Mission Statement

•     To proclaim the gospel faithfully, bringing the mercy and love of God to all who hear,
•     To disciple all Christians, using small groups, encouraging participation in worship, teaching and service.
•     To build Holy and Compassionate Churches.

Statement Of Faith

1.   Belief in the Trinity of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit: coequal and eternally existing in three persons as one: God.
2. Belief in the deity and humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ; that he was begotten of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, possessing a sinless nature; that he died for us, in our place, so fulfilling the just demands of a Holy Father; and that he was raised from the dead on the third day,
3.  Belief in the personality of the Holy Spirit, and that as promised he came from heaven on the day of Pentecost to dwell permanently in the Church, i.e. in every believer. We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus: that the gifts of the Spirit being those powers originally seen in Jesus himself, are to be sought, accepted and used for the building up and extension of his body, the Church: that the fruits of the Spirit are the characteristics of the life of Jesus. We believe that Jesus never comes to the end of what he has to give to us and reveal to us, and that experiences of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives go beyond initial experience. Whenever we seek him, trust him and yield our lives to him, we can receive an overwhelming experience of the Holy Spirit. We use the term “Baptism” to describe the first time this happens, and the word “Filling” for the subsequent experiences. The experience of The Holy Spirit coming to dwell in a believer may be referred to as “the spirit indwelt” whilst the baptism or filling of the spirit may be referred to as “the spirit outpoured”. We are glad to receive and use all spiritual gifts.  Speaking in tongues may or may not immediately accompany the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
4.   Belief that the ruin of the human race is universal and total and cannot be removed by any human effort: that the shed blood of Jesus Christ is the only ground of justification by God, forgiveness of sins and of peace with God: that the new birth is necessary as the only ground of entry into the Kingdom of God and that salvation is by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ.
5. Belief that it is the privilege of all who are born again through faith in Christ to be assured of their salvation, and that they are in present possession of eternal life and delivered from the judgement and Wrath to come. The daily working out of a believers salvation is through denial of self and the “carrying of our cross”. Believers are totally dependant on God.
6.   Belief that Christ is the absolute head of the Church which is His body, and that the church is composed of regenerate people. [
7.   Belief that God works in the life of all believers for His glory and the good of every believer, principally through the witness and guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Believers are made aware of the will of God operating in their lives by exercising faith, which is focused on God the Father, through Jesus Christ the Son and in the Holy Spirit. Faith is not to be thought of as a separate independent “force”, but rather as trusting objectively in who God is and what he has revealed both universally arid personally to the believer. What has been revealed personally will never contradict His revealed truth in the bible, which is the written Word of God.
8.   Belief that the presence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life can be expected to bring radiant spiritual health together with increased mental awareness. Physical healing may occur or it may not. Healings are in the sovereign will of God to be exercised by Him whenever He chooses

9: Belief that God will strengthen His people with all power according to His glorious might so that all believers will be able to joyfully give thanks and exercise great endurance and patience especially when called upon to suffer for the name of Christ.

10.   Belief that the church is called to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit to the needs of body, mind and spirit, including preaching, teaching, praise, worship, fellowship and the relief of suffering in the name and through the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. This ministry is to be exercised within the church and also in the world where it is to be linked to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ to go and make disciples through the witness of believers including the proclamation of the gospel by all believers generally, and publicly by those with gifts appropriate to the task.
11. Belief that Satan is a real living being, and that though powerful, he is a defeated foe -defeated by Jesus in the past when he descended into his kingdom to ‘lead captivity captive’: defeated in the present through the power of his resurrection, and defeated in the future at His Coming Again.
12.   Belief that the return of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent, will be personal and will precede a new creation. All members of His Church will be United and the world, as a whole will be transformed at His Coming. He alone in His own person is, the answer to the spiritual, social and moral chaos of this world and He will put all things right at His Coming.
13.     Belief in the supernatural inspiration of Scripture in every part so that it is inerrant in its original writing and that it is the supreme and absolute authority for all matter of doctrine faith and conduct.
14.     Belief in the two ordinances of scripture:

14:1. That all believers should be baptised by immersion in water as an outward sign of spiritual belief, and

14:2   That communion, or the Lord’s Supper, is to be regularly celebrated to indicate the centrality of the Cross in the life of every believer and of the church as a whole.

15. Belief that the local church is a part of the world-wide church and should seek to form links with it and in particular with those parts of it which are closest in specific beliefs and conduct.
    

    Constitution

    4:1       MEMBERSHIP

    Membership of the Church is open to all Christian Believers, who are broadly in agreement with the above Statement of Faith.

    Applications for Membership shall be considered and approved by the Leadership after consultation with the Members.

    New Members will be formally welcomed into the Church with prayer, during a Sunday morning Communion Service, as soon as possible after their Membership has been agreed.

    The Church Administrators will maintain a list of current members, which will be available to all Members.

    Annually, normally during January, at a Sunday morning Service, each Member present will re affirm their commitment to The Lord and each other.

    The Leadership shall notify resignations from Membership to the Members as soon as possible after consideration.

    The Leadership shall have the right to “discipline” Members when necessary, following accepted Christian principles, and may consult the Members in appropriate circumstances.

    The Leadership shall have the right to remove any person from Membership of the Church in consultation with Members as appropriate. Any case of removal from Membership shall be notified to Members as soon as possible.

     

    4:2       LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION

    The Leadership of the church shall be comprised of one or more Elders whose primary responsibility is spiritual leadership and pastoral oversight.

    The senior Elder shall have overall responsibility and the final authority in making decisions. The senior Elder will normally be known as the “Pastor”.

    The Administrative body of the Church shall be comprised of one or more Deacons whose primary responsibility is the implementation of Church policies and management of finances.

    
    4:3       APPOINTMENTS TO OFFICE

    Appointments will be made by the Leadership after consultation with the Members.

    Elders and Deacons may be nominated for office with the agreement of the nominee, who will be a Member.

    Nominations for office will be made to the Leadership. If the Leadership deem it necessary, or agree that the person should be considered for office, the Membership will be informed of the nomination.

    After a period of at least a month, and further consultation at a Members meeting, the Leadership shall decide whether or not to make the appointment.

    4:4       REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

    An Elder or Deacon may be removed from office by the Leadership after consultation with the Members.

    In the event of a charge of unsuitability or unworthiness for office, which is supported by a minimum of two persons, an Elder or Deacon may be removed from office by a majority decision of a meeting of the Members.

    In the event of all the Leadership resigning or being removed, a majority decision of a meeting of the Members shall have the authority to appoint one or more Elders for the remainder of the year.

    4: 5      CHURCH OFFICERS

    The Leadership shall have the right to appoint, or remove, Members to or from various duties in the Church as and when there is a need, following consultation with the Members.

    4:6   FINANCE

    The Deacons will be responsible for setting an annual budget to be agreed at a meeting of Members.

    Accounts shall be prepared and presented to Members at regular intervals, normally quarterly.

    The financial year will begin on the first day of January each year.

    Suitably qualified auditors shall be appointed by the Leadership and the Administrators when necessary for the proper administration of the finances.

    Annual accounts will be presented to a Members meeting as soon as possible after the end of each financial year.

    Church income, including regular offerings, usually weekly, shall be collected by the Administrators who will be responsible for security and banking

    The income collected publicly will be counted and recorded by at least two signatories.

    At least one day may be set aside annually, for members to give to the Lord, through the church, offerings, which exceed their regular weekly giving

    Two signatures will be required on every cheque from a list of signatories formally drawn up and agreed between the Leadership, the Deacons and the Church Bankers.

    The church will, in accordance with its beliefs expressed in the Statement of Faith, set aside funds for the benefit of non-members, in accordance with the budget set and passed by the members at the Members General Meeting. These funds expressed on an annual basis at present exceed 50% of church income.

    The Deacons have the responsibility for day to day expenditure but no unbudgeted expenditure or continuing commitments shall be undertaken without the decision of the Leadership Following consultation with Members.

    In the event of emergencies the Leadership may exercise their discretion to use Church finances confidentially for relieving immediate needs.

    Emergency funds, used confidentially, shall not exceed 5% of the Church budget.

    Separate accounts of funds used confidentially, will be kept by the Administrators, and will be available for audit if necessary.

     

     

    
    4:7       MEMBERS MEETING

    A Church diary will be kept for each year by the Administrators.

    Entries will be made in the diary as soon as the relevant information is available.

    Meetings not listed in advance in the Church diary will be called by the Leadership, in an announcement to the Members, at least one week before the meeting is held. Members not present, will be notified of the meeting by letter or telephone, as soon as possible after the announcement.

    Members meetings will be held at any of the normal venues used for Church activities. A majority of the Membership must be present to constitute a quorum.

    There will be a formal Members meeting within the first quarter of each calendar year and at appropriate intervals in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, and at the discretion of the Leadership.

    Any Member may request the Leadership to call a formal Members meeting at any time. The Leadership will consider the request and decide whether or not to call such a meeting.

    In emergencies when a leader is not available, where there is no Leader in office, or where a single Leader is under a charge of unsuitability or unworthiness for office, an Administrator may call a meeting of Members for the purpose of dealing with that charge.

    4:8   AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

    The Leadership shall be responsible for any amendments to the constitution following consultation with Members.

    4:9   EMPLOYEES AND PROPERTY

    The Church may employ full or part time workers.

    The Leadership may appoint Trustees for the purpose of owning or leasing property after consultation with the Members.

    4: 1 0   DATE OF COMING INTO EFFECT

    The provisions of this Constitution shall come into effect on the First Day of May 1996, except the financial provisions, which shall come into effect on the First Day of January 1997.

     

     

    Amended 2016