Frequently asked questions

What do we believe?

We believe that we arrive at truth as we study the Bible, listen to the Holy Spirit and reflect on tradition together. We do not write down a set of belief statements on purpose because we believe the Bible does not need adding to. We don't write our interpretations down, because we're bound to get something wrong.

If someone in our group has a question relating to what we believe, we don't want to just give the correct answer. This leads to shallow understanding that may not make any difference to the way that person lives. Instead, we have a conversation involving the Bible as a whole (not stand-alone verses), prayerful questioning of the Holy Spirit, and a thoughtful review of what the church has believed throughout history.

In doing so, we strengthen our understanding in a way that makes a difference to the way we live and interact with others. The church remains alive and speaks clearly to our changing world as truths are rediscovered, rather than becoming a museum for another time in history.

What denomination are you affiliated with?

We live in a society that remembers cultural Christianity and where people may tick a box on a census form or christen their children without much thought about Jesus or obedience to him at all. When people learn you are a Christian in a society like this, a common question is - what type? Are you Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, Baptist...

The problem with this question is that giving an answer allows the person asking this question to categorise you easily into what they're familiar with. If we are to stand out and offer a real and liveable alternative to the way of life people are used to, we need to give an answer that both makes people think and provides the possibility that they could become what we are. If we answer Baptist, for example, and they have a Catholic heritage, it is unlikely they would consider adopting your point-of-view. Or if they had also grown up in a 'Baptist' family, they may assume we are the same - that they are already living as Christians though their faith is by name only. Our goal is not for people to join a denomination, or a brand of Christianity. Our goal is to see people's lives healed and radically transformed by a relationship with Jesus.

A denomination is a branch of the Christian Church. In some ways, the branching out of Christianity into so many fractions means the kingdom of God has adapted into all sorts of contexts to reach all sorts of people throughout history - a good thing. On the downside, all these affiliations can prevent us from seeing the bigger picture - that we are all one body, diverse by design and called to join with God's mission to bring the world back to oneness with its creator and each other.

So how do we answer this question? What's our denomination? As a group, we include people who may affiliate with a variety of denominations. We do not affiliate with one as a group however, because we believe this is a secondary issue that can cause unnecessary divisions in the body of Christ. So we would answer something like this: "I personally have grown up as a [particular denomination] but being a member of this didn't change my life. It's only when I encountered Jesus, who doesn't belong to any denomination, that everything changed for me. I'm part of a group of people from a variety of denominations who've also been transformed by a life pursuing Jesus and who are working together to make the world better.

Other questions? Please get in touch!