February 2014

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Table of Contents

Welcome Home .......................................................................................................................................

Our Story ...............................................................................................................................................

Our Goal for DNA Culture ....................................................................................................................

Part 1 Our Vision ..................................................................................................................................

[what we see]

Part 2 Our Mission & Purpose .............................................................................................................

[what we do & why we do it]

Part 3 Our Culture .................................................................................................................................

[the way we do what we do]

Part 4 Our Values ..................................................................................................................................

[what we value]

Part 5 Our Beliefs ..................................................................................................................................

[our statement of faith]

Part 6 Our Future ...................................................................................................................................

[where to from here]

Part 7 Our Joint Commitment ..............................................................................................................

[together]

Unless otherwise noted, Bible scriptures are taken from the New King James Version.

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WELCOME HOME

“How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God,

and this is the gate of heaven!”

Genesis 28:17

We are so glad that you’ve chosen to come to DNA Culture to find out more about C3 Church Townsville! This course is an introduction to our church family. Since we have people coming to our church from all walks of life, beliefs and from many different church backgrounds, this class has been designed to help you understand the DNA of who we are, our flavour, what we believe and what we are doing here. We hope that you’ll identify with our DNA and make C3 Church Townsville your spiritual home to grow personally and become a part of our exciting future as a church family and community. Welcome Home!

Our Story

“... Now therefore, arise,

go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them ...”

Joshua 1:2

C3 Church Townsville is a part of the C3 Church Global movement lead by Ps Phil & Chris Pringle who founded the movement in the 1980’s in Sydney. Now, this rapidly growing contemporary, vibrant and spirit-filled movement boasts over 300 churches in all continents of the world with over 50,000 people worship God weekly in their services. The overall culture of C3 Church is one of faith, hope love with the following distinctive characteristics: [Play video media ‘C3 Church Culture’]

1. Prayer 2. Leadership 3. Worship 4. Discipleship 5. Presence of God 6. Being Relevant 7. Vision and Faith 8. Servanthood 9. Generosity 10. Freedom

Out of a strong sense of calling on based Joshua 1:2, Jorge and Claudia El-Khouri planted C3 Church Townsville under the oversight of C3 Church Mackay. Together with their three (3) children they started the church as a humble home group in their own lounge room in 2007. Reaching out to their unsaved friends, their home group began to outgrow their lounge room and on Sunday 16

th September 2007, Ps Jorge & Claudia hired the IMAX Dome in Flinders Street East

(Townsville) and the group held their first church service. Since ‘kick-off’ in the IMAX C3 Church Townsville has seen many lives saved and transformed and a steady progressive growth. Now in their new leased premises on 50 Ingham Road, the church is moving forward and very excited about all that God is doing and is about to do in the lives of people in Townsville and beyond. We look forward to you joining us in this great cause.

Ps Jorge & Claudia

(& the Team @ C3 Church Townsville)

Our Goal for DNA Culture

‘Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,

if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded,

having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.’

Philippians 2:1-2 (NIV)

Throughout the New Testament there is much emphasis for the (local) church to be “united with Christ” and “being like-minded” and in unity with one another. It’s a unity in love, spirit and mindset. Another word to describe this kind of complete unity is the word ‘culture’. ‘CULTURE’ - the behaviours and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group.

KEY TRUTHS

God’s desire is for us to grow and be united as a family and as individual members of His body.

The Church is a Spiritual family. It’s the body of Christ from which God functions in and through,

to implement His great commission in our community.

Our individual lives flourish to our best God-given potential when we are planted in the local

church as an active member of his family and a functioning part of His body.

Our effectiveness as a church exercising God’s Great Commission in our local community will

depend highly on the unity of the body with Christ both individual and corporately as a Spiritual

Family.

THE GOAL OF DNA CULTURE... 1. To highlight the need of ‘cultural’ unity in the church;

2. To present the culture of C3 Church Townsville; and

3. To invite you to commit enthusiastically to the vision, culture and values of C3 Church

Townsville and join us on this exciting journey of faith.

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Part 1

OUR VISION [what we see]

“What an awesome place this is!

It is none other than the House of God, the very gateway to Heaven!”

Genesis 28:17

OUR VISION STATEMENT:

To connect the people of Townsville

with the miraculous love of Jesus Christ

Because the love of God is not something that you simply read and study, but it’s a love that we can

tangibly experience in a Person that we can walk with. It’s miraculous because it’s life-transforming.

OUR PASSION:

God, People and Life Not one or the other, but all three. God is the only one who can fully complete us and satisfy us. He loves you and me and He loves the people of Townsville. This is where He has you and I to do life and be effective for His purpose, His cause.

OUR HOME:

Welcoming, Inclusive, Impacting and Empowering A welcoming and inclusive family of faith hope and love. A community that knows Christ and His accomplished work on the cross and are empowered to make Him known and effectively point others to His unconditional love.

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Part 2

OUR MISSION & PURPOSE [what we do & why we do it]

‘And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen’

Matthew 28:18-20

The above scripture is Jesus’ final words to His followers. It’s known as the ‘Great Commission’ and it sits at the height of our mission at C3 Church Townsville. We exist to fulfil the Great Commission by:

1. Connecting people to Christ. 2. Connecting people to their God-given purpose and destiny. 3. Connecting people to life-giving relationships.

C3 Church Townsville is a church where you, your family and friends can connect to Christ, to your God-given destiny and purpose, and to life-giving relationships. Our purpose is also found in the ‘Great Commission’. Our purpose is:

1. To speak and be a voice of faith, hope and love in a hurting and broken world

2. To make disciples in Townsville and beyond

3. To baptise all who believe

4. To teach the people to observe Jesus commandments, His unconditional love, His

grace, His accomplished work on the cross.

5. To remind people that Jesus is alive and with us always

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Part 3

OUR CULTURE [the way we do what we do]

‘For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;

and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law,

that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law

(not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;

to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men

that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake,

that I may be partaker of it with you.’

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

The above passage of scripture highlights Paul’s commitment to do whatever it takes to win the lost for Jesus Christ. Pauls’ approach is to adapt the preaching of the Gospel to the cultural context he is in. This is the exact approach we take here at C3 Church Townsville. We are preaching the unchanging word of God in a culturally changing world. Therefore, our methods need to change if we are to stay effective. We need to be creative, stay open to changes in technology or culturally and be ready to drop any traditions or personal preferences that may no longer be effective. In following the above approach, we have three (3) words that we use to describe the culture of C3 Church Townsville.

FRESH FUN FAITH

Always fresh and relevant Always fun and exciting Always full of faith

We’ll do whatever it takes, play whatever music we need to, use whatever technology

available; to be the most effective we can be in winning the lost for Christ.

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Part 4

OUR VALUE [what we value]

‘The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church.

The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.’

Ephesians 1:22-23 (The Message)

The things that we value are generally a good representation of our culture. Furthermore and complementary to the ten (10) characteristics listed by Ps Phil and Chris Pringle, here are the five (5) primary values of C3 Church Townsville: 1. Be Part of Weekend Services.

‘And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the

manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching’

Hebrews 10:24-25 Make coming to church on the weekend a priority for you and your family, and not just something you do when it’s convenient. 2. Serve in the House of God

‘For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.’

Romans 12:4-5 (NIV) Church happens every Sunday because of the dedication of our amazing volunteers. Whether a little or a lot, serving in the House of God is our privilege! We don’t do it because we have to, but because we get to. We love to give God our time, our talent and our treasure, and we believe that we cannot possibly out-give God.

3. Be a Bringer

‘He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest;

ask him to send more workers into his fields.’ Matthew 9:37-38

Get into a habit of inviting people to come to church. Better still, go and pick them up to eliminate any excuses they may come up with. One simple invitation could revolutionise the life of someone for all eternity. We love to see people find Christ. There is no hard rule formula for bringing someone to church other than taking personal responsibility for the ‘harvest’. Perhaps you need to build the relationship, or share your personal relationship, or simply just invite them. You never know.

‘Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.’

Luke 14:22-24

4. Be Part of a Smaller Circle of Connection The weekend service can be inspiring, but it can’t entirely fill the need we have for friendship connections. That’s why we have a number of Connect Groups. The idea is that people connect with each other outside of church in small friendly environments and build healthy relationships. And so C3 Connect Groups are designed to engage us socially and spiritually in a fun and relevant way. Please grab a ‘Connect Group’ calendar and find a Connect Group to suit you.

5. Live Generously

‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house,

And try Me now in this, Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven

And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.’

Malachi 3:10 Everything that we have belongs to God. Yet God gives us the free will to choose to bring our tithes into His House. This faith-action of bringing our tithes to God each week is essential in our spiritual growth and part of our worship.

Part 5

OUR BELIEFS [our statement of faith]

‘one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.’

Ephesians 4:5-6

We believe...

1. There is one God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

2. In the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God; we believe in His virgin birth, in His sinless

life, in His miracles, in His victorious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, His constant intercession and in His imminent return.

3. In the person and work of the Holy Spirit with His fruits and gifts available in the Church.

4. The bible is the living word of God – infallible, authoritative and everlasting, and the foundation of all Christian doctrine.

5. In the existence of an evil spiritual being – the devil.

6. In the spiritually lost condition of all people and the essential need for the ‘new birth’ by faith in Jesus Christ.

7. In the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a gift available to believers, with normal evidence of speaking in other tongues.

8. In the sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and baptism by full immersion in water for all believers.

9. In the resurrection of the saved and the lost; one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting separation from God.

10. In the church being the body of Christ, and each member being an active part of a local church, fulfilling the Great Commission

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Part 6

OUR FUTURE [where to from here]

‘The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church.

The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.’

Ephesians 1:22-23 (The Message)

COMMITMENT You may have noticed that our ‘Connection Cards’ clear distinguishes between:

a “Regular Attender” (“This is a church I go to”)

a “Member” (“This is my church”) What is the difference? The difference really comes down to one word: COMMITMENT Although we appreciate that some people will prefer not to commit any more than an “Attender” for various reasons, we also recognize that the church is built on the dedicated commitment of their “Members”. The Bible says God unleashes His power to build the church when committed people put their hands to the plough.

‘Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning,

You have the dew of Your youth.’ (Psalm 103:3)

At the completion of DNA Culture we ask all participants to commit further than just “Attenders” for 4 reasons:

1. A Biblical Reason: Christ is committed to the church.

“...Christ loved the church, and he gave his life for it.” (Ephesians 5:25)

2. A Cultural Reason: It is an antidote to a real problem in our modern society.

We live in an age where very few want to be committed to anything...a job...a marriage... our country. This attitude has even produced a generation of “church shoppers and hoppers”. A

commitment to membership/partnership swims against the current of modern day “consumer religion.” It is an unselfish decision. Commitment always builds character.

3. A Practical Reason: It defines who can be counted on.

Every team must have a roster. Every school must have an enrolment. Every business has a payroll. Every army has an enlistment. Even our country takes a census and requires voter registration. Partnership identifies our family.

4. A Personal Reason: It produces spiritual growth.

‘Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God.’

(Psalm 92:13)

The New Testament places a major emphasis on the need for Christians to be accountable to each other for spiritual growth. You cannot be accountable when you’re not committed to any specific church family.

GET INVOLVED Get connected through participating in “Connect Groups” and serving in one of our Sunday service teams, including:

First Impression Team

Kid’s Church Team

Worship Team

Sound-Multimedia Team

WHERE TO FROM HERE? For your own personal growth, we encourage you to:

1. Become a participating member of our church – sign the attached commitment form. 2. Begin to serve on the Sunday Team. 3. Join a Connect Group.

Part 7

OUR JOINT COMMITMENT

[together we can do it]

‘Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one

mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’

Romans 15:5-6

I am now making a decision to be a part of the C3 Church Townsville Spiritual Family and be united in vision, culture and values. In doing so, I agree and commit myself to do the following: 1. I will protect the unity of my church...

By acting in love toward other members

By refusing to gossip

By following the leaders

“So let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony and on the growth of our fellowship together.” (Romans 14:19)

2. I will share the responsibility of my

church...

By praying for its growth.

By inviting the unchurched to attend.

By warmly welcoming those who visit.

“Go out into the country...and urge anyone you find to come in, so that My House will be full.” (Luke 14:23)

3. I will serve the ministry of my church...

By discovering my gifts and talents

By being equipped to serve by my pastors

By developing a servant’s heart

“Serve one another with the particular gifts God has given each of you...” (1 Peter 4:10)

4. I will support the testimony of my

church...

By attending church and connect groups faithfully

By living a godly life

By giving regularly

“Let us not give up the habit of meeting together...but let us encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10:25)

Name:________________________________

Signature:_____________________________

Date:_________________________________

Jorge & Claudia El Khouri Ps Jorge & Claudia El-Khouri