As a church, we believe that God has revealed himself to us through Jesus.

We believe that he came to rescue and reconcile us to himself and each other

as the greatest gift of all time. We believe that he cares about and is at work

in every part of the world and that he will one day restore all things in Christ. 

 

So how we can all play an active part in the life of our community and church.

 

1. A Personal Commitment

 

The Church consists of a people called by the Father, submitted to the Son, Indwelt by the Holy Spirit, commissioned by the Gospel and heading for glory. God has a vision for His Church which we need to grasp and turn into a reality. It is based on a community of people who give practical definition to the One who is tri-personal. The loving community of Father, Son and Spirit reflected in the lives of those who say they know and believe in Him.

 

According to Jesus, this model community is the only way the world will know who he is and who sent him to earth. So the stakes are high. To be a caring, burden-bearing, forgiving, praying, mutually dependent society is not some sideshow, it is the main event.

The public face of the church is to smile with the down to earth expression of people who, though very different in many ways, have one fundamental which holds them on the same page; grace! Those who have received the amazing grace of God in their lives to rescue them from suffocating materialism, isolating individualism and self-righteous moralism want to give grace to others. We are just beggars telling other beggars where to find bread.

 

Grace is the glue which sticks the unstickable and awkward, the pompous and proud, the reactionary and the rebel, together on the same team.

 

If you want to enjoy church and get the most of it, rather than just run in and out, then you need to hang around long enough, take off the masks and get stuck in! We need to invest in the community of faith, commit to authentic relationships and avoid becoming that unattractive, eccentric Christian type – the lone ranger! Being a disciple literally means ‘learner’. Our deepest desire has to be for each one of us to experience the freedom and joy of a life spent closely following Christ.

 

And then to ask ‘What is God saying to me?’ and ‘What is God asking of me?’

 

2.   Make a (re) Connection

 

We believe that we are called together to learn from and support each other. This may involve expressing an interest in a new initiative, serving on a Sunday, renewing your commitment to a Growth Group, or committing to making a difference in a ministry or outreach work. It may involve you returning to church and realising your place in the community of believers.

 

What is it that you may need to say NO to say YES to what God wants you to do?

 

3.   Consider Your Giving

 

Pray about your giving. (The grace of giving)                               

 

 

 

Plan your giving. We should set aside our giving for God’s work when we receive our income, rather than giving whatever might be left at the end of the month. We recognise that everything comes from God and is to be employed for His glory. The Bible teaches that the decisions we make with our money really matter to God - being disciplined with money is a part of our worship to God. The Bible teaches us that we need to seek to be generous and joyful as we give (2 Cor 9:5-11 & 1 Tim 6:18). So we aim to be consistent and orderly in giving our first fruits which are given regularly in proportion to our income. (1 Cor 16:2)

 

As we expand our staff team and support others in ministry and mission, and look to create more space for more people we are looking for our personal giving to the church to increase. We want to release both the time, tools and facilities necessary to equip our people more effectively and give away as many resources as possible.

 

Your next step might be to begin, increase or continue giving as a faith response in a way that supports our church. For more information concerning giving or membership click on the links or contact the office.