What We Believe
Jesus is at the centre
At the heart of our faith is Jesus.
We believe that God loves his creation and has made himself known to us in Jesus Christ. We want to know him, follow him and become more like him and to discover what it means to live his way in the world.
We believe in Jesus
We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully God and fully human.
He came among us, lived without sin, showed us what God is like and announced the coming of God's kingdom.
Jesus died on the cross, taking upon himself the consequences of sin and defeating the powers of evil. Through his death and resurrection, he makes reconciliation with God possible.
We believe Jesus really rose from the dead, ascended to the Father and reigns today.
Jesus is not simply someone we believe things about. He is someone we are invited to know and follow.
We believe in grace
We believe that we are made right with God not because we are good enough, but because of God's grace.
Salvation is God's gift, received through faith in Jesus Christ.
Through the Holy Spirit we are born into new life in Christ and become part of God's family.
Following Jesus begins with turning towards him and trusting him and it becomes a whole life of learning to love God, love others and live in his ways.
We believe baptism matters
We believe baptism is an important step of obedience for those who have put their faith in Jesus.
Following the pattern we see in the New Testament, we practise baptism of believers by immersion as a public expression of faith, a picture of dying to our old life and being raised to new life with Christ.
Baptism doesn't earn us God's love or save us. It is a response to the grace we have already received through Jesus.
We believe God meets us as we worship
We believe worship is more than singing songs on a Sunday.
It is our whole response to God in prayer, Scripture, communion, singing, silence, serving, generosity, work, relationships and everyday life.
When we gather, we want to make space to encounter God together. We believe communion is more than simply remembering something that happened long ago: as we share bread and wine, we meet together around Christ, remember his death and look forward to his coming kingdom.
We believe in God
We believe in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God is the loving creator of all things. He sustains his creation, cares deeply about humanity and is at work in the world.
We believe that humanity is made in the image of God and deeply loved by him. Yet sin has affected every part of our lives and our world, damaging our relationship with God, with one another and with creation.
We believe that God is both beyond our understanding and closer than we sometimes realise. He invites us into relationship with him and calls us to share in his purposes.
We believe the Bible
We believe the Bible is God's Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit and trustworthy in what it teaches.
The Bible tells the story of God's relationship with his people and finds its centre in Jesus. It shapes what we believe, how we live and how we understand God's purposes.
We want to be people who read Scripture carefully, take it seriously and allow it to challenge and transform us.
We believe church is people
We believe the church is the body of Christ, a people, not simply a building or a Sunday gathering.
The church is both local and worldwide, made up of all who belong to Jesus.
Every Christian has a part to play. We all have different gifts, experiences and personalities, and we believe God can use every one of us.
As a Baptist church, we believe in the importance of the local church, the participation of every believer and the freedom and responsibility of a congregation to seek God's will together.
We want to be a community where people are known and loved, where gifts are discovered, where people can serve and where we learn to follow Jesus together.
We believe the church is called to share the good news of Jesus, serve our neighbours, love those who are vulnerable and work for the good of our communities and our world.
We believe God's kingdom is coming
Jesus announced that the kingdom of God had come near.
We believe that through Jesus, God has begun making all things new and that one day Christ will return, the dead will be raised and all people will face God's judgement. Evil will finally be defeated, and God will bring about the renewal of all things.
We believe this is the hope of resurrection and eternal life with God for those who belong to Christ.
That hope changes how we live now.
We want to be people who seek the good of our neighbours, care for God's world, pursue justice and mercy, share the good news of Jesus and pray “Your kingdom come.”
A faith with room for questions
We don't expect everyone who walks through our doors to have everything figured out.
You might have a strong faith. You might have lots of questions. You might be unsure what you believe at all.
You're welcome here.
We believe faith grows as we ask questions, listen, learn, pray and walk with Jesus together.