“To be people so hungry for God’s presence that His Kingdom invades the whole earth.”
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Our vision is "to be people so hungry for God’s presence that His Kingdom invades the whole earth.”
a vision is where we are going and who we are becoming
This stems from our understanding of Kingdom revival, Oxford dictionary defines Revival as: restoration to life and we believe this is done through our mission.
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(A mission is how you are currently & continuing to live out your vision)
We will fulfil our vision by equipping people to host and be led by the presence of God personally, relationally and beyond, releasing His glory wherever we go.
CORE VALUES
Core Values stem from our beliefs, and are things we deem important. They govern the way we behave & interact with others, as well as inform our character of who we are and who we believe we are to become.
The following are statements of our core values.
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Goodness is core attribute of the nature of God
Regardless of our situation or circumstance, He is good!
Psalm 118 - give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever!
John 10:10 - Jesus came to give us life abundantly
Psalm 103:8-13 - compassionate, gracious, slow to anger & abounding in love
Romans 8:28 - God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.
Humanity’s free will and actions do not reflect the perfect Heavenly Father’s nature, character or mood.
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Matthew 22:37 - Love God, love others & yourself in balance
Hebrews 12:11 - Discipline is love too, as we are His children
Eternal perspective first - not the moment
You only have authority over that which you love and care for.
Fear deters you from stewarding rightly
Love encourages you to take a risk
John 13:35 - They will know us by our love for one another
John 15:10-13 - Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
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He is worthy of our attention, affection, intention & resources
He paid the highest price that we can’t pay ourselves, so we owe Him our everything.
He owes us nothing.
Psalm 40, Psalm 103:1, Rev 7:11-12, Luke 19:40
Matthew 26:7, Mark 14:3, Luke 7:37
Revelation 5
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It’s our desire to be intentionally focused on meeting around His Presence
We take His presence everywhere we go, going everywhere we are
Being intentionally focused and present with others who we are with in community
John 14-16 - abide in Him
Intimacy
2 Cor 3:17-18 - You become what you behold
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Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is …. of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”
Psalm 126:1-6
Nehemiah 8:10 - For the joy of the Lord is your strength
Philippians 4:4 - rejoice always and again I say rejoice!
Psalm 16:11 - You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Isaiah 61:3 - He provides for those who grieves. He gives beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for heaviness
1 Peter 1:8-9 - Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
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Hope for generations who have come and are to come
Hope is always the perspective
Malachi 4:6
Jeremiah 29:11-12
Hebrews 12:1-2
Romans 15:13
Eph 1:18-21
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PURITY - TRANSPARENCY - AUTHENTICITY
We can boldly come to the throne of grace
We are a spotless Bride
Nothing should remain hidden
Be holy because He is Holy
Integrity & accountability matters
Living above reproach
Philippians 2:5-8
Matthew 5:8
Psalm 24:3-6
Psalm 51:10
Matthew 18
Ephesians 5:13
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Matthew 10:5-8
Ephesians 5:1-2
Matt 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks the door will be opened… If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him.”
John 15:13 - Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
2 Corinthians 8
John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…”
2 Corinthians 9:6-9 - “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully… For God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Cor 9:10 - “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”
Malachai 3:10 - “Bring the full tithe into the the storehouse…. Put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.”
Acts 2:45 - “And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as they had need”
Proverbs 14:31 - “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”
Proverbs 15:6 - “In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked”
Psalm 37:21&26 - “The wicked borrow but do not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives… He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing”
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Luke 4:18-19 - “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Matthew 10:8
John 14,15,16
Mark 16:15-18, Matthew 28:18-20
1 John 2:6 - “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked”
Galatians 5:22-23 - Fruit of the Spirit
CORE PRACTICES
These are the practices we have identified which have marked revivals since the time of King David and will be the core practices of Haven as we seek to be a dwelling place of Revival.
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Worship is about gathering around the Presence of God and ministering to His heart. Out of that posture, motive and ministry we believe the blessing of the Lord is given to His people and can be experienced in gifts and encounters. We as a family will choose to enter into worship joyfully regardless of our circumstances or emotions. We do not worship because we always feel or see Him being worthy, but because no matter our emotions or circumstances He is ALWAYS worthy, and that is why we worship.
We believe worship is beyond singing but that the tradition and explicit direction in scripture shows worship in a corporate setting done through music and expressive creative arts, therefore we joyfully step into that heritage with Heaven.
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Prayer is not just a systematic or liturgical reality. At Haven we firmly believe we are accessing communication with the One true God. We both speak and listen to His voice.
We practice prayer personally in many styles including listening prayer (Hearing God’s voice) regularly for ourselves and when we have an opportunity, for others (Prophesy). We believe that as we commune in intimacy with God he speaks and we should listen and obey(Jhn 10:27-28, Rms 8:14-17).
In this context the historical realities of prayer ring out in our congregation in some of its many forms. We have liturgical like prayer declarations every Sunday for offering, corporate prayer nights led by our leaders, a a prophetic intercessory group that meets regularly, engagement with city wide prayer events like REND as well as encouragement and equipping in the prophetic.
Prayer is one of the main hubs of the wheel that creates motion towards revival and therefore we are committed to being a house of prayer.
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Equipping is done through Giving Identity so people can Take Ownership, Receive Knowledge, and Desire Continual Growth to be Sent Out and Expand the Kingdom.
We believe the five fold gifts of Jesus are given to equip the saints (Eph 4:12-13) and therefore our leadership aims to equip the body in every ministry we lead and over time as we are able will be releasing and producing practical equipping events & activation nights to help disciple and train up believers in living a supernatural lifestyle.
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At Haven we believe that God desires to see the sick physically, emotionally and most important spiritual healed. We believe and often see the healing handy-work of God touch all these areas. We believe it is a part of being a disciple and doing all that Jesus commanded his disciples to do (Matthew 28: 20) including healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the leper, casting out demons (Matt 10:8., Mark 16:17).
In our weekly gatherings we offer time at the end of the service for personal ministry and that includes any sorts of healings. If you are looking for deliverance ministry we would love to send you to a deliverance team connected to our church to assist with that or book a time with some of our leadership team.
We have seen mental illness, brain fog, breast cancer, ligament and joint issues, muscle issues, fractured bones all healed in Jesus name for His Glory in our community regularly. We also frequently see people’s spiritual condition changed as they give their lives to Jesus and cross the line into kingdom family.
Healing is a spoke in the wheel that stems from a lifestyle of worship, prayer & equipping as Christians. At Haven we would love to hear your testimony of healing on our testimony page OR partner in faith with you to see you find wholeness and freedom.
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At Haven we believe Generational blessing is the outflow of a personal life in revival. We believe that if you are connected to the Heavenly Father and intimate with Him, that the outflow of His Spirit in your life will produce a love for the generations. That Fathers will be reunited with sons & mothers to daughters (Malachi 4:6) and that the blessing of God will flow through all generations (Ps 100:6, Deut 7:9-16, Ex 20:6).
We believe that revival must happen first internally to the person, then to be most effective long term, passing through and lives out ini family & then to the church, city & Nation. If we get ourselves in a state of revival lifestyle, it should in turn effect everything around us.
At Haven we aim to give opportunity for that through spiritual Mothers & Fathers being a practice, Revival Families as a source of community & family growth, and then how we aim to live our collective lives together as Haven to the city and communities around us.
Generational blessing is also naturally an outflow of a life dedicated to worship, prayer, and equipping in the wheel of revival.
Our History
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Haven was planted in the summer of 2021 by the 6 founding leaders who had come from outside of Medicine Hat to fulfill a call of God on this city. After spending time together on a retreat, through prayer & seeking the Lord for His will for this new community, Haven was born.
In combination with some prophetic dreams & things we heard from the Lord that week, we settled on the name “Haven,” which is defined as a safe place for preparation, recovery & equipping, and as a harbour for ships to be prepared for their next venture.
This is who we are called to be: a place for you to gather, be refreshed and equipped for the personal call of God on your life with His Power & His Presence.
We are determined to be a place marked by the Presence of God & of equipping the saints to live like Jesus did (1 John 2:6).
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Our vision (where we are going) is to be a church of people so hungry for God’s presence that His Kingdom invades the whole earth. Our vision statement encompasses the founding passages over our team of Isaiah 60 & 61. When the Lord gave us these scriptures as our vision statement we had no idea the implications of a national & international call, but that became clear in the spring of 2024.
Although we are called to be a church family who is for the nations our heart is to see our backyard changed in the process. We love our City, Medicine Hat, and we are for this city being saved and as such partner with other ministries in our city to see God transform lives.
Our Mission statement (how we accomplish our vision) is to be equipping people to host and be led by the presence of God personally, relationally and beyond, releasing His glory wherever we go. This is based out of Eph 4:11-12. Our mandate given also at the founding of our church community. As the passage states we want to be equipping the saints for a supernatural, Spirit-empowered life beyond our church walls.
We believe God has called us to bring revival to personal lives, then into & through our families and homes, and finally into cities and into nations. We are called to be houses of revival that bring revival everywhere we go.
We have met at 6 locations in the past 2 years, but the mission and family does not depend on one building or place, it is the people & the Presence of God.
In July 2023 we found ourselves in an answered prayer after believing that God wanted a more permanent location for us to put our roots down, a space that will create a future to impact more than just Medicine Hat as we grow and develop as a family. We are now at a 10 acre property that will serve as just that. Our dream is to launch from where the church has been for several hundred years into the next season of the church, beyond 4 walls and a building, and changing people, generations and history by bringing the Kingdom of God to earth as it is in heaven.
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So how does include you? We would love, if these things resonate with you, to join together our calls and journey! We can’t say we have all the answers on what our family will look like in 5, 10 or 25 years, but we know God has called us to change the environment and atmosphere of our homes, city & nation, so hungry for God’s presence His kingdom invades the earth.
Come and be a part of this family by attending our Sunday whole-family gatherings, small group revival families & our times of prayer and worship, equipping, healing, & much more. If you love being with us, get plugged in and let us know if you want to serve in an area you’re passionate about seeing God move in!
OTHER BELIEFS
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The Creeds
Our fundamental beliefs are in line with the Nicene/ Apostles creed. We may be non-denominational but we are at our core a trinitarian, continuationist church family. This means that we believe in The Father, Son & Holy Spirit as three persons but One God. We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Jesus the Son & the Father and that all are relevant, active and accessible to ALL believers in this current age.
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Women in Ministry
We believe that the Father, Son & Holy Spirit give gifts with no limit to gender, age or character. This means that we will not limit people on these traits either, instead we prayerfully discern people’s gifting (Natural, learned & God given), maturity and anointing and then determine opportunities to serve and more importantly help empower the rest of the body through these traits.
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Affiliation
Although we are a non-denominational church, we are associated with the Christian Ministers Association that ordains, licenses & walks with us as we lead our body here in Medicine Hat. We have had the honour and privilege of having ‘Uncle Steve’ Schroeder, the CMA president, come and minister with us regularly and we consider this association our greater ‘immediate family’ in the body. For more information on our specific theological beliefs beyond our core values, please see below to see the beliefs of the CMA.
BELIEFS OF MINISTERS IN THE CMA
For more info about the Christian Ministers Association, click here
The verbal inspiration of the accepted canon of the sacred scriptures as originally given.
2 Tim 3:16 1 Cor 2:13
The tri-unity of the Godhead.
Matt 28:19 Gal 3:20
The creation, test and fall of man, as recorded by Genesis, his total depravity and inability to Divine Righteousness.
Rom 5:12-18
The Saviour of men, the Lord Jesus Christ, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, very God and very Man.
Lk 1:30-35 Jn 1:18 Isa 9:6
The Gospel of the grace of God, how that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day for our justification.
1 Cor 15:1-4 Rom 4:25
The Salvation of sinners by grace alone, through faith in the perfect and finished work of the Cross of Calvary, by which we secure remission of sins and eternal life.
Eph 2:8-9 Heb 9:12,22 Rom 5:11
The bodily ascension of Jesus to Heaven, His enthronement, His personal coming for His Church, at which time there will be a general Resurrection and final judgment.
Lk 24;51 Eph 1:20 4:8-10 Heb 1:3 1 Thess 4:13-18
The water baptism of believers by immersion in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 19:5 8: 37-38 10:47-48
The baptism with the Holy Spirit as an experience subsequent to salvation, available to all believers.
Acts 2:1-4 8:14-17 10:44-47 Gal 3:14
The Gifts of the Spirit as enumerated in 1 Cor 12-14 being exercised and practiced as manifest in the early Church.
1 Cor 12-14
The Spirit filled life, a life of separation from the world, and the perfecting of holiness in the fear of God as an expression of Christian faith.
Eph 5:18 2 Cor 6:14 , 7:1
The healing of the body by Divine power, or Divine healing in its many aspects as practiced by the early Church.
Acts 4:30 Rom 8:11 1 Cor 12:9 James 5:14
The Lord's memorial, commonly called Supper for believers.
1Cor 11:23-32
The eternal life of the believer ( John 5:24 ,10:28 ) and the eternal punishment of the unbeliever.
Mk 9:43-48 2 Thess 1:9 Rev 20:10-15
The reality and personality of Satan.
Job 1:7 2 Cor 11:14
The sovereign autonomous government of the local Church.
Matt 18:17 Acts 15:22 1 Cor 16:12