What we believe
We extend a warm welcome to everyone irrespective of age, gender, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, physical or mental ability, political stance or theological perspective. Please head over to the Welcome Page. We look forward to meeting you and getting to know you!
Members of Exwick Community Church subscribe to our Statement of Faith, our Church Constitution, and the Baptist Union Declaration of Principle.
To learn more about what motivates us and brings us together as a worshipping people of God, click on the questions below.
What do we believe?
ECC Statement of Faith
The Members of Exwick Community Church believe:
1. In one God: the Father Almighty, Jesus Christ His Son our Saviour and Lord, and the Holy Spirit, our Guide and Helper (Matt 28:19, 1 Pet. 1:2).
2. That the Bible, the Word of God, is inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells the true story of God’s love for humanity, and is the rule and example for personal faith and lifestyle, and for church order (1 Tim. 3:16).
3. That all of humanity’s rebellion against God and failure to attain His perfect standards has resulted in a broken relationship with God (Rom. 3:23), and that separation from God, enslavement to sin and death are the primary consequences of this (Rom. 6:23).
4. That faith in Jesus Christ, who was put to death on a cross as the ultimate punishment for our wrongdoings, and came back to life again three days later (1 Cor. 3:22-24), is the only way of forgiveness and new birth (John 3:5-8; Rom. 3:22-23), and that those who are sincerely sorry for their rebellious actions, believe in Jesus as Saviour in their hearts and confess Him as Lord will be brought back into relationship with God (Acts 2:38).
5. That Jesus Christ will return to judge the world in righteousness and establish his eternal kingdom of peace and justice (1 Thess 4:16-17. 2 Thess 1:7-9).
ECC Mission Statement
As members of Christ's body in Exwick, we seek to worship God by enjoying him together, sharing His love with one another, and communicating His love to those who have not yet heard.
How do we live out our faith in daily life?
Belief in Jesus Christ is not just for Sundays! It affects everything we do and are. None of us is perfect, but we strive to live by FIVE CORE VALUES. We believe that we are called to be ...
A Prophetic Community, following Jesus in:
confronting evil, injustice and hypocrisy
challenging worldly concepts of wealth, power, status and security
carefully listening to the voice of conscience.
An Inclusive Community, following Jesus in:
transcending barriers of gender, language, ethnicity, class, age and culture
identifying with those who are rejected, deprived and powerless
reflecting Jesus’ love for the fallen, the excluded, the poor and hungry, the oppressed, voiceless and powerless.
A Sacrificial Community, following Jesus in:
accepting vulnerability and the necessity of sacrifice
seeking to reflect the generous, life-giving nature of God.
A Missionary Community, following Jesus in:
demonstrating in word and action God’s forgiving and healing love
calling and enabling people to experience the love of God for themselves
reaching out into the wider world to bring the Good News of God's love to the most marginalised.
A Worshipping Community, following Jesus in:
engaging in worship and prayer which inspire and undergird all we are and do
exploring and expressing what it means to live together as the people of God, obeying his Word and following Christ in the whole of daily life
opening our hearts and minds to the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, making us more ready to obey God's Word and honour him in all aspects of our daily lives.
What are the practical ways we seek to do all these things?
God gives each of us different spiritual gifts, talents and passions, and there are a variety of ways within ECC we can exercise the Five Core Values. In addition to coming together to worship and study God's Word on a Sunday morning, we have:
Do I have any spiritual gifts?
Of course you do! St. Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians: "There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other." (1 Corinthians 12:4-7 New Living Translation)
Some of the spiritual gifts that God gives people in the church family are: Mercy, Prophecy, Administration, Encouragement, Counselling, Evangelism, Encouragement, Helps, Prayer, Hospitality, Pastoring, Teaching, Healing, Leadership.
We encourage everyone to find out what exciting ministry God has for them. We need everyone's gift so that ECC can be the church that God wants us to be in Exwick!
In order to point you in the direction of what spiritual gifts God has given you, try completing a Spiritual Gifts Questionnaire. Here are three options:
Spiritual Gifts Questionnaire spreadsheet. Click the link, then 'Download' it as or 'Save As' Google Sheets or Excel (.xlsx) or Open Docs (.ods).
Spiritual Gifts Questionnaire pdf. Click the link to open the pdf, print it and do it the old-fashioned way with pen and paper.
Spiritual Gifts Online Quiz. Best if you just want to use your smart phone, but you'll have to enter your email address to access. Don't worry - it's free and produced by a verified church organisation.
Then pray about how God wants to work through you, talk to someone in the Leadership Team, and give your gifts a go!
If you would like to talk to us about our Statement of Faith, about Church Membership or becoming involved in the life of ECC please head over to our Contact Us page, or send us a message via Facebook.
Why are we Baptists?
We practise the 'baptism of believers,' following Jesus Christ's example to baptise those who have made an individual decision to follow Jesus as Lord of their lives.
Exwick Community Church is a member of the Southwest Baptist Association and the Baptist Union of Great Britain. We subscribe to the Baptist 'Declaration of Principle' and as such maintain our autonomy as an independent church, and also benefit from being a part of the wider community of Baptist churches.
If you would like more information on baptism, please contact Pastor Peter, or speak to any of our Leadership Team.
How can I find out more?
If you have any questions, or you'd like to find out more about faith, the church, the Christian message, or baptism, you can contact Pastor Peter, or speak to any of our Leadership Team. You can also get in touch with us via our Contact Us page, or send us a message via Facebook. We'd love to hear from you!