Being Transformed – Seeking Transformation

At OBC, we’re excited by the following future we imagine for our church family, and we’ve committing to seeking after this kind of community together. This is what we call our vision.

“Our vision is to be a vibrant intercultural and intergenerational community of authentic, passionate and Spirit-filled disciples of Jesus who prioritise worship, discipleship and prayer, who are moved to offer welcome, love and hospitality to all, and who are inspired to share the good news of hope and salvation through word, generosity and action both locally and globally.”

In order to realise our imagined future, we’re working towards six key aims:

Prayer & Whole Life Worship

We aim to help people make Jesus the centre of their lives so that every thought, word, attitude and action reflects his living presence within us.

Intergenerational & Intercultural

We aim to create a community in which people of all cultures, ethnicities, classes, backgrounds and ages have an active role in all aspects of church life including worship, service and decision-making.

Sharing our Faith

We aim to develop a culture that ensures sharing the gospel and bringing people to faith runs through everything we do.

Welcome & Belonging

We aim to develop our existing welcome and hospitality to ensure that everyone we encounter experiences the love God has for all.

Community

We aim to seek transformation in Christ’s name in our local community whilst building up trust and increasing our engagement with individuals, businesses and organisations who share our desire to bring positive impact and change to the community.

Generous Partnerships

We aim to generously support organisations around the world seeking transformation and longing to see salvation experienced in every heart and life.

As a member church of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, we are united in our beliefs and our understanding of the Church with other Baptist churches in the UK and around the world.

As part of the world-wide Christian church, Baptists form one of the largest families of faith. For Baptists the concept of a family is important. The church is not so much a particular place or building, but rather a family of believers, committed to Christ, to one another and to the service of God in the world.

As Baptists, we uphold the Declaration of Principle of the Baptist Union of Great Britain:

1. Jesus is Lord

That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy
Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.

2. Baptism

That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who ‘died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried, and rose again the third day’.

3. Mission

That it is the duty of every disciple to bear personal witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.

To find out more, visit www.baptist.org.uk.