Welcome to Citizens

Theological Vision

We exist to see people come to know and be changed by Jesus. We do this through simple gospel centred worship, community and by making disciples who pursue mission in Elmira.

Values

One Family

We belong to God and each other. We want our church family to be experienced by everyone at Citizens. Our Citizens family is not only meant for us to enjoy. Our calling is to live so that others can experience a community shaped by the gospel.

Disciple Making

We are disciples making disciples, churches planting churches. Making disciples is hard work. However, it is what God has called us to. We want to see it happen through individuals and corporately through church planting.

Gospel Living

We believe the gospel works through our lives for the good of our communities. Every hour of every day is an opportunity for gospel living. We want to serve others by being like Jesus in our work, neighbourhoods and everyday life.

Simple Practices

We choose focus over activity. Rather than providing a variety of programs, we intentionally choose a simple approach to disciple making. This includes Sunday gathering, missional families and intentional communities.

Our Statement of Faith

We believe:

God:

We believe there is one God, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Jesus:

We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, was born of a virgin and is both fully God and fully human.

We believe Jesus lived a sinless life, died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice for our sins, was buried and rose bodily from the dead. He ascended into heaven, was exalted by the Father and now intercedes as our High Priest and Advocate.

Holy Spirit:

We believe in the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting people of sin, the regeneration of those turning to Christ from sin, and His work of sanctification in the believer.

Bible:

We believe the Bible, Old and New Testament, as the inspired Word of God, which are the complete revelation of God’s will and final authority for all Christian faith and life.

Humanity:

We believe that all of humanity are created in the image and likeness of God, and have sinned and are guilty before a holy God.

The Gospel:

We believe that only through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ and repentance from sin can one be made right with God and experience true life and joy.

The Church:

We believe in the church being the body of Christ, and each member being an active part of a local church, fulfilling the Great Commission.

The Ordinances:

We believe in the two ordinances for the church: baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper.

Future Things:

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting joy of the just and the everlasting separation from God of the unjust.

Marriage and Sexuality

Marriage was instituted by God, ratified by Jesus, and is exclusively between a man and a woman. It is a picture of Christ and his church.

Sex is a gift from God for procreation and unity, and it is only appropriate within and designed for marriage.