History:

Established in 1982 by Kim Shahan, Vision of Hope (AOGN Inc.), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has grown to be a leader in serving communities and bringing HOPE to nations. What sets us apart is our passion for serving the Body of Christ, equipping teens and young adults for effective ministry, and reaching the lost.

Vision of Hope:

The following is a statement of our position of basic Christian doctrines. As once stated by a great missionary, “There are certain basic Christian truths about which there must be agreement. On all other doctrines there should be liberty. In all things there must be charity.” It is our resolution to take an uncompromising stand on the essential doctrines of the faith, and extend “the right hand of fellowship” to all who hold to them. It is also our resolution to protect the liberty of Christians to hold different perspectives on the “non-essential” doctrines.

On the Person of Jesus:

There is only one true God. Who is revealed in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Word (Logos) of God. The Word was with God in the beginning, which states His pre-existence as one with God. “By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth” (Colossians 1:16), therefore making Jesus the Creator. Jesus Christ is the Purpose of God found in all creation. He is the Father’s delight and desire, and the Father is looking for the reflection of His Son in all created things. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. In the beginning, it was the ultimate purpose of God for all things to be summed up in Christ (Ephesians 1:10). There is only one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (I Timothy 2: 5).

On Man:

We believe that man was created by God from the dust of the earth, without sin or the knowledge of good and evil. The first man, Adam, transgressed the command of God, and as God had warned, the process of death entered him and all of his descendants because of that transgression. Therefore, all have sinned and are worthy of sentence of death. Because of our unrighteousness, we are unable to approach a holy God, except through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Through Jesus, we not only can come before the Throne of Grace, but we may approach it boldly since our confidence is not in ourselves, but in the Lord Jesus. Those who trust in Jesus Christ by faith have access to the Throne of Grace by His sacrifice and by His sacrifice alone. Good works are not offered for His approval, but for His joy and glory, and must be offered through the Son (I Peter 2:5) in obedience to Him. Therefore, the goal of our service is obedience and not sacrifice.

On the New Birth:

Believing in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God and in His propitiation made for our salvation results in a regeneration and renewal that constitutes our new birth into new creations. Although this does not imply immediate perfection in our temporal life or lifestyle, it does mean that true faith will result in a radical change in us. Being “born again” implies a new beginning, not a ending. Christian maturity in faith, truth and life is a process. Even so, this process must begin with spiritual regeneration or new birth. While it is possible to change our behavior without regeneration, changing our hearts requires the new birth, and it is our hearts upon which God looks.

On the Purpose of Faith:

True faith is of the heart and not just of the mind (Romans 10: 9-10). God’s purpose in requiring faith for salvation is to raise our focus and concentration above the temporal to the One who is eternal. Therefore, the gospel that is able to save souls must be preached in the power of the Spirit of God. The gospel is not dependent upon human eloquence or persuasion that may change minds, but cannot change hearts. Only the Spirit of God can reveal the Son of God, and only the Son of God can reveal the Father.

On the Authority of Scripture:

We believe in the Divine inspiration and authority of the 66 books of the Holy Bible as the complete canon of God’s testimony to mankind. We are committed to esteeming Scripture as the very Word of God, inerrant in its original form. We do not accept doctrine which contradicts Scripture. We do not accept any spiritual experience as having its source in the Holy Spirit that does not have a precedent in Scripture. We do not accept any revelation, vision, dream, prophecy or discernment as truth which contradicts Scripture, or cannot be verified by it. We do not believe that any other writings have the same authority as the cannon of Scripture.

On the Lord’s Supper:

We acknowledge the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Jesus and as a testimony of our communion (common-union) with Him in His body, the church. We consider it a holy ordinance, but we do not accept the teaching that communion is for the purpose of remitting sins, which Scripture testifies is based solely in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (Hebrews 9:25-28).

On Water Baptism:

We believe that water baptism should be by immersion and accomplished immediately after commitment to the Lordship of Jesus and His atoning sacrifice for our sin. This ordinance is a personal and public statement of faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ on our behalf, and is a commitment to lay down our lives to be one with Him in His death, burial and resurrection.

On the Baptism of the Holy Spirit:

We believe that the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” is an additional impartation which may be subsequent to regeneration. (see Acts 8:15-17 and 19:1-6). This baptism is usually accompanied by the gifts of the Spirit, such as speaking in tongues, prophecy, ect.
We believe that this gift is presently available to all who believe (Acts 2:38-39), but is not essential for salvation or regeneration. While these are accomplished by the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-7) there were disciples who did not even know that there was a Holy Spirit. Just as Paul made it a priority to instruct those believers and pray for them to receive this gift, we are committed to doing the same. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to impart spiritual power to the believer to be a witness (Acts 1:8; 5:32).

On the Present Ministry of the Holy Spirit:

We believe that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). and that His ministry in and through the church by the Holy Spirit has not changed form the beginning. We accept, acknowledge, encourage and seek all the biblical gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit as present and vital for the church to accomplish her full purpose today.

On the Second Coming of Christ:

We believe in the literal, physical return of the Lord Jesus Christ to take authority and rule on earth. We believe that those who are alive and remain at the return of our Lord will be changed and caught up with Him in the air. Those who have died in the faith will be resurrected and precede those who are alive in being changed and caught up to be with Him.

We believe in the literal, physical resurrection of both the just and the unjust for the Day of Judgment. For those of us who have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on our behalf, this resurrection is for eternal life in fellowship with God. Those who are not justified by faith in Jesus are resurrected for an eternal judgment.