Purpose and Beliefs

We believe a new generation of everyday Christian leaders is needed in Australia. Leaders who are theologically sharp and practically equipped to lead God’s church. Leaders who will help everyday people grow in Christian maturity and reach the world. 

 

Our Vision

If VBC’s dream is successful what will we see in 10 years’ time?
Thriving churches of everyday Christians who make disciples and lead disciple-making ministries.

Our Mission

How will we achieve the vision?
VBC partners with churches to multiply and grow disciples through mentoring, Bible teaching, and modelling Christian character and ministry in the local church.

 

Core Beliefs

What beliefs are the foundation for our practice?

  1. All people need to know Jesus and be saved through faith in him. (John 3:16)

  2. Every disciple of Jesus is commanded and able to make more disciples. (Matt 28: 18-20, 1 Peter 2:9)

  3. Leaders from the local context are best able to help disciples reach and disciple their peers.

  4. The local church is the best context for training disciples and leaders for church ministry.

  5. Accredited vocational training integrates the discipline of study with the practicalities of Christian ministry training in an excellent way.

Values

What drives our decision-making every day?

Grassroots

  • We focus on everyday, working-class Christians.

  • The training occurs in and focuses on reaching and transforming their local community.

    This means:

    - selecting disciples who are engaging with everyday people,

    - working with Churches that are reaching out to their local communities, and

    - applying all content to issues of concern to people in the local community.

Partnership

  • Training is done together with local church members.

  • VBC only trains Christians who are supported by the local church.

No Barriers

  • We make training accessible for everyday Christians in their local situations, adapting to the needs of each learner and church.

Practical

  • All learning is applied to everyday life.

Biblical

  • All training is based on and shaped by the Bible.

Our Theological Beliefs

VBC was established by a group of Protestant Bible believing Christians from a variety of denominations. Our beliefs are best summarised by the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) doctrinal statement (see below).

We believe in:

  1. The unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Godhead.

  2. The sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgment.

  3. The divine inspiration and entire trustworthiness of Holy Scripture, as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

  4. The universal sinfulness & guilt of all men since the fall, rendering them subject to God’s wrath & condemnation.

  5. Redemption from the guilt, penalty, dominion and pollution of sin, solely through the sacrificial death (as our representative and substitute) of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.

  6. The bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead & his ascension to the right hand of God the Father.

  7. The presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the work of regeneration.

  8. The justification of the sinner by the grace of God through faith alone.

  9. The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.

  10. The one holy universal Church which is the body of Christ and to which all true believers belong.

  11. The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.