SIM's Purpose, Mission and Vision
The following mission, purpose and vision statements detail SIM's focus as a mission organisation.
Purpose and Mission
Convinced that no one should live and die without hearing God's good news, we believe that He has called us to make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ in communities where He is least known.
Therefore, compelled by God's great love and empowered by the Holy Spirit:
• We cross barriers to proclaim the crucified and risen Christ, expressing His love and compassion among those who live and die without Him.
• We make disciples who will trust and obey Jesus, and become part of Christ-centred churches.
• We work together with churches to fulfil God's mission across cultures locally and globally.
• We facilitate that participation in cross-cultural ministry of those whom God is calling.
Vision
The vision of SIM is to see:
• A witness to Christ's love where He is least known
• Disciples of Jesus expressing God's love in their communities
• And Christ-centred churches among all peoples.
By faith we see...
In the world:
• A vibrant testimony to the gospel through character, word and action among communities where currently Jesus is least known.
• Followers of Jesus living out the gospel in unity and in the power of the Holy Spirit, making disciples who trust Him, obey Him and play a full part in church life.
• Churches serving their communities and reaching out with the gospel locally and globally.
In SIM:
• A community growing in faith, in obedience to Jesus and in ministry competence.
• Workers crossing barriers with the gospel, being and making disciples of Jesus, expressing his love and compassion.
• Multi-ethnic and multi-skilled teams serving together in love and harmony.
• Courageous leaders investing in the development of others for life transforming ministries.
• Effective partnerships with Christ-centred churches and organisations facilitating the spread of the gospel.
In eternity:
• The redeemed from all tribes, languages, peoples and nations worshipping the Living God.
Statement of Faith
1. God: There is one God who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is the almighty Creator, Saviour, and Judge who governs all things according to His sovereign will and is accomplishing His purposes in creation and in the Church to His glory.
2. The Father: God the Father is the source of all that is good. He initiates creation and redemption, which He accomplishes through His Son and the Holy Spirit.
3. The Son: Jesus Christ, both fully God and fully man, entered history as Saviour of the world. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and lived an exemplary, sinless life in perfect submission to the Father and in loving relationships with others. He died on a cross, rose bodily and ascended to heaven where He is advocate for His people and is exalted as Lord of all.
4. The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit makes the work of Christ effective to sinners, giving spiritual life and placing them into the Church. He indwells all believers, empowers them to love, serve, witness and obey God, equips them with gifts and transforms them to be increasingly like Christ.
5. God's Written Word: The Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, is God's written Word, revealing for all peoples His character and purposes. It is the final authority in all matters relating to belief and behaviour. The Holy Spirit moved the human authors of the Bible so that what they wrote is inspired, fully reliable, and without error in all it affirms.
6. Salvation: Christ's sacrificial death, in which He bore the punishment due to sinners, is the only and all-sufficient basis of God's provision of salvation for all people of every culture and age, expressing His love and satisfying His justice. By God's grace the repentant sinner, through trusting alone in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, is put right with God, adopted by the Father into His family and receives eternal life.
7. The Human Race: Humanity is the climax of God's earthly creation, bearing His image, designed for relationship with Him, and being the object of His redeeming love. All people have sinned. This results in guilt, death, and alienation from God as well as the defacing of every aspect of human nature. People are unable to save themselves from sin’s penalty and power and from Satan’s dominion.
8. The Church: The universal Church is made up of all who have been born of the Spirit. It finds local expression in communities of believers called by God to worship, fellowship, proclaim the Gospel, and make disciples among all peoples, reflect God’s character, engage in works of compassion, contend for truth and justice and celebrate baptism and communion.
9. The Spirit World: The holy angels are personal spirit beings who glorify God, serve Him, and minister to His people. Satan is a spiritual being who was created by God but fell through sin. He, along with other evil spirits, is the enemy of God and humanity, has been defeated by the work of Christ, is subject to God’s authority and faces eternal condemnation.
10. The Future: The Lord Jesus Christ will visibly return to the earth in glory and accomplish the final triumph over evil. God will make everything new. The dead will be raised and judged. Unbelievers will suffer eternal punishment in separation from God; believers will enter into a life of eternal joy in fellowship with God, glorifying Him forever.