Followers of Jesus were first called “Christians” 2,000 years ago in a Greek city called Antioch, and the nickname stuck.
Christians believe in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus reveals God to us as our Father, and the Holy Spirit gives us power to respond to our Father in heaven and to follow Jesus every day.
We believe that God created everything that exists and even though we’re imperfect loves us and wants to have a personal relationship with us. In fact, He wants this so much that Jesus came to earth to live as one of us and to die for us so that we could be His friends and followers.
We believe that there’s more to life than just our time on earth, and that through Jesus, God offers eternal life to all who receive the gift He offers.
When someone becomes a Christian they usually choose to get baptised, or if they were baptised as a baby they affirm the promises made at their baptism in a special service called “confirmation".
“The most important decision anyone can make is to become a follower of Jesus. It may not always make life easier, but life is always better when lived in relationship with Him.”
Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester.
Worshipping God Together
We believe it’s important for Christians to meet together, enjoy each other’s company, encourage each other, learn together and offer their praise to God. We do this in our churches, our fresh expressions of Church, church schools and other groups. Worshipping God alongside other followers of Jesus helps us to grow in our faith and reminds us that we’re part of a bigger family of Christians. Our various churches and fresh expressions of Church may look different from each other but all of them seek to give glory to God, learn about Him and equip us to live for him in our everyday lives.
Find your nearest Church of England church. (achurchnearyou.com)
Prayer
Prayer (talking and listening to God) is at the heart of the Christian life. We believe that prayer not only changes things around us, but that it also changes us. That just as our human relationships flourish when we talk and listen to each other, so does our relationship with God. If you’ve never tried praying before don’t worry, just give it a try. Just speak naturally to God, and as with anything it gets easier with practice. You might find it helpful to pray the prayer, which Jesus taught His first followers.
It’s often referred to as The Lord’s Prayer. (churchofengland.org)
Everyday Faith
Faith isn’t just a set of beliefs, and it isn’t a list of rules and regulations. It’s about a relationship with God that affects and enhances every part of our lives. Jesus said that he’d come to give his followers “Life in all its fullness” (John 10:10) This new quality of life leads to us wanting to please God by worshipping Him, telling others about Him and working to make the world a better place by helping others, loving our neighbour and caring for the world which God created.
Explore more about Everyday Faith.