Our aims

What kind of church are we setting out to be?

We want to be a gospel church, that is, a church shaped by the message of hope and good news that is found only in Jesus. ‘Gospel’ means ‘good news’, yet it is surprising how many people have never heard the message of Jesus, or picked up and read a copy of one of the four gospels that tell of his life death and resurrection.  We find that when people read a gospel, they are surprised and amazed by what they find. One person said ‘It was like walking down a familiar street, even though I knew I’d never been there before.’

We want to be a Bible church, centring our life together on everything God reveals about himself in the Bible. In each Sunday gathering we read several Bible passages, and the message is always expounding one particular Bible chapter. We want all our life together as a church to be guided and shaped by the Bible as God’s word written, because we believe every word can be trusted. We love reading the Bible with people one-to-one, and giving away copies for free.

We want to be a grace-centred church. We believe that there is nothing that can stop God’s grace. He has graciously chosen to save a vast multitude of people from all nations, and his grace can break down the hardest heart and cross every barrier. Not only that, God’s grace to us in Jesus empowers us to live a changed life — being a Christian is not something we do in our own strength. 

We want to be a belonging church. God has given us a wonderful message to live out, and two gospel signs that mark his church. Baptism is a powerful sign that speaks of the new life that makes someone a Christian. We believe that baptism is something that should happen when you become a Christian and join the church. The Lord’s Supper or communion is also a sign of belonging, as members of a local church pledge themselves not only to Jesus but also to each other. 

Finally, we want to be a church of mission and hope. We believe the church has a great history to learn from,  but we also have a future. We are committed to our mission of bringing hope and good news to all the nations of the world. We don’t think we have arrived, but rather we are setting out in faith together. We need to reform our traditions in line with the Bible, and step out in faith to serve God where he leads us. Ultimately, a local church should be a foretaste of heaven, a community of grace and truth that is growing to be more and more like Jesus. That is what we long and pray for.