St Alban’s is part of the world wide Christian church. For Christians our faith is not so much a religion but a relationship, a relationship with our creator God through Jesus Christ.

 

We believe that at the very heart of God is community, reflected in the relationship between God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This community within God is why we gather together as his family.

 

At the heart of community is communication and we believe that God speaks to us through the Bible. As we read the Bible for ourselves and hear it taught we grow in our faith and become more like Jesus, as we love God and love our neighbour.

 

Christians around the world focus on Jesus because we recognise the perfect world God created was broken and distorted by human selfishness and sin. Jesus came into our world to heal that brokeness and restore our shattered relationship with God our heavenly Father.

 

We believe that through the death and resurrection of Jesus we are given a fresh start in our relationship with God and our fellow human beings.

 

When Jesus began his ministry he announced ‘The Kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news.’ As followers of Jesus we are called to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God in this world as we look forward to eternal life in the next.

 

One of the earliest summaries of the Christian faith is expressed in what is known as ‘The Apostles’ Creed’:

 

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.