Statement of Faith
What do We Believe?
It is important for believers to know what a church's beliefs therefore we have a condensed version of our statement of faith below.
A full Statement of Faith may be obtained by contacting us at sparrowbaptisttoronto@gmail.com
I. The Scriptures
We believe in the plenary, verbal inspiration of the original writings of the sixty-six books of the Bible, the Word of God, and that is it the full and complete revelation of God’s will for man, the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice
(II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:20, 21; Jude 3).
II. The Godhead
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections
(Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:18, 19).
III. The Person and Work of Christ
1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1, 2, 14, 18; Luke 1:35).
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our complete redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, propitiatory and substitutionary sacrifice, a redemption made sure to us by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24, 25; 5:8-10; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7).
3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God the Father where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor and Advocate (Acts 1:9-11; Romans 8:34; I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:3, 6:19, 20; 7:24; 9:24; I John 2:1,2).
IV. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, possessing all the attributes of Deity; and that in essence He is equally God. (Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 13:14).
2. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural Agent in regeneration and sanctification, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, in-dwelling equally and permanently every believer, and sealing them unto the day of redemption (Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 6:11; 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:13, 14).
3. We believe that every un-regenerated person, the moment he exercises faith in Christ as Saviour, immediately possesses the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 4:6; I Thessalonians 4:8).
V. The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but through Adam’s sin the whole race fell, became alienated from God and inherited a sin nature. Man is totally depraved, possesses no spark of divine life, and, of himself is utterly helpless to remedy his lost condition apart from the grace of God (Genesis 1:25-27; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).
VI. Salvation:
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to sinful man by grace and received solely by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Who accomplished complete redemption by His substitutionary death and the shedding of His precious blood (John 3:18; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8, 9; Philippians 3:4-9; Titus 3:5; I Peter 1:18, 19).
What is Sparrow's Purposes & Vision
At Sparrow, we believe our purposes our rooted in the Great Command and The Great Commission. We have designed our ministries in away that support people in their journey of growth and enabling us as a congregation to strengthen our church community as well as do our part in spreading the gospel locally and internationally.
I. Worship
After someone receives Christ as their Saviour, it's the end of the story, it's the start of a new journey. Sparrow Baptist Church follows a program called "Next Steps" to help new believer grow in their in newfound walk in Jesus Christ.
We were created to worship,in doing so we find God, and we find ourselves. We express our worship of Jesus Christ through congregational and special singing of songs, hymns, and spiritual songs. We worship through attentive listening to Bible readings, preaching, and teaching. We express worship through the giving tithes and offerings. We also worship by giving Jesus Christ thanks for who He is and what He has done in our lives. This spirit and purpose permeates everything we do. In this, we strive to practically carry out the First Greatest Commandment of loving the Lord our God with all we are.
(John 4:24, Col. 3:16)
II. Fellowship
We were not meant to exist alone. We were created to be connected. Fellowship speaks to connectedness to Jesus Christ and other Christians. We understand the connectedness, comfort, and camaraderie we crave is supplied by the Holy Spirit as we yield to God and conform to God's Word. We recognize personal confession of sins, receptivity to the Word of God, and a receptive heart and attitude are necessary for this to be accomplished. We primarily find this connectedness through Bible preaching, teaching, serving others, shared worship, bearing another's burdens through genuine compassion and honest, faith-filled prayer, shared meals, and fun activities.(1 John 1)
III. Discipleship
We were created to grow spiritually, intellectually, relationally, and sacrificially. We strive to be dedicated followers and students of Jesus Christ. This takes place through a willing spirit (corporate and individual), through a healthy Christ-centered culture, and through a Biblical curriculum that is both educational and practical. The curriculum includes weekly worship services, midweek Bible study and prayer, and regular seminar-styled classes which teach through particular Baptist doctrines and Christian disciplines, such as prayer and Bible reading.
(Acts 2:41-47)
IV. Service
​We were created to contribute. Each person possesses valuable, powerful gifts that could change others and change your own life, as well. Unfortunately, many of these gifts go undiscovered due to a lack of knowledge or an overabundance of selfishness. Christian maturity is pursued through increasing our personal relationship with Christ, by being practically equipped with Bible knowledge, and sacrificially volunteering our time to serve the church as well as the community. Joy is found in serving Christ and serving others. This is the 2nd greatest commandment. Serving Christ can, and should, be done by any Christian regardless of age or spiritual maturity level.(Eph. 4:7-16)
V. Evangelism-Local & Internationally
We are each uniquely crafted to make a difference in this world. No greater difference can be made than to share the life-changing message of Christ. Fear is banished; guilt, shame, and regret are swallowed up in the supernatural cleansing blood of Christ leaving us clean, truly purged. Genuine peace is enjoyed daily. Undeserved love can be our experience. We believe Jesus Christ and the living hope He offers through faith in His finished work alone is the only true hope this world can have. We therefore strive to know Christ personally and to make Him known to our community, to our city, and to the world. We do this by equipping with knowledge, providing corporate evangelism opportunities, and giving to our Faith Promise Missions Giving Program. We practice both personal and corporate evangelism.
(Matthew 28:18-20). We also support Missionaries worldwide as they start churches in needy areas.
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