We Are Bible Based

– Our faith and practise are focused and founded on God’s spoken word.The wonderful story of the bible is that God who made our world and made us has made himself known to us. God has taken the initiative to make himself known and he has done this by speaking to us through human authors. This does not mean that God dictated mechanically to the authors rather God spoke his words through their words using their different personalities and style in such a way that their words were simultaneously his. These writtings preserved for us in what we call Scripture, is Gods means of communicating to us about himself ourselves and the world in which we live. Because the bible is God’s word written down it is different to every other book. It is completely true and trustworthy and is therefore the full and final authority on all matters of belief and behaviour.

We are Gospel Centred

– Our lives and message are driven and shaped by the Gospel.The word Gospel means ‘Good News’. The Good news is all about God’s Son Jesus Christ, his life, death and resurrection. The bible tells us that God the Father sent Jesus his Son into the world. Jesus was God’s word in human form living with and among mankind. The reason Jesus came is because he is the only means by which we human beings can know God personally.

His Life. Jesus lived his life in complete obedience to his Father, he never rebelled in word or thought or action. In fact He lived the kind of life that God expects from each one of us. As we look at the perfect life of Jesus we see that we are more like rebels than friends of God.

His Death. Jesus’ obedient life led him to a cruel execution. He was crucified when his hands and feet were nailed to a wooden cross. The bible explains why this happened. Although innocent of any crime Jesus death was God’s means of reconciling the world and mankind to himself. Jesus death was a substitution, he died in the place of you and me so that rebels like you and me might be forgiven. Jesus who always said no to sin said yes to judgement so that we who always say yes to sin might escape God’s judgement.

His Resurrection. Now that Jesus has been raised from the dead he has the power to give us life, and God’s promise to us is that whoever puts all their confidence in Jesus will be forgiven and will have eternal life. Today Jesus Rules in heaven and one day he will return as the Rescuing Judge. Those who reject God’s Son Jesus Christ will suffer eternal punishment while those who accept Jesus will escape punishment and will live forever in God’s new heaven and new earth where evil suffering and death will be excluded forever.

This Gospel is what we are dependant on and it is the good news that we must tell.

We are Spirit Dependant

– Our new life and mission are dependant on the work of the Holy Spirit.The Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son was active in creating all things and is active in sustaining all things. Specifically he is God’s agent in giving new life and a fresh start to the individual and he is God’s agent equipping the Church to fulfill her mission in this world until Jesus returns.
The Holy Spirit is like a light that shines into the darkness of our lives opening up our minds and giving us understanding about what Jesus has done and our absolute dependence upon him. He cleans us up on the inside bringing forgiveness transforming our lives and giving us a new heart, to love God and obey his word.
As the Spirit changes us he unites us to those who have also been transformed so that we become one people (the church), a family serving each other and those around us. The Holy Spirit equips us individually and corporately so that we can build each other up to be more like Jesus and to share the good news of Jesus with every people group and nation.
Without him we cannot live the life God calls us to and we cannot convince people of their need of Jesus.

Summary

We Believe in one God, expressed in the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our dependence is on God and his word, our dependence is on Jesus and his Death and our dependence is on the Holy Spirit and his work.