AIMS

As a ministry of MOSAIC Community Church, The Ark Community Kid’s Club aims to:

1. Make God's Good News known to children, young people, and families

2. Encourage people of all ages to meet God daily through the Bible and prayer so that they may come to personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, grow in Christian maturity, and become both committed church members and servants of a world in need

3. Provide a safe environment in which the holistic development of children is encouraged by means of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual activities

BELIEFS

For doctrinal / biblical beliefs click here

• Every child is created in the image of God ... and is therefore endowed with dignity, value, uniqueness, and particular talents, gifts, and strengths with which to contribute meaningfully to the wider world, local community, and families in which they have been placed.

• Every child long’s for and seeks security, significance, self-worth – knowing that they matter to others, that they are safe, and that life itself is meaningful and filled with wonder, joy, and hope. They are not a mistake, an inconvenience, or a distraction from things which are more important. Rather, every child is a miracle, reminding us that God remains committed to both the world in general … and to our human good and flourishing in particular.

• Every child is created with a body, soul, and spirit. Therefore, every child should be encouraged to care for their physical and emotional selves – developing healthy and respectful relationships with others, cultivating emotional resilience, compassion, fair play / justice, a proper self-esteem, seeking after the good of others, and to consider both their purpose and direction in life.

• Every child has a right to feel valued, safe, respected, heard, and treated as such. Consequently, having been created by God, for God, and in the image and likeness of God, every child matters to Him and is loved in such a way that He (God) threatens terrible things towards any person who would intentionally harm, devalue, and / or exploit such children by means of physical, emotional, spiritual or any other abuse.

• Children occupy a special place in the heart of God and in the ministry of Jesus Christ. This is seen most clearly in Jesus’ command to “let the little come to me and do not hinder them,” to all persons to “receive the kingdom of God like a child,” and by God’s frequent references to Himself as a compassionate “Father” with a particular concern for children, widows, orphans, the alien / refugee, and the poor, the weak, and the vulnerable.

WORKING PRINCIPLES *

We seek to exercise the ministries God has given us in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ and in reliance on the Holy Spirit. We therefore aim to follow Biblical principles in all that we do and to emphasize the vital importance of prayer. We approach our work in the following ways:

1. Evangelism and Teaching

1. We are committed to teaching basic Christian truths as an essential part of evangelism.

2. We aim to express God’s Good News to children, young people and families, not only in words, but also by building caring relationships with them.

3. We make every effort to communicate the Gospel in contemporary language and in ways appropriate to the context.

4. We emphasize that faith should always lead to action and to growth in Christian character and service.

5. We acknowledge that the Gospel has inescapable social dimensions and therefore it involves us in service to others and a concern for social justice. In view of our specific aims, we have a special responsibility for children and young people who are poor, deprived or exploited.

6. We encourage children to follow Christ in ways that are appropriate to their age, culture and background, taking special account of their home and family situation and level of maturity.

7. We believe that the new birth is a profound supernatural experience, brought about by the Holy Spirit. So, we invite people to respond to what He (God) is doing in their lives and guard against calling for superficial responses.

2. Bible Ministries

In encouraging people to meet God through the Bible, we emphasize the significance of the Bible as a whole.

1. We encourage people to read it so that they come to repentance, faith, obedience to God and worship.

2. We prepare activities, programmes and materials for children, young people and adults, which are appropriate to their age and situation.

3. We are committed to Bible reading which is thoughtful, prayerful, and regular, and which enables the reader to respond to the message of the whole Bible rather than to isolated passages.

4. We are concerned to interpret the text in a way which enables people, in their contemporary situations, to hear for themselves the message of the Bible from its original context.

3. Churches

1. We recognise our part in God’s worldwide family and seek ways of working positively with other churches (especially those within our local community / LGA)

2. We encourage people who come to faith through our ministries to take part in the life of a local church fellowship.

4. Equality and Unity

1. We believe that all human beings are of equal worth in the sight of God and that all those who put their faith in Christ are one in Him.

2. We are therefore committed to exercising our ministries without discrimination as to race, colour, gender, language or social position.

3. We express our Christian commitment in varied and creative ways since we are drawn from diverse backgrounds.

5. Volunteers and Staff

1. As fellow workers in gospel ministry and as volunteers from a variety of backgrounds, are united in our commitment to the aims, beliefs and working principles of the MOSAIC Community Church (including The Ark: Community Kid’s Club).

2. We agree that, while we are involved in MOSAIC Community Church activities, we will handle controversial issues, such as baptism, spiritual gifts, and church order, in ways that promote harmony.

6. Biblical Standards

1. We aim to follow Biblical principles in all that we do. This includes, for example, our administration, our publicity and the way we care for our church members, ministry teams, and volunteers.

2. We seek to honour God in carrying out our ministries by combining prayerful reliance on him with the use of the best available means, maintaining the highest standards possible.

3. We believe in praying for financial support, in dependence on God, and telling the Christian public of our needs, without distorting the truth or using undue pressure

Working Principles adapted from Scripture Union NSW