AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT RACIAL INJUSTICE

Like you, we are grieving the death of George Floyd and so many others. We are in sympathy with the protestors and disgusted with the looting. We are angry when we see responses on Facebook from people who focus on something other than the fact that racial injustice is the problem and we are really angry when we see the president using the Bible as a prop while threatening to use the military against Americans. We are also deeply concerned for our city, for business owners who are taking such a loss, for people who think that looting is okay, for the deep well of hurt from which all this comes. We are deeply concerned for each one of you, that you be safe and healthy during this time of pandemic and unrest.

At the same time we have been encouraged by scenes of protestors and police coming together and talking, of people reaching out to help, and of so many people expressing the desire to see real change in our country. We are at an intersection. We believe this can be taken several ways. We can choose to move in a new direction towards justice and healing. As a congregation we are at an intersection where we can choose to move in a direction of more intentional engagement in the work of the Kingdom around racial justice. And we pray that as a country we choose to move in a new direction of admitting our sin of racism and working at the healing needed at every level.

Our youth have chosen to participate in fasting and prayer, asking God to speak to them about what their response can be to the problem of racial injustice. We would like to invite you to consider joining them as well. We believe now is an important time for us to be in prayer, using the weapons of our warfare to break the strongholds of racism, prejudice, injustice and blindness in our country. What is the Spirit saying to us, Oxford Circle Mennonite Church?

Be safe and please feel free to reach out if you have a need, for prayer or for whatever.

Shalom,
Pastor Lynn, Pastor Tee, Pastoral Support Team, Church Council and Leadership Team

MEMBER COVENANT


As a body of believers of Oxford Circle Mennonite Church, we join ourselves together in order to bring glory and praise to God, to encourage one another to grow in maturity as disciples of Christ, and to reach out to invite others to faith and fellowship in Christ. This covenant serves as a statement of what we believe and affirm.

  1. We believe in one God who is expressed as the Father – Creator and Sustainer; as the Son – Co-Creator, Savior and Lord; and as the Holy Spirit – the One who transforms us, empowers us, and counsels us. (II Corinthians 13:14)

  2. As sinners saved by the grace of God, we believe in repentance (turning from sin to God), in salvation and forgiveness through faith in Christ who died for us and rose again, and in submission to Christ as our Master and Lord. (Acts 3:19) Christ enables us to live in victory over sin, the world, and the evil one (Satan). (I Corinthians 15:57)

  3. We receive water baptism as believers as an outward sign of our repentance, of our commitment to follow Christ, and of our belonging to the Body of Christ, and the Church. (Acts 2:38,41) We receive the Lord’s Supper as a sign of our continuing commitment to follow Christ and to participate in His body the church as we recall His death. (I Corinthians 10:16,17; 11:23-26)

  4. We submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit to be cleansed, made new, and filled with his love and power, so that he might release in us his gifts for the blessing of the church (I Corinthians 12, Romans 12:1-8, Ephesians 4:11-13, I Peter 4:9-11) and so that he might produce in us his fruit. (Galatians 5:22-23)

  5. We accept the Bible as the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God and as the truthful authority for our faith and conduct. (II Timothy 3:16-17)

  6. We commit ourselves to one another in the Body of Christ to:

    • love and encourage each other

    • forgive and pray for one another

    • maintain peace and unity in the Spirit in the midst of diversity

    • be a community of healing through the loving ministry of Christ and his Spirit. (Ephesians 4:2,3,12,13,16,32)

  7. We believe Christ calls us to:

    • faithfulness in singleness or marriage (I Corinthians 7)

    • if married, to uphold permanence in the marriage relationship and to develop a family who loves and enjoys one another (Ephesians 5:21-6:4)

    • use all that we have in ways which honor God (II Corinthians 9:6-8)

    • live holy lives being obedient to Christ and His Word (John 14:15)

    • witness to the lost of the Good News of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20)

    • love our neighbors as ourselves and make an effort to be peacemakers in our world (Matthew 5:9,44,45)

  8. We believe that after death or the Second coming of Christ, faithful believers will enjoy the eternal presence of God in heaven, and unrepentant sinners will be eternally separated from God in hell. (John 3:16, Matthew 25:45-46)

For a deeper understanding of our beliefs, please read the Mennonite Confession of Faith.