Christian Faith
We believe and trust in one God, Father Son and Holy Spirit. Belief in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit is at the heart of our faith. Christians believe that Jesus is God’s Son. Jesus reveals to us that God is our Father, and that God is available to us through the Holy Spirit.
You won’t ever be asked if you completely understand all this. But you are asked whether you believe and trust. This is called faith. It is a different sort of knowledge. It is the knowledge of being known and loved, and of loving in return.
The Christian faith is not a human invention. There are signs of God’s existence and handiwork in creation for anyone to read (Acts 14.15–17). But we believe in the way we do because God has come to seek us out and has made himself known to us. God has revealed himself through the Bible. God has revealed himself most clearly through the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ. God makes himself known personally to each believer through the work of the Holy Spirit.
When someone becomes a follower of Jesus they are baptised. (Or, if they have already been baptised, they will confirm for themselves the promises made at their baptism.) During this service a series of questions will be asked – in most respects the questions asked today are the same as those new Christians were asked in the earliest days of the Church. Everyone answers with either a simple ‘I believe and trust in him’, or by reciting the three parts of the Apostles’ Creed, one of the most ancient summaries of the Christian faith.
Being a Christian means responding to Jesus’ invitation to enjoy a relationship with God here on earth and for eternity.
If you have questions about faith, do feel able to go into any of our churches and speak to a member of clergy. If you don’t know where to go, find your nearest church here: A Church Near You
Going to Church
The Eucharist
The Eucharist is at the heart of Christian worship. It is celebrated by Christians around the world as a memorial of the death and resurrection of Jesus, in response to his words at the final meal he shared with his disciples, ‘Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the Eucharist, God invites us to his table as a foretaste of the heavenly banquet which he has prepared for people of all nations and cultures.
Prayer
Prayer is giving our attention to God in a two-way spiritual relationship where we talk to God and also listen to Him. Prayer is like a child’s conversation with their father. It is natural for a child to ask his father for the things they need, or to ask for advice or guidance. The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, when they asked him how they should pray.
Faith handed down over generations
From the earliest days of the Church, Christians developed short, simple summaries of the faith. These short statements became known as creeds.
What does it mean to follow Jesus?
The Beatitudes offer a vision of what it means to follow Jesus. In a few short sentences the Beatitudes are perhaps the most important, subversive and revolutionary text in the Bible.
How to live: the Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments teach us how we should aim to live. Following Jesus is about the way we behave as well as what we believe. So how should Christians behave and how should we live?
Everyday Faith App
Everyday Faith is the daily devotional app from the Church of England designed to inspire, equip and encourage you in your faith every day of the week.
You will find this helpful if you are exploring faith, new to faith or if you are looking for daily inspiration.
Resources for Churches
If you enjoy the Everyday Faith app and you would like to encourage others, there are a series of posters you can use to display in your church or community hall.
