About the Table

"Christ revealed in common life"

Mission

(What we hope to do)

Our mission is to draw the people of the Saanich Peninsula into communion with Christ, community with one another, and to send people on a mission to bless our neighbours. In doing so we hope to see Jesus Christ revealed in our common life. Therefore, our mission statement (based on Jesus’ summary of the law in Matthew 22:37-40) is as follows:

“Our mission is to love God, love each other, and love and bless our neighbours so that we may see Christ revealed in common life…”

Saanich Peninsula

More than 350,000 residents call Greater Victoria home, yet 95% of these people do not attend a Christian worship gathering on any given week. On the Saanich Peninsula church attendance is declining, and we have seen evidence of this with a number of churches closing their doors (even to the point of church buildings being sold, demolished, and turned into condos).

The Table was initially launched in downtown Victoria in Sept 2009.  The Table’s broader aim is to launch hubs of Christian mission throughout the area, including the Saanich Peninsula.

When one of the few churches left in Brentwood Bay (on the Saanich Peninsula) was contemplating having to close its doors, they began thinking about replanting as a new site of The Table. They became the core team to help launch a new church plant in the area. Jonathan Ellis was commissioned to move back to the island after completing studies at Regent in Vancouver, BC to lead the planting of this new church. He and his wife, Becky, jumped at the opportunity to focus on sharing the love of Christ with people we love in the area we were raised.

In September, 2015 The Table Peninsula was established. The Table Peninsula is a community of faithful followers of Jesus who earnestly desire to see his love shared on the Saanich Peninsula.

Vision

(What we long for)

We long to live our lives as “a Gospel-formed community of priests on mission”

Gospel: The Gospel draws us to God, we are saved through it (justification), and we are formed through it (sanctification). We aim to share the Gospel through creative biblical communication that is biblical faithful, translated to our culture, dialogical, and engaging.

Formed: We are formed through conversion, discipleship, and sanctification, all the work of the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 4:11-13

Community: We are created in the image of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  We are, therefore, not created to live in individual isolation, but as a community.  Our hope is to grow together and share life as priests (disciples of Christ) on mission. - Mark 10

Priests: Experts at meeting with God and mediating his blessing to the world – Genesis 12, 1 Peter 2:9-10

Mission: we aim to share the gospel through inviting others into our community and through worship that is accessible, yet remains a beautiful offering to God – Matthew 28, 1 Peter 2:9-10

Why ‘The Table’?

The ‘table’ is a symbol of worship: communion with God, community with one another, and (table) service to the needy. When God promised Abram (Abraham) land and descendants in Gen 12, Abram set up places of worship down the spine of Canaan. In a similar way, we want to establish ‘tables’ in neighbourhoods throughout the Saanich Peninsula where people can worship God, grow in community, and serve and bless our neighbours.

We intentionally provide different 'table' settings in order to be welcoming and accessible to anyone, regardless of their background or previous experience with church:
Table-Closeup-PS1200

Values

(Who we hope to be)

We long to be Christ-focused/Word-centred, for apart from the living Christ proclaimed in Scripture there is no hope.

We long for spiritual in-breaking when we meet, for it is only through the activity and presence of God that there is transformation, genuine worship, and divine life.

We long for sacrificial fellowship, since Christ revealed the cost of love and the Holy Spirit empowers us to live this out with one another.

We long for every-member ministry, since all Christians form the body of Christ with each member using their gifts for His mission to the world.

We long to creatively engage with God, one another, creation, and culture.

We long for an inward-growing faith, that we might internalize the truths of Scripture and grow in our knowledge of the living God through study, prayer, community, sacraments, and personal devotion.

We long for an out-reaching love, for apart from authentic, active service there is no true religion.

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