COC believes that there is only one God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, and that Jesus Christ is the son and second in the trinity. They believe that Jesus is human and also divine, meaning that Jesus is God. COC also believes that the bible is the infallible word of God, that it has no contradictions and is the foundation of our walk with God. Members are encouraged to use the bible as a basis on how they should live their lives as disciples. One of COC's vision statement is to serves this world for good and for God as well as to make disciples. They interpret Matthew 28:19 as saying that we, as Christians, are to help those who come into a real relationship with God in regards to doctrine and how to live for Christ.
Another of COC's beliefs is baptism and baby dedications. COC believes that there are two types of baptisms, baptism of water and baptism of spirit. Baptism by water is when you are fully immersed in water to identify with the death and Resurrection of Jesus. So when you are immersed in the water, you are basically choosing to die to self and then asking Jesus to live through you. Pastor Rick Brewer at Citipointe describes water baptism as an 'outward expression of an inward conviction'. Baptism of the spirit is entirely different. It is when an individual decides to ask the Holy Spirit to be a part of their life and to help them with their journey as a disciple. A sign of being baptised in spirit is the ability to speak is tongues. 'Tongue' is the word for 'new language' or ‘different language'; basically it's God's language. Being able to speak in tongues is one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. The bible says that 'speaking in tongues' is for the edification of your spirit, a way to strengthen your spiritual relationship with God.
COC also believes in baby dedications and partaking in Holy Communion. Dedicating a baby is an old Jewish tradition where a newborn child is brought to the church as a sign to thank God for the gift of that child and to 'dedicate' that child to God and whatever plan that God may have for that child's life. Communion is seen as something Jesus asked us to do in remembrance of Him. It reminds a Christian of the sacrifice that Jesus made on that cross and is a common practice that is important to the life of the church.
At COC, sin is sin. They believe that God wouldn't look at a murderer any different to someone that steals. If a murderer and thief both asked God for forgiveness, He would forgive them equally. Sin is not the acts that we commit, but the state of our heart. COC believes that we are all born sinful, it's in our nature, that is the reason why Jesus had to save us. If a person is to be saved then they have to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, believe in Him with all their heart and to live their life for Him.
Citipointe is the biggest and most known Christian Outreach Centre in Australia. The Church doesn't really follow a set liturgy, but does have order in a sense that they begin with praise and worship, announcements, tithes and offerings, a message from the Bible and finally an altar call. An altar call is basically a call to salvation. At the end of the service, the preacher will ask if all those who felt something stir in their hearts or those who want to commit their lives to Jesus would come to the front to be prayed for. Altar calls are a very Pentecostal, charismatic thing and occur in almost every Citipointe service. The music is alive, loud and very different to other churches. The music expresses that Citipointe worships a God that is relevant, powerful, loving, and awesome; and is still moving in people's lives today. Their music expresses their faith and has a true connection with their God; worship music is a witness of genuine faith and love for God; it is current and appeals to people of today.
Citipointe Church is under the governance of the Oversight. The Oversight consist of senior pastors who represent each state. The Oversight meets several times a year, including the annual general meeting which is open to all members. Citipointe Church in particular is governed by senior pastors and elders who report back to the Oversight.
Citipointe is an amazing, energetic church with the heart of warriors; their main goal is to see as many people go to heaven as possible. I go to Citipointe every week but even if I were a new comer, I would still feel welcomed by Citipointe's friendly environment. People are always welcomed and cared for even if they are thief's, murderers or broken. This relates back to the church's belief that sin is sin; it doesn’t matter what a person has done in their past or where they have come from, they are and always will be wanted in the house of God. They don't believe in being prejudice, but accepting.
