WHAT WE BELIEVE AND TEACH

We are a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching Christian church. Here is a summary of our beliefs, with some quotations from the Bible that help to affirm them:

1: WE BELIEVE that there is only one God, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit (often called the Trinity)

In 2 Corinthians 13:14 we read: "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all".
In Matthew 28:19 we read: Jesus said: "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

2: WE BELIEVE that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and as such is infallible and the final authority for all beliefs and practices.

In 2 Timothy 3:16 Paul writes:"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness".

3: WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is God; that he was born of a virgin; and that he lived a sinless, perfect life.

Matthew, quoting Isaiah 7:14, writes in Matthew 1:23: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel" -- which means, "God with us."
In John 20.27-29 we read: “Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands.     Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
And in Hebrews 4.14-15 we read: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.”

4: WE BELIEVE that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again, and is now exalted at the right hand of God in heaven.

In 1st Corinthians 15:3-4 we read: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures".

5: WE BELIEVE that everyone is a sinner, and that salvation is the gift of God through His grace, and received by personal faith in Christ.

In Ephesians 2:1-9 we read: "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast".

6: WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit indwells and seals all believers at conversion, baptising them into the body of Christ which is His church.

In Ephesians 1:13-14 we read: "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory".

7: WE BELIEVE that the fruits of the Holy Spirit should be evident in the lives of all believers.

In Galatians 5.20-25 we read: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

8: WE BELIEVE in adult baptism by immersion, and that baptism is a step of obedience for believers, though not essential for salvation.

In Matthew 28:19 we read: Jesus said: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

9: WE BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus is coming back again for His church, and that he will reign on the earth.

In 1st Thessalonians 4:15-17 we read: "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever".

10: WE BELIEVE in the eternal security of all those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus, depending on His finished work on the cross, and not on their own works.

In John 10.28 we read: Jesus said: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."

The quotations above are just a few verses from the Bible that help explain the reason why we hold these fundamental principles. There are many other verses in the Bible which help us—but as it is written in John 20.30-31:
“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Finally, we quote from the account of Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost:
In Acts 2.22-24 we read:"Listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,
which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him."

At the end of that same sermon, in verse 38 Peter said:”Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

If you don't know what it is to have your sins forgiven, or are not even sure whether you ARE a sinner and need forgiveness, you might like to click HERE to find out more about God's wonderful free gift of salvation.

Or you can click HERE to see a list of people in our church that you can talk to.

Or you can contact us by email HERE


(All quotations from the New International Version (NIV) copyright International Bible Society. Used by permission)