Our vision statement ...

through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be a caring church family providing as many people as possible with the opportunity to experience a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Our supporting statements ... our purpose, mission, strategy and doctrinal statements ... all align and contribute to the fulfillment of our vision, or better put, God's vision for SBF. Please take a look at the following statements, including our governance model and affiliation statements, as they will help you understand SBF, and why we do what we do the way we do it.

Our purpose ... we exist as a church family to give glory to God, and to enjoy Him both now and for eternity.

Our mission ... we are a caring, Christ-centered community committed to worship, proclamation and restoration.

Our values ... we are currently refining this statement, however these values are descriptive of the foundational pillars, or navigational tools, by which SBF makes ministry decisions:

Core Values at Saanichton Bible Fellowship ( DRAFT )

The truths that we uphold at Saanichton Bible Fellowship are expressed in our Doctrinal Statement.  It is a statement of essential beliefs held by Christians for centuries and provides a common foundation which is shared with Christians around the world.  Upon this foundation our community embraces these Core Values that define who we are as a community of believers.   These are:

Christ-Centered : we believe that Jesus Christ must be central in our individual and corporate lives.  This is reflected in our practice of proclaiming God’s Word, enjoining in corporate worship that elevates Jesus, and celebrating the death, resurrection and ongoing presence of Jesus in communion.    

Prayer : we believe that through prayer, our relationship with Jesus is deepened and our ministry to the world is powerful and life-changing.   We will encourage both intentional and spontaneous prayer so our individual and church life is infused with the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

Missional : we believe that the message of the cross is life changing and is the only hope for humanity.   We endeavor to express the sacrificial, compassionate life of Jesus in both word and deed by reaching out to our neighbors on the street and around the globe.  

Equipping : we believe that an effective, dynamic church requires the involvement of all members that are empowered to serve in their areas of gifting.   To this end, we are committed to equip believers and to help find their role on the team of servants that make up the ministry of this church. 

Community : we believe that personal wholeness comes through authentic and caring relationships with God’s people.   We seek to develop a united church community that transcends race, gender, age and social status by nurturing a safe environment through graceful support, accountability and encouragement.        

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Our strategy ... our approach to the vision, purpose, values and mission statements aims to affirm unchanging biblical truth, and to adapt methods for changing times. Please see our expanded version below.

Our doctrine ... our statement of faith speaks to eight essentials in SBF's belief system : God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, Salvation, Security, Eternal Destiny and Communion.

Our governance model ... as a non-denominational local church that is spiritually accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church ( Ephesians 5 : 23 ) we are a congregation under the direction of our elders, who are our shepherds, having final responsibility under God for Saanichton Bible Fellowship.

Our affiliation ... while we are an independent community church, our roots and heritage stem from the Plymouth Brethren movement. Vision Ministries Canada provides a network of like minded faith communities, of which SBF is one. In the greater Victoria area Oaklands Chapel and Lambrick Park Church would be two other churches associated with VMC.

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Our strategy ... expanded version. 

Jesus Christ, as Head of the Church, intends His followers to be like Him in attitude and behaviour.

• the church exists not just to collect saints, but to transform them ( Philippians 1: 6 ).

The Church is Christ's body in human form, the members of which are being transformed daily.

• the church comes together for activities which promote that transformation.

Our principles activities have four areas of focus : worship, biblical instruction, fellowship and evangelism.

• programs and ministries will be designed to support the goal of changing lives, and will be surrendered as obsolete when they fail to achieve this end ( Philippians 2 : 1-5 ).

We recognize the ministry of prayer as absolutely foundational in our participation with Christ.

• prayer is participation in His work of transformation.