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On this page there are four symbols- a cross, a Bible, a dove and a fish.
Each one represents the truth on which this church is built.
The cross represents Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God.
Jesus of Nazareth lived a real human life 2000 years ago. He was an ordinary man in many ways but he did extraordinary things that no one else could - he healed the sick, raised the dead, walked on water, turned water into wine. Not just Christian witnesses, but contemporary Roman and Jewish sources acknowledge the reality of Jesus of Nazareth’s miracles. He had a character like no one else- “tempted in every way as we are yet without sin” was how one eyewitness put it. Even during his trial, the judge who
ultimately condemned him in order to appease the mob said FOUR times that Jesus was innocent of ANY wrongdoing.
His spiritual power and moral purity point to his true origin – Jesus is God’s only begotten Son who became a human (“incarnate”) in order to rescue human beings from sin. The cross reminds us how he died for our sins, exchanging our sinful natures for his pure nature. The empty cross reminds us that Jesus did not stay dead. Three days after his death, he appeared to his followers, alive from the dead.
Over a period of six week, he appeared to over 550 followers on at least 11 different occasions. The Resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact. It proves that there is no limit to the saving power of God’s love.
At Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit came upon Jesus in the form of a dove. Jesus was role-modelling what redeemed human life looks like. Through his victory on the cross, Jesus’ followers today can experience the presence and power of God’s Holy Spirit in their lives.
The Spirit is like Jesus’ “other self”. When Jesus was one earth, God’s presence was limited to one body
in one time and one place: in the person of Jesus. When Jesus returned to heaven, he poured out his Spirit on everyone who trusts and believes in him. Through the Spirit, God’s presence can be
experienced by anybody, in any time and any place. Today, you can experience God’s presence and the peace Jesus gives by inviting Jesus to be part of your life. It’s like opening the door of your life and letting Jesus come inside: into your goals, your ambitions, your fears, your guilt, your past, your hurts, your present, your struggles, your future.
The dove represents the Holy Spirit.
The fish represents our mission as Jesus’ followers
The fish symbol comes from the early days of the Church when many Christians were being arrested and even killed by the state. They needed a secret sign to mark out the places where they met to worship God. The Greek word for “fish” is ίχθϋς (ichthus) but the letters are also the first letters in the phrase, “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Saviour.” The fish symbol has become a sign that Christians wear in the open to show that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is their Saviour.
But some of the first followers of Jesus were fishermen. On one occasion Jesus told them to leave their nets and become “fishers of people”, to catch people in the net of God’s love! The fish sign is a reminder of the message we preach and also a challenge to share it. We want you to know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Indeed, we believe he is the only way worth going, the only truth worth knowing and the only life worth living.
God’s love in Jesus Christ can restore your life, healing those hurts you try to hide and setting you free from the fears and guilt that haunt you. God’s love in Jesus Christ can give you power to change, power to be whole and at peace.
The Bible represents God’s promises to us in his written Word
The centre of the Christian faith is not a book but a person, Jesus Christ. The bible is God’s written testimony to his purposes for humanity. It records the sometimes strained and difficult relationship between God and his people, where forgiveness is needed and rebellion frequent.
The first part of the Bible records God’s first covenant or “old testament” with the Israelites, drawn out of all the nations of the world to make God’s truth and love known. The second part of the Bible records God’s second covenant or “new testament” when God sends his Son Jesus to be born a Jew in order to
bring the whole world back to God, making peace through his blood shed on the cross. The “Old Testament” points to Jesus’ coming, the “New Testament” proclaims Jesus has come and will come again.