Park Avenue Church

OUR VISION:

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it un der a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV) This picture of a city on a hill is a captivating description of what we at Park Avenue Community Church hope to become .

First of all, a city on a hill is a community . It's a place where people from different backgrounds, different ethnic groups and different ages come together to work for a common purpose, in a common place, sharing our possessions. We have come together for the purpose of following our Lord Jesus Christ. We gather to worship together, to care for one another's needs, to grow in our faith, to share the good news of the gospel of Christ's kingdom and serve our locality with the love of God. In so doing, we hope to stand against the powers of individualism, isolation and consumerism that are so prevailing in our culture.

A city on a hill is a place of hope . It's a place that gives encouragement to those who travel in the dark of night. As a church, we operate in the light of the hope of Christ's return - when God will renew all things. We work together in the light of that hope, knowing by faith that our labor is not in vain.

A city on a hill is a place of refuge . It's a place to which people look to find acceptance and love expressed in acts of kindness. We long to be that kind of church. This is why we have developed ministries, and will continue to develop ministries, that seek to meet the real needs of people in our community

We are not a church that has "arrived." But we have a sense of where we are going because of the promises of our Lord Jesus. We have found the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and have discovered the goodness of the Lord. We are seeking to build community by demonstrating the love of God to our locality. We call people to enter the reign of God through acts of love and kindness. We trust that the Lord will use these acts of service to change people's hearts and draw them close to him.

We invite you to become a part of our community - to come and worship the Lord with us and learn to serve people as you grow in your faith. It is our hope that the people of Camden County, NJ will see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven.

"Building Loving Relationships - With God and With One Another "