The chief task of pastoral ministry is to arrange the contingencies for an encounter with the Divine – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
We share the core values which are common to Partners in Harvest and Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. These core values had become part of TACF’s (and Pastors John and Carol Arnott’s) DNA prior to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on January 20, 1994. However, they have been crystalised and given an international platform since that time. Both Elsie and I have been touched and transformed over the past 12 years or so, by the work of the Holy Spirit and the core value teachings that emanate from TACF. Those core values are essentially as follows:
F ather’s Love revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ
The Cross of Christ reveals the power of God’s love in that Jesus went all the way to the Cross fully in control and completely self-sacrificially; His sacrifice on the Cross has purchased incredible benefits for us who believe – eternal life, healing, deliverance and restoration. In Jesus, God has been revealed most fully as Abba Father; God the Father is not different from Jesus for Jesus is the exact representation of the Father, therefore, the Father is not an angry God being appeased by Jesus; We humans are spiritual orphans by nature since the Fall and we desperately need the Love of the Father to replace our orphan ways. God is also revealed to us in the Scriptures as a nurturing God; God is a tri-une God and we need to learn to have relationship with a tri-une God.
I ntimacy, Presence, & Hearing God’s Voice
God desires lovers more than he needs servants; Intimacy with a love sick bride is the goal of the tri-une bridegroom God; God is always speaking and we need to learn how to tune into his voice; In his presence there is fullness of joy, so we seek to inculcate that presence; Also, in his presence there is healing, peace, love and every good gift from heaven.
R estoration of the Heart / Soul
We have all been victim to the Fall and to living in a fallen world; We have sinned and have been sinned against, as a result, we create many defence mechanisms to protect our hearts; Unfortunately, we also end up blocking people, and God, out; We seek to bring authentic and lasting healing to our hearts by dealing with these inner vows, ungodly beliefs, judgements etc. Forgiveness, repentance and confession are the keys.
E xtending the Kingdom through the equipping, empowering and anointing of the Holy Spirit
With hearts full of the Father’s Love, gratitude to Jesus for his sacrifice on the Cross, and with our hearts in the process of being healed, we move forward to bring the kingdom of God with signs, wonders and miracles. We are part of a faceless, nameless army that is bringing healing, deliverance and the prophetic to the peoples of the world.
We feel specifically called to carry these core values outlined above to the developing world; we feel a specific call to the nations of the world which don’t have all the bells and whistles of the Christian world in the West. We also must do something with orphanages and children at risk. It is a deep and real desire of ours to make a difference, however small, in this area, God directing and helping us.
