OUR FOCUS
 

The Church exists for the glory of God. This is achieved not only through Christ-centred corporate worship, but also in holy lives of active service for God. Therefore, central to the health of the church is a focus on the Bible as the guide for every aspect of life, both individual and corporate.

Two texts sum up the responsibilities of the church and provide a focus for our activities. The first is Matthew 28:18-20, in which Christ gives the ‘Great Commission’ to the church. It highlights our obligation to be actively involved in

Evangelism and Missions: These are essential, non-negotiable aspects of the life of any biblical church. We are active in evangelism in our community as individuals and as a church, and we support the efforts of overseas missions in different parts of the world.

The second text is Acts 2:42. It provides four foundational priorities for church life which fulfil the second aspect of the ‘Great Commission’, and are essential for all Christians from the moment of conversion:

Doctrine or Teaching: The word in the Greek carries both the idea of a ‘body of teaching’ and also the ‘act of teaching’. We are committed therefore to growing in our understanding of the doctrine of Scripture through personal study and also to the public teaching of those equipped by God for this task.

Fellowship: The threefold thought here is best summed up with the English words: community, communion and communication. We are committed to maintaining a loving community of believers, in which there is genuine communion (sharing) as we serve one another, and from which practical communications of help and support are sent to other believers throughout the world.

Ordinances: Luke refers to the ‘breaking of bread’ as an ongoing and repeated ordinance, having already indicated the necessity of baptism as a once-in-a-lifetime ordinance and prerequisite to church membership. We are committed to maintaining these two ordinances in a manner that is consistent with the biblical data.

Prayers: The combined duties of prayerfulness and godliness make a real difference to the spiritual health and effectiveness of individual Christians and the churches to which they belong. Both corporate and individual prayers are vital. We are committed to praying for and with one another according to the pattern of the New Testament church.