Youth: grades 7-9.
- Connect Groups: grades 10-12.
- Kids' Club.
- Boys and girls Rallies
If you are searching for a church, the best way to discover who we are is to visit. It's vital that you find a home church that is a good fit for your needs and preferences, and we’d love nothing more than for you to find a home at MCC.
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