...let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matt. 5:16)

You`re probably thinking “What`s it all about? Yet another Christian web site. Another church. So what? It`s all so confusing.” And you`d be right in posing such questions.

The simple explanation is that we are not another church but part of the body of the true church of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ; sent from the Father in heaven to show us the way back to God through his own matchless life and teachings. The life he forfeited on the cross so that we may be forgiven our sins and be reconciled with God. His resurrection power which transforms the lives of all believers so that death is defeated. His teachings of love and forgiveness so that we may experience for ourselves his promise of an abundant and eternal life. He commanded us to love one another and to reach others with the tremendous hope of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. To help those in need within our communities and throughout the wider world so that love and grace may triumph over adversity.

You`re probably wondering at this stage that all this is just `pie in the sky` and is part of some idealistic dream. But not so! This is actually happening around you but you may not have noticed it. We at Preston Grange Community Church take our charge seriously to offer the love of Christ to others in our community. All we ask is for the opportunity to put our faith into action. So, our invitation is this! Come and see! Visit us on any Sunday morning at 10 am or contact us via this web site and put us to the test. Our promise to you is this: If you should come to our Sunday Service or contact us for help, you will receive a loving response to your situation. The response Jesus teaches us to give. Freely we have received and freely we give.

Baptist people are a Christ-centred people. Having responded to the Lord Jesus Christ in believer’s baptism, we should long to live out that mission lifestyle formed around his teaching. But how do we live this out in our contemporary world and what sort of Christ-centred people should we be?

After a Denominational Consultation in 1996, a special Task Group was set up to look into these matters and they produced a document entitled Five Core Values for a Gospel People which lays out ideas and principles for Baptist Union churches to consider, and act on. We believe we are called to be:

A Prophetic Community

Following Jesus in…

Confronting evil, injustice and hypocrisy.

Challenging worldly concepts of power, wealth, status and security.

As Baptists, we emphasise the importance of conscience, and of carefully listening to the voice of conscience. Having a dissenting history, we should be unafraid to live distinctively and prophetically.

An Inclusive Community

Following Jesus in…

Transcending barriers of gender, language, race, class, age and culture.

Identifying with those who are rejected, deprived and powerless

Our lives together will transcend barriers of gender, language, race, class, age and culture creating communities which welcome and accept those on the margins of life and learn from them. As Baptists, we need to recover the Reformation emphasis on the Priesthood of all believers.

A Sacrificial Community

Following Jesus in…

Accepting vulnerability and the necessity of sacrifice.

Seeking to reflect the generous, life-giving nature of God.

Baptist communities will resist the temptation of worldly power and triumphalism. We will recognise the importance of vulnerability and the necessity of sacrifice as the path to resurrection and new-life. We will embrace the call to live with paradox and failure. We will seek to reflect the generous life-giving nature of God.

A Missionary Community

Following Jesus in…

Demonstrating in word and action God’s forgiving and healing love.

Calling & enabling people to experience the love of God for themselves

We believe as Baptists that we must be true to our roots by being a missionary people. Such a vocation gives us a radical view of the world and our daily life within it. Corporately and individually we are obliged to seek to bring other people to a personal experience of God’s saving love and to a faith relationship with him and to demonstrate in our words and actions God’s forgiving and healing love.

A Worshipping Community

Following Jesus in…

Engaging in worship and prayer which inspire and undergird all we are and do.

Exploring and expressing what it means to live together as the people of God, obeying his

Word and following Christ in the whole of daily life.

We must recognise the primacy of worship and prayer, both individually and corporately. This will nurture our relationship with God and awaken us to the wonder of his salvation. It will open our hearts and minds to the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, making us more ready to obey his Word and honour him in all aspects of our daily lives. It will also enrich our life together as the people of God by guiding and undergirding all we are and do.

Arising from 40 days of Community, Robert felt the need to follow God`s calling in his life to be baptised........