About Encounter Church (Formerly New Hope Town)
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We follow Jesus by obeying his commands. He calls us to love our neighbour, and for At Encounter Church (Formerly New Hope Town), that means the whole of Honolulu. We are called to embody the love of Jesus in our neighbourhoods and networks. We encourage each other to love the city in the specific ways God is calling us to. This love takes a variety of forms: serving those in need, befriending the lonely, welcoming the immigrant, seeking justice for the oppressed, speaking the good news to those who have not heard, participating in culture-making, pursuing vocational calling with integrity. Through these acts of love, we seek the good of the city, recognizing the importance of the city in God's story of salvation. We seek to be a city on a hill, a place that cannot be hidden, whose good works bring glory to God.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.
About Sin: We believe that man willfully sinned against God and is therefore lost and without hope apart from Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:7; Acts 4:12)
About The Scripture: The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct. 2 Timothy 3:15-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:21