BEACON COMMUNITY CHURCH
Ethos Statement
Our Christian Identity
Beacon Community Church is a community of Christians who live to worship God, grow in our understanding and experience of God, share the good news about Jesus Christ and work for the common good. Modelling Christian values in all dealings with people and welcoming all those who drop in, those who attend our projects and those who make use of our buildings for other activities, showing Christian hospitality and taking the opportunity to share our faith and core Christian values such as Love – John 13:34, Compassion – Psalm 145:8-9, Respect – Matthew 7:12, and promoting Generosity and not Greed, Reconciliation and not Division. Relating to different types of people, experience dealing with the needs of the young and old and the disadvantaged, exercising Christian spirituality. This Christian identity agreed beliefs and values are the foundation of all we are and do.
Our Commitment to the Local Community
To bless the local community through various projects – Beacon Community Hub, Beacon Kidz Club, and Tackling Social Isolation and Loneliness are three examples of this – as well as making our buildings more available for those activities that align with our aims and vision. Please see Our Vision.
Our Commitment to the wider Christian Community
Beacon Community Church is a member of the Eastern Baptist Association which is part of the Baptist Union (UK) and seeks to grow healthy churches in relationship with God's mission.
Declaration of Principle
We seek to be a Spirit-led Church who have encountered the living Christ, to intentionally seek His will and purpose for the local Church and our expression of shared life – Galatians 5:22-25.
A Church that celebrates its uniqueness, valuing, respecting, and trusting each other as we partner together using our gifts and abilities, listening to each other and above all Christ – 1 Corinthians 12:24-27.
We seek to be a welcoming Church to all and hold to the understanding that the Bible teaches God created man and women and that is uniquely given by God and observed at birth.
Sexual Orientation and Same-Sex Marriage
We hold to the understanding that while sexual orientation in and of itself is no barrier to full participation in the life of the Church, sexual relationship can only be expressed in marriage which we recognize as being between one man and one woman.
Marriage and Divorce
We hold to the understanding that there are legitimate grounds for divorce (e.g. sexual immorality, abuse, and neglect). Under these circumstances, remarriage should not be a barrier to leadership or full participation in the life of the Church.
We also hold to the understanding that Church leaders must be beyond reproach and that divorcing their husband or wife for any reason other than the above (except when this occurs before conversion into the Christian faith) makes them unsuitable for leadership or full participation in the life of the Church.
Statement of Inclusion
We hold that all people are loved by God and invited into His Kingdom Life. We are therefore called to become a Church Community that loves and issues the invitation of belonging, declaring that the Gospel is who so ever will, may come – Revelation 22:17. So come as you are but Discipleship does not leave us as we are, rather it changes us into what He affirms our destiny is, in Christ Jesus.