what we believe
'But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light! ' 1 Peter 2:9
What we believe
Very simply, we believe that Jesus Christ changes our life when we trust and follow Him, and that we really can have a personal relationship with God through Jesus that will last for eternity. It's not about religion or good works but a relationship, and one that creates a fruitful, fulfilled life - being the person God created us to be. It's a journey of discovery that enables us to live life to the full even through the trials of life, and know His joy, peace, hope and love in our hearts. It is a path of faith and belief, based on one of the most famous texts of the Bible,
John 3:16 ... Jesus says "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
How do I become a Christian?
Becoming a Christian is a choice. We are not born Christians and no one can make this decision for us. It's a personal transaction between you and Jesus Christ: you belong to Jesus Christ, you know that your sins have been forgiven and that you have peace with God. If you want to become a Christian and change your life you can pray (talk to Jesus) and say something like the following: "Lord Jesus, I know I have turned my back on God and I need your forgiveness. I believe that you died in my place to take the penalty. Please forgive me. Please come into my life as my Saviour and Friend and Lord. Thank you for loving me and making me your child. Help me to go on and live my life for you."
If you are approaching God with a particular wrongdoing or other problem that troubles you, it is helpful to say so in your prayer.
If you prayed that prayer please get in touch and tell us - we will be pleased to help you progress in your new Christian life.
More about what we believe
Of course you believe in God, but what is he like? There is one and only one true God and He created everything, rules the universe with providential care and, most of all, loves us all deeply; so we call Him both “Lord” and “Father”.
What do you believe about the people God loves? Human beings were created by the special act of God, and are the crowning work of His creation. However, we have turned our backs on Him and decided to go our own way. We call this sin and it spoils our relationships with God and with each other.
So how does Jesus Christ fit in? We believe Jesus is the Son of God who was born as a baby on earth on the first Christmas Day. He grew up to teach us how to live a life that would please God, and was executed on the first Good Friday. He was the only person not to sin and His death was accepted by God as the punishment for our wrongdoing. Jesus was nailed on a cross to die, which is why the cross is used as a symbol to represent our faith. We can therefore be forgiven by God. We can restore a relationship that we have damaged, by being genuinely sorry and being forgiven. That is why we follow Jesus. On Easter Sunday He came to life again and now reigns with God the Father in heaven where He is preparing a place for us when we die.
Will we all go to heaven? Jesus said He is preparing a place in heaven for those who follow Him. The Bible indicates that those who do not follow Him will not join Him.
Why is the Bible so important to you? The Bible was written by people inspired by God. We read it because we find God speaking to us about Himself. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction.
Who or what is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and we believe He is a person and not just a force. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship and living.
Why are you called ‘Baptists’? It is because we baptise people by immersing them completely in water, signifying a new life with Jesus. To baptise literally means to plunge, so baptism can be quite spectacular. Some other churches baptise babies, but we believe that baptism is for people who can say for themselves that they follow Jesus.
Some of your services have ‘Communion’ - what is that? The last time Jesus ate a meal before He died, He asked His followers to eat bread and drink wine to remember what He means to us. These simple tokens represent His body and blood that He gave for us. We also call communion ‘The Lord’s Supper’ or ‘The Lord’s Table’. We choose to use non-alcoholic wine as some participants follow temperance principles.
- Nelson Drive
- Westward Ho!
- Bideford
- Devon
- EX39 1LQ