Our Values
(These are some of the things that we value most, that influence what we do and say and that shape our development as a church)
THE LOVE OF GOD OUR FATHER - We recognise our complete dependence on God’s love, grace and mercy in everything, and we aim to love other people with the same unconditional love. We aim to demonstrate God’s love in our relationships and proclaim His love in our teaching and preaching.
A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST - We believe that true ministry comes from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and if we want to see growth in the church then we must be committed to our own personal spiritual growth. We try to provide an environment and structure which encourages people to make the development of that relationship a priority in their lives.
THE HOLY SPIRIT - We value the person and work of the Holy Spirit. We welcome Him and recognise that His presence and activity in our midst is vital. We encourage the use of the gifts of the Spirit and want to respond to His leading in every respect. Although we have an outline form to most of our gatherings, we want to make room for the Holy Spirit to do as He wills.
THE WORD OF GOD - We want to encourage all our members to study God’s written word, the Bible, and to apply it to their lives. Our teaching programme in our Sunday meeting aims to provide a stimulus to further study and application.
WORSHIP/PRAISE/THANKSGIVING - We were made to be worshippers and the Father seeks worshippers. To be in His presence is our delight and it is often while we are worshipping Him that we are most aware of His presence. We give time in our main Sunday meetings for free flowing praise and worship using mainly contemporary songs which express what God is doing now and reflect the intimacy of His love for us. But worship means more than just music; it involves the complete devotion of our lives to the God we adore.
PRAYER - We recognise that it is through prayer that we commune with God and that He enables us to be partners with Him in working out His purpose in this world. We emphasise the importance of everyone praying often - individually, in groups, and with fasting.
INDIVIDUALS & TEAMS - We acknowledge the intrinsic worth of every individual person in the sight of God and we want to recognise that worth in the way that we treat people. We acknowledge also that in the church God has put us together so that we can support one another. As members of one body we are interdependent and we don’t want anyone to be working in isolation. So the structure of the church consists mainly of groups and teams.
UNITY - We recognise that God blesses and anoints where there is unity among Christians so we make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. We are all different, and we sometimes have different views on some subjects, but we aim to relate in ways that promote harmony and unity so that we can all come to know the mind of Christ. We want to honour one another, serve one another and consider one another in all that we say and do.
EVERY MEMBER WORKING - We believe that every member of the church is a minister and is called to works of service, so that the body of Christ may grow. We encourage everyone to positively contribute to the work of the church according to their God-given callings and gifts. We do not exclude anyone from any ministry on the basis of gender. In the variety and creativity of our contributions, we want to express something of the diversity which we see in our God’s creation.
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MISSION - We seek to impact the communities in which we live with the good news of the
TRAINING and DISCIPLESHIP - We aim to train and equip people to develop in the work to which God has called them. We want to become more Christ-like, to grow as disciples, and also to disciple others.
INTEGRITY - We value honesty, integrity and purity of heart. We don’t want “religious hype” or unreality.