Our Beliefs
In accordance with the truths of Biblical Christianity, our purpose is the advancement of the Christian faith in accordance with our Basis of Faith and Church Constitution.
Basis of Faith
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There is one God, who exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is unchangeable in his holiness, justice, wisdom and love. He is the almighty Creator; Saviour and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to his sovereign will for his own glory.
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God has revealed himself in the Bible, which consists of the Old and New Testaments alone. Every word was inspired by God through human authors, so that the Bible as originally given is in its entirety the Word of God, without error and fully reliable in fact and doctrine. The Bible alone speaks with final authority and is always sufficient for all matters of belief and practice.
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All men and women, being created in the image of God, have inherent and equal dignity and worth. Their greatest purpose is to obey, worship and love God. As a result of the fall of our first parents, every aspect of human nature has been corrupted and all men and women are without spiritual life, guilty sinners and hostile to God. Every person is therefore under the just condemnation of God and needs to be born again, forgiven and reconciled to God in order to know and please him.
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The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life in obedience to the Father. He taught with authority and all his words are true. On the cross he died in the place of sinners, bearing God’s punishment for their sin, redeeming them by his blood. He rose from the dead and in his resurrection body ascended into heaven where he is exalted as Lord of all. He intercedes for his people in the presence of the Father.
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Salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace and cannot be earned or deserved. It has been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and is offered to all in the gospel. God in his love forgives sinners whom he calls, granting them repentance and faith. All who believe in Christ are justified by faith alone, adopted into the family of God and receive eternal life.
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The Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven to glorify Christ and to apply his work of salvation. He convicts sinners, imparts spiritual life and gives a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, brings assurance of salvation and produces increasing likeness to Christ. He builds up the Church and empowers its members for worship, service and mission.
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The universal Church is the body of which Christ is the head and to which all who are saved belong. It is made visible in local churches, which are congregations of believers who are committed to each other for the worship of God, the preaching of the Word, the administering of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; for pastoral care and discipline, and for evangelism. The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and between churches by mutual love, care and encouragement. True fellowship between churches exists only where they are faithful to the gospel.
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Baptism and the Lord’s Supper have been given to the churches by Christ as visible signs of the gospel. Baptism is a symbol of union with Christ and entry into his Church but does not impart spiritual life. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice offered once for all and involves no change in the bread and wine. All its blessings are received by faith.
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The Lord Jesus Christ will return in glory. He will raise the dead and judge the world in righteousness. The wicked will be sent to eternal punishment and the righteous will be welcomed into a life of eternal joy in fellowship with God. God will make all things new and will be glorified forever.
Constitution & Rules
The Church Constitution contains the main legal provisions governing the Church, its purposes, its Basis of Faith, and its powers.
The Church Rules set out the practices of the Church and its method of internal governance.
These can be downloaded and viewed below:
We believe in…
The good news of Jesus Christ
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The good news is about God – the living, sovereign, holy creator – who has made us to know and love him.
The uncomfortable reality is that none of us live as if that were true. Our practical independence of God leaves us vulnerable to his judgement.
But here’s the good news: God is still committed to us. He sent his own Son, Jesus of Nazareth, into the world. Fully God and man, Jesus lived a perfect life and died in our place so that our broken relationship with God might be restored.
God raised Jesus from the dead, proving that He is Lord. Jesus now reigns over this world, calling people to turn from their rebellion, trust in him for forgiveness and follow him as Lord of our lives.
When someone trusts in Jesus, God the Holy Spirit lives in them and gives them the power to live for Jesus. When Jesus returns to end history, the earth and heavens will be made new and his people will be with him forever.
The truth about Jesus
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The Christian Scriptures (the Bible) are the divinely inspired and unique revelation of God , completely reliable and sufficient for all we need to know in order to live for God. We believe that the Bible alone speaks with final authority on all matters of ethics, belief and how we live.
So we seek to understand and apply God’s Word to every area of life. Empowered by the Spirit of God, through prayer and worship, we listen to the God who speaks and we commit to the adventure of faith.
The Church
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The local Church which unites around the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection for us is the means by which God brings hope to the world.
People transformed by Christ, worship and live for Him in the workplace, marketplace and neighbourhood. The Church is a community for the forgiven. All ages and backgrounds can find their identity in Christ and through Him by connection with others.