What we believe

In the Christian faith, Jesus is the answer. In him we meet God, who draws near to us, shares our lives and loves us amid our imperfections. Jesus saw people others overlooked. He welcomed the outcasts, forgave the guilty and gave people hope for a new beginning. On the cross, he gave his life for us and bore our sin. Through his resurrection, he broke the power of death and opened the way to fellowship with God. That is why Jesus is more than an inspiring person from the past. We believe he is alive and that we can know him today. With Jesus, we do not have to earn love through achievement. We can bring our guilt, doubts and longing and find grace, forgiveness and a new life. Following him gives direction to our everyday lives: how we love, forgive and take responsibility for one another.

We believe in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The triune God created the world. Jesus Christ, God's Son, became human to save us, and the Holy Spirit is present and guides us.

That is why we direct our prayer, worship and everyday lives towards God.

The Bible is a coherent story centred on Jesus. The Bible is the highest authority for teaching and life. The Bible consists of 66 books and letters, written at different times, in different genres and historical contexts. We therefore take the Bible seriously enough to explore what the texts meant to their first readers before asking what they mean for us today. We remain open to new knowledge, such as archaeological discoveries, adding nuance to our understanding of the historical context and casting a text in a new light. This happens rarely and usually concerns minor nuances.

The Bible first and foremost means what it meant.

Salvation is God's gift, not something we earn. Through Jesus' life, death and resurrection, we are invited into forgiveness, reconciliation and a new life with God. We live in the hope that one day God will restore his creation.

That is why grace, change and hope all have a place in ordinary life.

The church is a community, not simply a congregation. We believe the Holy Spirit gives people different abilities and spiritual gifts to build up others and the community. We listen, discern and act responsibly in love.

That is why everyone can have something to contribute, and no one carries responsibility or discernment alone.

Ephesians 4 describes five ministry gifts: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. We believe God calls and equips some people with particular gifts and a mandate to lead, inspire and build up the church. Everyone has gifts and talents, but not everyone has a ministry gift. A ministry gift is not recognised first by whether someone can complete a particular task or holds a title. It is recognised by the spiritual imprint that moves others. Apostolic ministry leaves an imprint that gives people in the church the desire and courage to pioneer, initiate and start new things. Prophetic ministry leaves an imprint that gives people in the church the desire and courage to listen to God and help others do the same. Evangelistic ministry leaves an imprint that gives people in the church courage and joy in sharing the gospel with others. Pastoral ministry leaves an imprint that gives people in the church the desire and courage to meet others with care and love. Teaching ministry leaves an imprint that gives people in the church the desire and ability to understand the faith, grow and help others learn. The ministry gifts serve the church, and the church passes their imprint on to others. We want to make clear room for leaders to serve God through their calling. At the same time, we want to approach leadership professionally, with accountability, cooperation and a listening posture towards the whole church.

Ministry gifts are not given to elevate leaders, but to equip the saints for ministry and build up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12).

We practise believers' baptism by immersion as a public confession of personal faith in Jesus. Baptism does not save us, but expresses a new belonging. In communion, we remember Jesus' death and resurrection together through the bread and the cup.

That is why we celebrate both baptism and communion as visible acts within the life of the church.

The Bible teaches that God created humanity as male and female, both in God's image and with equal worth. It describes marriage as a covenant in which a man leaves his father and mother, is joined to his wife, and the two become one flesh. We therefore understand marriage as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, and sex as God's good gift reserved for marriage. The heart of marriage is not first of all a feeling, but a binding promise in which two people give their whole lives to one another. We know that questions about gender, sexuality and relationships are personal and can involve both joy and pain. We therefore want to be clear about our faith, listen humbly and meet every person with dignity, respect and love.

God's design: Humanity is created as male and female, marriage is between one man and one woman, and sex is reserved for marriage.

We do not see faith and knowledge as opposites. Faith helps us explore questions of meaning, value and hope, while research and science help us understand the world we inhabit. We are not afraid of curiosity or difficult questions.

That is why conviction, doubt and learning can all be part of the conversation.

You do not need to believe everything or know the language of church to visit us or attend a service. Whatever your background, life story or relationship with faith, you are welcome to come, listen and ask your questions.

Come as you are. We want to meet one another with openness, grace and respect.