Our Values

Values are things that we hold dear and would not want to lose.

Values are what we stand for. And as the old saying goes, "If you don't stand for something then you’ll fall for anything."

In the face of an ever-changing world we shouldn't be saying, "How should we change?", but rather we should be asking the question, "What do we stand for and why do we exist?". So when we are faced with societal change we can answer with a strong and clear trumpet sound.

Our values are tied to our vision. But the means do not justify the ends.
We can't manipulate to get what we want even if what we want is God's best. We need to stop building for the immediate and build for eternity; to build not just for our generation or our moment in the sun to build selflessly for the future generations. To stop asking what's in it for me and start asking what's in it for them in the future.

Our values are part of our sowing and reaping. We build now upon what we are believing for in the future. If we have to manipulate people to see them converted. Or if we do it at the point of a gun barrel or sword then what is the point?

Jesus made this statement many times, "The kingdom of God is within you". He meant that it is the Kingdom of God that governs our heart and mind and outlook. We need Kingdom values not just the values of a culture or a particular movement.

Let's look at some of those values:

1. Being radically Word based:
Deuteronomy 4:1-4

2. Letting Theology Fashion our Behaviour:
Instead of designing our theology to fit our chosen behaviour, our behaviour needs to bow to theology or the study of God's Word. If we are going to be radically Word based then it also means that we have to act radically Word based. We don't change our interpretation of scripture to fit our chosen pattern of behaviour.

3. Friendship before Function:
Acts 2:42 gives us a glimpse of life in the early church, "They met together daily…ate together..." They were committed to doing life together no matter what differences they had or difficulties that came up with each other. Their relationships were valued over their position, job, task or function.

4. The Priesthood of all Believers:
1 Peter 2:9
Over the years there has been a wall of separation built between the professionals and the pew. God intended for the entire nation of Israel to be a nation of Priests, representing Him to the world. The Church is supposed to be made of priests giving themselves away for the benefit of the body. There is not supposed to be an A team and a B team.
Leadership yes, but not leadership based on a hierarchical structure. The only agenda we are to have is to lay our lives down for one another.

5. No Gaps!

No generation, gender, age, culture, economic or race gaps. The Church is to be all embracing.

The pigment of my skin might be different, the amount of money in my paycheque might be different, the way I do my hair might be different.
But when my culture, gender, race, age or economic level separate me from a brother in the Lord in anyway then it's time for my culture, gender, economic status, age or racial discrimination to bow down at the feet of the Jesus.

6. Covenantal Relationships:
Acts 2:44-47 describes relationships that involve more than just showing up at church on Sunday morning and turning to the person behind you at the prescribed moment and greeting them. It's about getting involved, committed and genuinely concerned about your Spiritual family. It's not advocating Socialism but it is describing a people that are in love with God, each other and not the things of this world.

7. A Plurality of Leadership:
All throughout the New Testament model of the early church we see a plurality of leaders emerging at every level. We see deacons (Acts 6:1-7); church leaders and body (Acts 15:22); elders (Acts 20:17-31); and Translocal ministry (Ephesians 4:11-) working together for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Teams of leadership working together at every level.

8. Marriage is the First Team:
When God calls someone to lead He never calls the one spouse at the expense of the other. He calls both husband and wife together. Husbands and wives need to be shaped together, share together and minister together. Not separately. More trouble and strife arises when the two who have become one aren't involved together. Leading the first team, your marriage and family is the qualifier for leading the family of God (1 Timothy 3).

9. Readiness to pay the Price/Sacrifice:
Matt: 19-29-30, Matthew 16:24-28, Mark 8:34-38. It is a commitment that has to go beyond convenience.

10. A People of Faith:
Hebrews 11: especially vs. 6, Romans 10:6-17, Romans 4:16-5:1

11. A People of Prayer:
Acts 1:14; 2:42, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Colossians 4:12

12. Building away from Ourselves:
1 Corinthians 4:17, Acts 8:4-40. Paul was constantly building and releasing. Building up churches and leaders and then releasing them to hopefully do the same. A true father knows when to come and when to go, never selfishly holding on to or controlling something that is not his in the first place. A true father takes no greater delight than seeing his own sons and daughters go farther than he has. Let's build away from our names, our prestige, our profile and toward the benefit of future generations.

13. The Church as God’s Healing Community:

In order to bring healing to people we must be a healed people ourselves. In order to bring life to people we must have life. If all we have is religion then that is what we will bring to people. If all we have is some form, pomp and ceremony then that is all we can expect to bring people into. We must be a radical new breed of convert that loves God, loves His Word and loves people. With a clear understanding that we are all part of the priesthood of believers it's up to us to be whole in every area of our lives.

That means many things:

We don't take offence when someone says something or doesn't say something about us, when we are bypassed, when someone else is promoted or blessed in some way. It also means that we are emotionally whole so that the devil can't use our past against us and we don't hold on to old racial stereotypes or views of the opposite gender.

*Whole in our relationships ~ loving and forgiving.
*Whole in our families ~ leading properly, submitting to one another, referencing each other.
*Whole in our finances ~ sowing and reaping, wisely living within our means, a sense of contentment and freedom.
*Whole in our morals ~ letting God's Word fashion our behaviour.
*Whole in our physical bodies ~ walking in God's covenant of health and caring for God's Temple.
*Whole in our food ~ making smart choices to provide the maximum of health.
*Whole in our employment ~ working as unto the Lord and not as unto man.
*Whole in our housing ~ being faithful over what God has entrusted us with.
*Whole in our dignity and self worth ~ understanding who we are in Christ and His body.
*Whole in our understanding of social equality ~ having a healthy view and caring for all mankind.

And our values list could go on and on and on. For more information please e-mail us at info@newsong.ca We'll be glad to answer or clarify any questions you may have.

Our History

Here at New Song Church and World Outreach we like to think that we are not like any of the other Kitchener churches.  If I were to describe us in a nutshell, it would be a place of Faith and Increase.  Those are our lampstands! 

Here's a little history of that journey:

We've been around since Easter weekend of 1993. We started off in the living room of Dave's parents place with 5 people in total. I can't say it's been an easy journey but it has been enjoyable as we have seen the Hand of God move!

The beginning was great but the honeymoon phase quickly came to an end around 5 years after we started. We weren't growing; people started butting heads and those we thought would be with us forever quickly departed. We'd take one step forward and then things would come crashing down. By 2000 I felt we were forcing it to make it work, trying to build the house ourselves. I wanted out.

In 2001, I had just about enough. The organization I was affiliated at that time with was moving in a direction I didn't feel was right for us. Almost immediately after throwing our hands up and pleading for help from God, we were introduced to Loys and Sharon, lead elder couple from Freeway Church in Mississauga. They came over from South Africa to plant a church in the GTA in 1998 and through them we were introduced to the people that would change us forever.

We saw a true father's heart in Loys and the relationship between the two of them as husband and wife, true partners in the home and in the church, was and is so incredibly profound. They love God with all their hearts and they love the people with pure hearts, no manipulation or agenda or control, and all of this with true humility ~ no scent of arrogance at all! It was incredible to see someone actually walking out everything we saw in the Bible on how to "do church", how to "do marriage", how to "do parenting" and how to bring the Word of God and the Love of God to His children.

In 2002 we committed ourselves wholeheartedly to become a true New Testament, Acts 2:42, apostolic/prophetic, five-fold ministry, love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:30-31), advancing the Kingdom as a Team, priesthood of all believers, in unity with tens of thousands of churches around the world kind of church.

Our lives haven't been the same ever since. Our doctrine or our statement of faith hasn't changed, we always have and always will believe in the whole Bible, His Word is unchangeable ~ it is tested and true! We just see things through the lenses of relationship now and out of that a serious deep love for God and for His people has been birthed in us and in our church.

We are partnering together with New Covenant Ministries International, a trans-local team of proven leaders who are gifted in helping and blessing local church leadership through relational oversight.

In 2004 we bought our first building; 485 Charles Street East at the entrance to Kitchener. Please visit our home page at www.newsong.ca for more information and a map to our location.

It's been an amazing journey and we know it will only get better!