About Us

"… I had been praying about this big concern I had.  During the service, someone read from the bible ‘Let the Peace of God rule in your heart‘.  It was as if God spoke directly to me and that situation suddenly became manageable – and I felt real peace …"

 

... is an independent Christian Church which wants everyone to know that Jesus Christ came to offer a relationship with the Living God.  This relationship is available to everyone who will chose to follow Him, and opens up to us a new dimension in our lives – Spiritual Life – set free from the guilt of any wrong we may have done in the past and able to communicate freely with God.

We place a strong emphasis on the Bible being God’s Word and His foremost way of communicating with mankind; we encourage everyone to discover the grace and generosity of our loving God and we seek to demonstrate our love for God and for each other. 

We meet at Claremont House, in the centre of Bolton, every Sunday morning at 10:30, we hold a church prayer meeting on the first Wednesday of each month, our Times of Refreshing meeting on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30pm in , and at other times and places as advertised.  Our small groups meet in homes during the week - mostly in the evening, but some during the day as well.  We hold a mid-week bible study in the church office every other week. 

Whether you are a Christian looking for a place to worship; someone who once followed Jesus Christ but drifted away; are interested to find out more or even if you have "never wanted anything to do with religion", you will find a warm welcome at this church!  Everyone is invited to belong and to be a part of the life of the church in their own way.

We firmly believe:

• In a real, living God who takes great interest in our life story;
• That Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who lived in this world for a time in order to provide a way for us imperfect people to have a relationship with the Living God;
• That Jesus Christ not only lived (in the past) but that He is alive and well today, living in Heaven, where He sits with God the Father.  Furthermore, He is willing and able to completely change the lives of those who agree to follow Him. 
• That the Holy Spirit will and does lead those who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ;
• That God truly loves everyone and will lead us into every good thing - if only we will follow;
• That God speaks to us in many ways, the most common being through His written Word, the Bible, but also through Christian teachers, music, dreams, prophecy and a host of others.  However, many are not willing to listen or act on God's Words and so miss out on the wonderful opportunities that He offers everyone;
• That the Church (the sum of all genuine Christ followers everywhere) is Christ's Body on Earth, where it represents Him and acts on His behalf, when we allow Him to lead us;
• That Jesus Christ will return for all who have chosen to follow Him in this life;
• That God the Father has Good plans for those who will worship Him here, and that our future is assured in a New Heaven and New Earth;
• That it is the duty of Christians to share the Good News about Christ whenever possible.

We practice:

• We share bread and wine together in the way that Jesus taught us to remember Him.
• We encourage believers to be baptised in water after they have made their own decision to follow Jesus Christ.
• We recognise the work of the Holy Spirit in transforming our lives and in empowering us to live as God wishes.
• We pray for the sick and those with needs.
• We practice Christian love toward each other and to those outside of our church.
• We are hospitable people.
• We dedicate children and parents to the care of God. 
• We support and pray for those who are moving to different locations.
• We share in the work of mission by prayers, gifts and by sending out those who carry a message to other nations.
• We eat together from time to time as a means of friendship and we do things together.
• We encourage other churches and Christian organisations by making our building available to them.

We have a vision for the church

OUR VISION STATEMENT

• To see a church that is alive, passionate for God and constantly changing.
• To see a church which is increasingly radical in its praying, giving and worship of God, with members united in our understanding of the importance of building open committed relationships with each other. 
• To see a family in which every member serves each other in love and humility; where every member knows their great worth to God and the family.  It is a family in which people of every age, class and colour can find a home.
• To see a maturing church with people whose lives are not governed by the pattern of this world, but are instead directed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.
• To see a church where each member is envisioned, equipped and empowered in order to engage effectively with the world. 
• To see a relevant and effective church; a bold and compassionate people who are testimony to the reality of the Kingdom of God here and now.  We see this happening through each individual, small groups and larger gatherings where the Cross is central to our lives. 
• To see a church which demonstrates God’s heart for the poor, the hurting and the lost; a church that reaches out both locally and globally; a church that reaches out to proclaim the good news of Jesus.

WE BELIEVE that the Spirit of God among us is strong enough to hold us and creative enough to make us free to serve Him.  Jesus is strong enough to bind us together as one community and liberating enough to make us free to worship God.

We are not religious:

We are real people who have found relationship with God through Jesus Christ which is not available through religion or traditions.  We won't try to indoctrinate you, fill you with dogma or anything like that.  We will, if you allow us to, tell you real stories of what Jesus Christ has done in our lives since we decided to follow Him.

We are an independent church which chooses to be associated with Global Horizons (http://www.global-horizons.org/), a relational network of churches that work together for the increase of God's Kingdom throughout the world.  The church also maintains good relations with other churches and groups throughout the area.

We are: