Rock Cry Mission Statement
We exist to glorify God by leading others to become fully functioning followers of Jesus Christ, and by establishing self-reduplicating, Biblical churches, while sharing acts of love and mercy as exemplified in the life of Christ, among the BaTonga people of the Zambezi River Valley in Zimbabwe, Africa.
Statement of faith
(hover over each list item to read full statement)
1. The Scriptures
We believe that God has revealed Himself truthfully to humans through the inspired texts of the Scriptures. These canonical texts, the Old and New Testaments, are inerrant, infallible, and reliable in detail and in theological content in as much as they reflect the original manuscripts. The Bible, as the sufficient and completed Word of God, has authority over the church and the Christian's life and thought. As divinely inspired texts, the meaning of the biblical authors is to be discerned through careful, textual interpretation guided by the Spirit. Psalm 19:7-10; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Jude 3.2. The True God
We believe in one God-eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, always present, and perfectly holy, existing as three, co-equal, Persons- Father, Son, and Spirit, one in nature, attributes, power, and glory. God will be glorified by all creation and is worthy of our total worship and obedience. Genesis 1:1,26; Psalm 104, 148; Proverbs 30:4; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4, 14, 18; Acts 5:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 2:3-4.3. Jesus
We believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God. Through the Spirit, He was also born of the virgin, Mary. Therefore, Jesus is both fully God and fully human. As the Word made flesh, the Son is the perfect mediator between God and humanity. Proverbs 8:22-31; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:14-18, 5:16-29; Philippians 2:6-11; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 1:1-14.4. The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, equal in nature with God the Father and God the Son. The Spirit had an active role in creation and in the inspiration of the Scriptures. He convicts sinners, guides humans into truth and regenerates believers to new life, baptizes them in Christ and serves as their assurance to eternal life. Believers mature in their faith through the work of the Spirit, who produces His fruit in them. The gifts of the Spirit are for ministry to the body of Christ and the "sign gifts" are not intended to be a pattern for today. Psalm 139:7-12; John 14:16, 17; 16:13,14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:8-10, 28-30; 14:1-40; Galatians 5:22-23; Hebrews 2:3-4.5. Creation
We believe that the Scriptures provide a literal and historical account of God’s creation of all things. The climax of the six days of creation was the special, immediate and personal creation of human life. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were directly created, not evolved from previous life forms. God created humans, male and female, in His image. Human life, sexual identity and roles are aspects of God’s creative design. From creation, marriage is a covenant between a male and a female that should be marked by sexual purity, by sacrificial male leadership, and by recognizing the divine blessing of children, including preborn children. Adam and Eve, though created in perfection and endowed with free will, sinned by their free choice warranting physical death, spiritual death, and eternal separation from God. Consequently, all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and are sinners in thought, word, and deed. Genesis 1:1-27; 2:7-25; 3:1-24; Psalm 127:3-5; 139:7-12; Matthew 19:4; Romans 1:18-32, 3:10-19; 5:12-19; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19.6. Salvation
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as the representative and substitutionary sacrifice and rose again for our justification. Only those who repent, believe in Him, and confess Him as Lord are justified on the grounds of His shed blood and are saved by grace through faith wholly apart from human merit and works. Genuine believers, the elect, are the adopted children of God and are eternally secure through the work of God. John 1:12, 13; 3:3-16; 5:24; 10:28, 29; Acts 13:39; 16:31; Romans 3:21-28; Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:8-10; Philippians 1:6; Titus 3:3-8; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Peter 1:4-11.
7. The Church
We believe that the local church is a gathered congregation of believers, associated by covenant, practicing self-governance, and observing the ordinances of believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper. The church is to be committed to the authority of the Word of God in matters of doctrine and practice. God calls certain men to be pastors/elders, providing spiritual leadership for the church. Deacons, likewise, minister to the church body through specific acts of service. We believe that the universal church consists of all who have saving faith in Christ. As the body of Christ, the church is to fulfill His mission of making disciples throughout the world. Matthew 18:15-17; 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 12:12-28; 7:17; 11:16; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:14, 15; 4:11-16; 5:23-32; 1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1-15.