What we believe
We believe in a loving God who has created our world and is concerned for each individual within it. We believe that Jesus Christ was fully human yet also the Son of God, who died to restore our relationship with God. His resurrection shows the power of God, which can also be seen in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. We believe that God continues to work in the lives of Christians today as we look to become more like Jesus in our attitudes and behaviour. In this strength, our church works to care for our local community and to offer forms of worship that are welcoming and inclusive.
Pastoral groups
From time to time people within the church might need particular care, for example when facing redundancy, illness or bereavement. In order that we are able to care for individuals, church members are divided into small groups (known as classes), which allows closer relationships to develop and everyone to be looked after in any time of need.
Organisation
Our Church is organised so that it is run by its members, not an individual person. The people who make many of the decisions are the five stewards and the senior steward, together with the Minister. Each steward spends 6 years in the role, with the final year as senior steward. The stewards meet regularly with the minister to discuss any special events (e.g. Christmas) as well as the day to day running of the church.
Around 3 times a year, Church Council meetings are held. These are chaired by the minister and any person may attend, although only members can vote. At each meeting, different people report on the status of projects and groups, appointments will be made and other decisions debated and voted on.
The Ministers of our Church move on every 5 or 6 years, so we can gain from their experience from other churches and the new ideas that they bring. However, all members work together to develop the work and worship of the church and to serve the Patcham community.
