As Christians our faith is centred on the person and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth.

It is not controversial to believe that Jesus really lived, nor that his essential teachings are contained in the documents we know as the gospels. However, through his life and words, Jesus challenged all those he encountered — and through the gospels all those who read them — to respond in one of two ways to his claims of divine status, and his invitation "come and follow me". Either we must dismiss him, or we must take his words seriously.

We believe that the most rational and consistent response, not just to the Bible but also to all our human experience and knowledge of the world, is to take Jesus at his word. Jesus clearly understood the Old Testament writings to carry God's authority, and so in following him we also believe the Bible to be God's authoritative word to us, fully trustworthy in all matters of faith and conduct.

Arising out of this, our activities are based on the following core aims:

• to glorify God through our worship
• to be open to others about what we believe and how this affects our life
• to become the kind of community that is described in the New Testament
• to become true disciples of Jesus, and to help others in this aim
• to help everyone to develop their gifts for the service of others