Good Shepherd Church

Leadership

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:20:00 +0200

ABOUT US

My name is Ken Briggs and my wife is Carmen. Well the truth is that it is not really about us at all. Itâs all about HIM, that is THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, and what HE has done through us.

Shortly after our marriage in 1976 London UK. My wife and I moved to Malta and at that time it was not easy for a foreign man married to a Maltese to find work, and there was at least a partial language barrier which did not help.

Eventually I secured a job working offshore on an oil rig but not before Carmen was expecting our first child. We named her Donna. Being away so much and with the life of sin that I was living really took its toll on our relationship and before long I was living like a single man doing my own thing. A few years later our second child was born, we named him Anthony. Time went by and things went from bad to worse between us. We still lived together, our marriage hanging on a hair by this time was set to end. Just like so many marriages do these days.

Then by the grace of God He sent a friends sister who had just returned to Malta from living in the UK for some years to our home. And she shared her faith in Jesus Christ alone with my wife and myself.

She shared a message of hope, a message of salvation, that neither my wife had heard in the Roman Catholic Church nor myself being a none practicing Anglican.

We both believed in our own tailor made God, A god of our own understanding. But we both had never known the only true GOD of the bible. Wow! Now that was early 1990. We attended a Christian fellowship where we were taught GODS true word, and that a man must be born again (a spiritual birth) if he wanted to go to heaven. My wife Carmen quickly grasped that message of life and I quickly followed. Five years later which was twelve years after our second son Anthony was born GOD blessed us with a third child we named him Luke.

From the very beginning we opened our home for Christian fellowship and after five years it became very clear to us both what GOD was doing through our lives and our home. As HE added to our numbers we cast out furniture and broke down walls to make room for those that He would add to His Church through faith, working through us by our obedience to preach the gospel of salvation to anyone who would listen to it.

After 11 years of meeting 2 to 3 times a week we out grew our home and needed to look for a larger place to meet. GOD supplied us with our present premises in BâKara where we have been meeting ever since. We cannot say that it has always been easy, but we would not change one second of it. HE restored our marriage, our home, gave us a meaningful life here, and eternal life with HIM there, He is our only hope. Death has no more sting for us as we live for HIM now, and know we will live with HIM for eternity. HOW COULD WE NOT LOVE HIM.

Pastor Ken and Carmen Briggs.

What is Water baptism

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:40:00 +0200

Water Baptism - Many People Ask If It's Required for Salvation

Baptism isn't an act that gets us into heaven - it is faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord that offers that assurance. Baptism (by full immersion as taught in the Bible) is an act of obedience that should be an immediate part of our acceptance of the gift of grace offered by Jesus Christ. But it does not mean that one who truly gives their heart to Jesus on a death bed, in the heat of warfare, or in a crashing airplane, will be kept out of heaven because they failed to be baptized. The thief on the cross next to Jesus didn't have time to be baptized before he died, but he had an opportunity to believe in Jesus and put his trust in Him, and Jesus responded by saying, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).

True faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross for our sins is sufficient for salvation. Christ has already done everything. By definition, His grace doesn't require any additional "works" by us. That being said, Jesus Christ commands us to be baptized (Matthew 28:18-20), and therefore, all believers should be baptized. Immediately following Christ's command, the Book of Acts describes the practice of administering baptism to almost every group or individual who believed in the preaching of the Gospel by the apostles (Acts 2:37-41; 8:5-13; 8:35-39; 9:10-18; 10:34-48; 16:13-15; 16:30-33; 18:8; and 19:1-6).

Water Baptism - What does it symbolize?

According to the Bible, the symbolism of baptism declares that three things happen to believers who are baptized: (1) they die with Christ to their old self; (2) they rise with Christ to become a new creature; and (3) they are incorporated in their new life with a living community which looks for the coming of the Lord (Romans 6:1-11). Contrary to what some denominations teach, it seems obvious that a Christian's baptism must necessarily require a responsible decision to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and therefore, must be delayed until an age of reason or discretion (knowing right from wrong within God's perspective).

In short, Jesus Christ commands baptism for His followers. Although the act of baptism does not cause eternal salvation, it seems that any believer who refuses baptism should truly examine his or her conversion.

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age'" (Matthew 28:18-20).

Our Ministry

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:30:00 +0200

Our Ministry is as follows.....

Our Vision

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:20:00 +0200

Our vision is to see Malta transformed by the widespread experience of Godâs grace . This local church being a gateway for the love, hope, peace and joy that comes only from Jesus Christ . Our vision is to be the âsalt and lightâ Jesus spoke of, and to see the local church grow by the making of new followers of Jesus of the Holy Bible, who will love him and serve in his Kingdom We seek the fulfilment of this vision by the Holy Spirit; Through clear teaching of Scripture, praise, prayer ,and worship, and by sacrificial service to Jesus Christ.

Mission Statement

The Good Shepherd Church is called to proclaim the Gospel of Christ and the beliefs of the evangelical Christian faith, to maintain the worship of God, and to inspire in all persons a love for Christ, a passion for righteousness, and a consciousness of their duties to God and their fellow human beings. We pledge our lives to Christ and covenant with each other to demonstrate His Spirit through worship, witnessing, and ministry to the needs of the people of this church and the community

Location Map

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:00:00 +0200
Our Church is located at:
Valley Towers
Unit 7
5th Floor (lift available)
Valley Road
Msida

View Larger Map

Statement of Faith

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:20:00 +0200
WE BELIEVE:

1.THE SCRIPTURES, BOTH OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, TO BE THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, THE COMPLETE REVELATION OF HIS WILL FOR THE SALVATION OF MEN AND THE DIVINE AND FINAL AUTHORITY FOR CHRISTIAN FAITH AND LIFE.

2.IN ONE GOD, CREATOR OF ALL THINGS, INFINITELY PERFECT AND ETERNALLY EXISTING IN THREE PERSONS: FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT.

3.THAT JESUS CHRIST IS TRUE GOD AND TRUE MAN, HAVING BEEN CONCEIVED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BORN OF A VIRGIN. HE DIED ON THE CROSS, A SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. FURTHER, HE AROSE BODILY FROM THE DEAD, ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, WHERE, AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MAJESTY ON HIGH, HE IS NOW OUR HIGH PRIEST AND ADVOCATE.

4.THAT THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TO GLORIFY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND , DURING THIS AGE, TO CONVICT MEN, REGENERATE THE BELIEVING SINNER, AND INDWELL, GUIDE, INSTRUCT AND EMPOWER THE BELIEVER FOR GODLY LIVING AND SERVICE.

5.THAT MAN WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD BUT FELL INTO SIN AND IS, THEREFORE, LOST, AND ONLY THROUGH REGENERATION BY THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN SALVATION AND SPIRITUAL LIFE BE OBTAINED.

6.THAT THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS RESURRECTION PROVIDE THE ONLY GROUND FOR JUSTIFICATION AND SALVATION FOR ALL WHO BELIEVE, AND ONLY SUCH AS RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST ARE BORN OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND, THUS BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD.

7.THAT WATER BAPTISM AND THE LORDâS SUPPER ARE ORDINANCES TO BE OBSERVED BY THE CHURCH DURING THE PRESENT AGE. THEY ARE, HOWEVER, NOT TO BE REGARDED AS MEANS OF SALVATION.

8.THAT THE TRUE CHURCH IS COMPOSED OF ALL SUCH PERSONS WHO THROUGH SAVING FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST HAVE BEEN REGENERATED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AND ARE UNITED TOGETHER IN THE BODY OF CHRIST OF WHICH HE IS THE HEAD.

9.THAT ONLY THOSE WHO ARE, THUS, MEMBERS OF THE TRUE CHURCH SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE LOCAL CHURCH.

10.THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE LORD AND HEAD OF THE CHURCH AND THAT EVERY LOCAL CHURCH HAS THE RIGHT, UNDER CHRIST, TO DECIDE AND GOVERN ITS OWN AFFAIRS.

11.IN THE PERSONAL AND PREMILLENNIAL AND IMMINENT COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THAT THIS âBLESSED HOPEâ HAS A VITAL BEARING ON THE PERSONAL LIFE AND SERVICE OF THE BELIEVER.

12.IN THE BODILY RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD; OF THE BELIEVER TO EVERLASTING BLESSEDNESS AND JOY WITH THE LORD; OF THE UNBELIEVER TO JUDGMENT AND EVERLASTING CONSCIOUS PUNISHMENT.

Meeting Times

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:20:00 +0200

Sunday Morning Service: 10.00am
(Services conducted in English and Maltese)

Tuesday Evening Bible Study: 7.30pm

Wednesday Evangelism City Gate, Valletta from 11.00am onwards
(If you have a question please come and talk to us)

Thursday Night Prayers at 7.45pm

About us

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:20:00 +0200