5 strands to our church life

We believe that the first church, at Jerusalem, described in Acts chapter 2, demonstrated five strands in their church life.

Worshipping

Our church exists to worship God. We do this in obedience to what God asks of us - "Worship the Lord your God, and Him alone" (Mat 4:10 TM). But He wants more than obedience - He wants the joyful expression of our love. So in every way, whether it is in the large group on Sunday, in the small group, or as individuals, we try to worship God with sincerity and joy. Worship is to be a way of life.                     This leads to two commitments: Devotion to Christ and Giving God our best.                            Sermon: Devotion to Christ                                                                                                                       Sermon: Giving God our best

Our church exists to minister to people, demonstrating God's love by meeting their needs. All sorts of needs are met by Him - spiritual, physical and emotional. We believe that God calls and equips every Christian to "minister" to those in need. So our relationships within our church should reflect this "servant" spirit, and so too should our involvement with our neighbours and the wider community.                       This leads to two commitments: Giving ourselves and Using our gifts.                                                   Sermon: Giving ourselves                                                                                                             Sermon: Using our gifts

Telling

Our church exists to communicate God's Word, not just to our immediate contacts but to the whole world. We seek to do this in our church meetings, but also believe that it is the responsibility and privilege of every Christian to share what he or she has experienced. Each of us has our own story of meeting with and walking with God. We encourage our members to share their story through the way they live as well as by what they say.                                                                                                                                     This leads to two commitments: Connecting with the world and Concern for the lost.                  Sermon: Connecting with the world                                                                                               Sermon: Concern for the lost

Our church exists to provide fellowship for Christians. God does not want us to live in isolation, but as members of His family. We need support from one another. We have a wide range of activities and organisations for all ages and all stages. We encourage playing together and praying together. In our large church we suggest that everyone links up with a "small group", where deep and trusting friendships will develop.                                                                                                                                            This leads to two commitments: Meeting together and Loving each other.                                              Sermon: Meeting together                                                                                                            Sermon: Loving each other

Our church exists to help Christians grow towards maturity - to become more like Jesus Christ in their thoughts, feelings and actions. This is a life-long process for every Christian. God's Word, the Bible, is central in our teaching and our church activities reflect this. Both old and young are encouraged to link into our teaching programme, which is tailored to suit our varied needs.                                                      This leads to two commitments: Christ-likeness and Spirit-inspired Biblical teaching.               Sermon: Christ-likeness                                                                                                               Sermon: Spirit-inspired Biblical teaching