OUR VALUES
GOSPEL PURITY
The gospel is offensive. It exposes humanity's fallen condition and their desperate need for a Saviour. It confronts them with the exclusive claims of Christ as the only hope of salvation. Hence, the world's hostility to the gospel is not surprising. The Apostle Paul warned us that in these last days, people will not put up with sound doctrine, and instead they will seek out false teachers who say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 3-4). The threats against the Church do not only come from outside but also inside. Jesus said many false prophets will arise and lead many astray (Matthew 24:11) and the Apostle Peter says these false teachers are already among us who secretly bring in destructive heresies to deceive us (2 Peter 2:1-3).
Therefore, Diaspora Church is committed to the integrity and purity of the gospel. We will not settle for an incomplete or corrupt gospel. Just as we care about the purity of the water we drink because we don't want the body to be sick, we care about the purity of the gospel we believe because we don't want the soul to be sick.
We desire for every member of our church to be content with drinking nothing else but living water from the fountain of the whole and pure gospel of Jesus Christ.
GOSPEL CULTURE
Orthodoxy (right doctrine) without orthopraxy (right practice) is brutality. Even if we confess the pure gospel, it's possible to be denying the very gospel through our lovelessness. The Apostle Paul said "if I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:2). Even if we have great knowledge and superb theology, it's possible to exercise our Christian liberty and freedom to become a stumbling block, causing harm to the body of Christ. Moreover, in Galatians 2, we find Paul's harsh rebuke of Peter because although he was preaching the right gospel, his hypocritical actions led people astray. Peter withdrew from the Gentile believers and sided with the circumcision party which created segregation in the body of Christ.
Therefore, Diaspora Church is committed to building a culture that demonstrates the gospel. We want the tenderness of the gospel to be seen and felt in our relationships and in the atmosphere of our community. So we will strongly promote the Christian virtues of humility, hospitality, and compassion. Yet, as we are bound by God's commands, we will not shrink back from accountability and speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
We desire for every member of our church to contribute in building a winsome culture shaped by the gospel by following the example and character of Jesus Christ.
GOSPEL ADVANCEMENT
There are millions of people across the great land of Canada without the hope of the gospel. Moreover, there are still over 3 billion people in the world who are considered "unreached", as they have never heard the gospel and they do not have access to hear the gospel. Our Lord Jesus Christ has commissioned His Church to take the gospel to the ends of the earth and make disciples of all nations (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20). Yet, the task of the Great Commission still remains unfinished. Too many professing Christians neglect the mission and settle for comfortable and superficial lives, as they pursue worldly ambitions and accumulate worldly possessions. In 2017, a study was conducted among churchgoers which exposed that only 17% of churchgoers actually knew what the Great Commission was.
Therefore, Diaspora Church is committed to advancing the whole gospel to the whole world. We believe Jesus Christ deserves the worship of all people, from every tribe, nation and tongue. We are zealous for every soul near and far to know the hope of the gospel. The Great Commission is not the responsibility of just a faithful few, but of every Christian, as they are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
We desire for every member of our church to actively and urgently participate in the evangelization of the world and the fulfillment of the Great Commission.