Our Aims and Values
Discover more about the direction of Salway.
Our Aims
Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship and Mission
These are the cornerstones of church life, and they describe our aspiration both for the church and for everyone who comes.
Worship: A heart for God
The Christian life begins with God. Jesus is our Lord, and everything we do should come from a deep reverence and growing love for him. We encourage all Christians to:
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be devoted and committed to God first of all, with each part of our lives joyfully offered to God
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live by his word and in dependence on him in prayer
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maintain the practice of meeting together to break bread
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join regularly with other Christians in corporate worship, praise and prayer that is Christ-centred, Spirit-empowered and God-exalting
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be generous with their time, money and resources
Fellowship: A love for one another
In laying down his life for us, Jesus showed us the extent of his love. He calls us to love one another as a demonstration of the love of God. Fellowship means:
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being committed to each other as brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus to share joys and sorrows in the common life that we have in Him
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being intentional to grow in loving unity as God’s family through serving one another
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accepting one another in the Lord Jesus, forgiving and bearing with one another
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embracing all who love the Lord
Discipleship: A hunger to grow
The command of Jesus to each one of us is “Follow me”. That means:
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understanding that God’s aim is to mould and shape each one of us into the likeness of Jesus
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a commitment to continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit
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seeking to draw others closer to Christ
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being intentional to discover, develop and use our God-given gifts
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recognising the importance of mutual encouragement and taking part in prayer and Bible study
Mission: A passion for the world
The gospel is good news, and we want to share it! We encourage all Christians to:
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serve those outside the church either individually or together
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be prepared to share the gospel with others
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support, through prayer, time and finances, local, national or global outreach ministries
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be prepared to go into the mission field as led by God’s calling
Our Values
Our values define what is important to us, what drives and motivates us, making us aspire to be the sort of church the Lord desires.
God’s Grace in Jesus
We trust in God’s undeserved favour to us in Jesus Christ.
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We are justified freely by God’s grace in the death of Jesus on the cross (Romans 3:22-25).
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Jesus is the only way God has provided for our salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12)
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God’s grace in the gospel is the heart of our worship and service (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 1:3-14; Psalm 100)
God’s Word
We endeavour to live by what God says in the Bible.
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God’s Word is truth (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
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We hear God speak through his Word as it is preached (Romans 10:13-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)
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We are committed to reading, studying, understanding and obeying what God says in His Word (Joshua 1:7-8; Ezra 7:10; Acts 2:42)
The Holy Spirit’s Transforming Power
We cannot do this on our own.
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The Spirit empowers our worship, growth in Christ, witness and service (John 14:26-27, 15:26-27, 16:8-15; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13, 12:4-7; 1 Peter 1:2; Galatians 5:22-23)
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Without this work of the Spirit we are powerless (Zechariah 4:6; c.f. John 15:5b).
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No-one can come to any true understanding of God without the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14)
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In our absolute dependence on God we are therefore committed to prayer (Acts 2:42), both personal (Acts 10:9) and corporate (Acts 12:5).
Loving Fellowship
We want to be a true community of God's people.
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We are committed to one another (Acts 2:42) and meeting together (Hebrews 10:24-25).
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The love of Jesus is seen most clearly in the way we love one another (John 13:34 -35, 1 John 4:11-12).
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We work to grow in loving unity (Philippians 1:27 & 2:1-4; Psalm 133).
Proclaiming Christ
We actively look for ways to reach out with the gospel of Jesus.
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Our deepest desire for our family, friends and neighbours is that they should know Jesus (Acts 26:29; Romans 9:1-3).
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We seek to be bold in making the good news of Jesus known (Ephesians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:11, 14, 17-21).
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We want to serve God and others to bless the community around us with the love of Christ (Jeremiah 29:7; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4).
Reaching out to the world
We pray for the whole world to hear about Jesus.
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It has always been God’s aim that all nations should know his salvation (Genesis 12:1-3; Isaiah 2:1-5, 42:1-7; Revelation 21:22-22:5).
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God wants the gospel to be preached to the whole world (Matthew 24:14, 28:18- 20; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8).
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This Great Commission inspires us to pray for global mission (Romans 15:30), give (2 John 5-8), send (Acts 13:1-3), and go (Isaiah 6:8).