WHAT WE BELIEVE

We are wholeheartedly committed to the truths of historic, biblical Christianity. We affirm the classic Christian creeds and confessions concerning the historic gospel and the Trinitarian nature of God, and we rejoice in the summary statements of the Protestant Reformation - that salvation is revealed in Scripture alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone, by grace alone, to the glory of God alone.

We are informally linked with a number of like-minded churches with whom we enjoy working in partnership at various levels. We are formally linked to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), the North West Partnership of Churches, The Pillar Network as well as the Morecambe Bay Fellowship.

Our statement of faith is a summary of the beliefs we consider to be essential for biblical Christianity. All our members joyfully affirm their commitment to these beliefs.

  1. About God

    There is only one living and true God, who exists in an everlasting loving relationship of Father, Son and Spirit - one God in three persons. These three persons are equal in being but have distinct roles in the great work of salvation. God is sovereign in all things: including creation, revelation, redemption, judgement and the establishing of his kingdom. As sovereign loving creator and redeemer, he is worthy of all glory, confidence, honour and praise.

  2. About humanity

    Men and women together are created in the image of God, in original righteousness to worship God and enjoy a unique relationship with Him, and together to exercise dominion over the created order. Tragically, we fell from that state through voluntary disobedience, and since the Fall men and women are by nature universally sinful, positively inclined to do evil, and all are guilty before God. This leaves us under the just wrath and condemnation of God. After death we face certain judgement and stand justly condemned to eternal punishment. We are unable, without the prior regenerative work of God's Spirit, to turn ourselves to God.

  3. About the Bible

    There is no other way to know God except that he reveals himself to us. The Bible is God's revelation to us. The words of the entire Bible are divinely inspired and inerrant, as originally given, and have supreme authority in all matters of faith, conduct and experience. The Bible is sufficient for knowing God. It is not only central to the wellbeing of the church but is able to thoroughly equip all believers for life and godliness.

  4. About Jesus Christ

    Jesus Christ, as he is truly revealed in the Bible, is the Son of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He is both fully God and truly human. He entered fully into human experience. He endured temptation and he was perfectly obedient to God his father. Jesus took on himself the consequences of human sin. He was put to death by crucifixion and was physically buried. On the third day he rose from the dead bodily. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted as ruler over all. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

  5. About salvation

    It is only through the work of Jesus Christ - his perfect obedience, penal substitutionary death, bodily resurrection and exaltation as Lord - that the guilt, penalty and power of sin can be removed. In that death God demonstrates his love to us most perfectly, establishes his victory over Satan and all his foes, and makes available forgiveness of sins, freedom from condemnation and a new spiritual life which will continue for eternity, for all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. The work of the Holy Spirit is necessary to make the death of Jesus effective in an individual's life. The Spirit enables sinners to repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ, so that salvation is entirely of God's grace and not of human merit or works. Although we enjoy now the blessing of union with Christ and secure relationship with God, we await the final consummation of our hope with the return of Christ, the resurrection of our bodies and life with him eternally.

  6. About the Spirit in the believer's life

    The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son, and indwells all true believers. His work in the believer is necessary and sufficient for the individual's new birth and growth to maturity. The Spirit works to illuminate believers' minds to grasp the truth of the Bible, producing in them his fruit, granting them his gifts and empowering them for service for the building of the church. Because the Spirit works in the lives of true believers to bring about the transformation of God in the form of an increasingly Christlike character, salvation is evidenced by godly conduct and works pleasing to God.

  7. About the church

    The local church is the gathering of believers around Christ in his word, an expression of the heavenly church gathered around Christ in heaven. It is a community of people intended by God to bear witness to him and actively seek the extension of his rule. Within its community both men and women are to seek proper expression of their gifts as they work to build the church in love and to demonstrate the transforming power of the gospel.

  8. About the world to come

    At a time known only to God, Jesus Christ will return from heaven to bring this world, and this current age, to an end and to bring salvation and judgement to final completion. He will return in person to gather all his people to himself. The dead shall be raised and all men and women shall be judged by him. Those who are not regenerate and justified shall be condemned to eternal punishment in Hell. Those who are regenerate and justified shall dwell eternally in the presence of God, reigning with Christ in his kingdom. God will fully establish his kingdom when he creates a new heaven and a new earth from which evil, suffering and death will be excluded, and in which he will be glorified for ever.