Our Story
Where We've Been.
The Northside Salvation Army began with the simple belief that God intended to make His love known to the people of a new and growing community in Gungahlin. It began with a small team of committed people in 1995 who prayed diligently for two years for opportunities to share the gospel and power to transform lives. Since then, a congregation grew and worshipped in Hoskins St., Mitchell, then the Scout hall in Gungahlin, then in the business centre at the corner of Lysaght and Hoskins streets and now we are meeting together in our new building on The Valley Avenue in Gungahlin. Hence the change of name from Northside to Gungahlin.
Where We're At.
Today Gungahlin worships together in a mostly contemporary style that strongly expresses love for God and the desire to carry out the mission to which we have been called. We share the same challenge as the whole church in this community, that is, to bring the message of the gospel and the ministry of Christ in persuasive power. We believe it is still God's intention to build His church and grow His kingdom. It is our privilege to work with God in fulfilling these aims.
Where We're Going.
Vision:
Our vision is of a whole church building a whole community.
A whole church -
- consists of every member. It also extends to the church community in Gungahlin, Canberra and this nation.
Philippians 2:2 …make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
John 17: …so that world may believe that You sent Me and know that you loved them. - is a community of faith in which restoration, healing and recovery is taught and received through a wide range of ministries.
Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favourable year of the Lord.” - is one that pursues broken people and provides opportunity for them to hear the gospel and discover life as God intended – in all its fullness.
Matthew 18:11,14 [“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.] “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
God has placed each of us uniquely and strategically to share His love and the truth of the gospel. Since God has committed to us all the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) our willingness to reach out to the lost has in the past and must in these days result in the coming together of people in community. No-one is left out of the call to Christ. No-one is left out of the mission to build with Him. No-one can build His work without Him. No-one should plan to do it alone.
A whole community is one that -
- recognises that each person is unique.
An integrated community – no optional extras.
Romans 12:4,5 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. - is being transformed by the power of the Holy Ghost through Jesus.
A growing community in character like Christ’s.
2 Corinthians 3:17,18 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. - values the least to the greatest and cares for each member.
A caring community where people share life mindful of each other’s needs.
1 Corinthians 12:19-22 If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;
A whole community therefore is one in which every person has the opportunity to experience the kind of life that Jesus died to bring us – full life. This is the kind of community that enables people to discover that life is more than paying bills, buying ‘French’ fries and more and more possessions.