What we believe

A Church empowered by the Holy Spirit

After Jesus had risen from the dead, He spent crucial momemnts with his followers. He talked about the huge job that He wanted them to do: a mission to see their town, city, nation and world totally transformed by the good news. He went on to tell them He was returning to heaven, and it was better that He left them, because after He had gone the Holy Spirit would come and fill them with a power that was from God. This power would enable them to achieve His mission, not in their own strength but with the strength of God himself.

Within days it happened: his followers were filled (or baptised) by the Holy Spirit. What happened next was dramatic. People spoke in new languages, boldly preaching about Jesus in the face of persecution, prophecying, healing sick people and sharing their belongings to help those in need. And it got even wilder! Thousands of people were becoming Christians and ordinary people were experiencing extraordinary things.

At Living Word Church we want the Holy Spirit's power to fill us repeatedly. We also want to get to know the Holy Spirit, not as a force, but as a person who impacts our lives every day, and enables us to achieve Jesus' mission to be witnesses in Bexhill and beyond.

For those who want the 'nuts and bolts' of what we believe then please read on, but you have already read the real essence of it.

Living Word Church is a member of the Assemblies of God (AOG) churches as well as the Evangelical Alliance and Churches Together in Bexhill. But, who and what are AOG?  Here is a basic overview before we go on to explain what we believe.

The Assemblies of God, officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous, but loosely associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination. With over 384,000 ministers in over 212 countries and territories serving approximately 67.5 million members worldwide, it is the fourth largest international Christian group of denominations and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world.

As an international fellowship, the member denominations are entirely independent and autonomous; however, they are united by shared beliefs and history. The Assemblies originated from the Pentecostal revival of the early 20th century. This revival led to the founding of the Assemblies of God in the United States in 1914. Through foreign missionary work and establishing relationships with other Pentecostal churches, the Assemblies of God expanded into a worldwide movement. As a Pentecostal fellowship, the Assemblies of God believes in the Pentecostal distinctive of baptism with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.

Assemblies of God Statement of Faith
We believe that the Bible (i.e. Old and New Testaments excluding the Apocrypha), is the inspired Word of God, the infallible, all sufficient rule for faith and practice.
2 Tim 3: 15-16; 2 Peter 1: 21

We believe that the unity of the One True and Living God who is the Eternal, Self-Existent “I AM”. Who has also revealed Himself as One being co-existing in three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Deut 6: 4; Mark 12: 29; Matt 28: 19; 2 Cor 13: 14

We believe in the Virgin Birth, Sinless Life, Miraculous Ministry, Substitutionary Atoning Death, Bodily Resurrection, Triumphant Ascension and Abiding Intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ and His personal, visible, bodily return in power and glory as the blessed hope of all believers.
Isa 7: 14; Matt 1: 23; Heb 7: 26; 1 Pet 2: 22; Acts 2: 22, 10: 38; 2 Cor 5: 21; Heb 9: 12; Luke 24: 39; 1 Cor 5: 14; Acts 1: 9; Eph 4: 8-10; Rom 8: 34; Heb 7: 25; 1 Cor 15: 22-24, 51-57; 1 Thess 4: 13-18; Rev 20: 1-6.

We believe in the fall of man, who was created pure and upright, but fell by voluntary transgression.
Gen 1: 26-31, 3: 1-7; Rom 5: 12-21.

We believe in salvation through faith in Christ, who according to the Scriptures, died for our sins, was buried and was raised from the dead on the third day, and that through His Blood we have Redemption.
Titus 2: 11, 3: 5-7; Rom 10: 8-15; 1 Cor 15: 3-4.

This experience is also known as the new birth, and is an instantaneous and complete operation of the Holy Spirit upon faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3: 5-6; James 1: 18; 1 Pet 1: 23; 1 John 5: 1.

We believe that all who have truly repented and believed in Christ as Lord and Saviour are commanded to be baptised by immersion in water.
Matt 28: 19; Acts 10: 47-48; Acts 2: 38-39.

We believe in the baptism in the Holy Spirit as an enduement of the believer with power for service, the essential, biblical evidence of which is the speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.
Acts 1: 4-5, 8: 2-4, 10: 44-46, 11: 14-16, 19: 6.

We believe in the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of Christ in the Church today.
1 Cor 12: 4-11, 28; Eph 4: 7-16.

We believe in holiness of life and conduct in obedience to the command of God.
1 Peter 1: 14-16; Heb 12: 14; 1 Thess 5: 23; 1 John 2: 6.

We believe that deliverance from sickness, by Divine Healing is provided for in the Atonement.
Isa 53: 4-5; Matt 8: 16-17; James 5: 13-16.

We believe that all who have truly repented and believe in Christ as Lord and Saviour should regularly participate in Breaking of Bread.
Luke 22: 14-20; 1 Cor 11: 20-34.

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the everlasting conscious bliss of all who truly believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and the everlasting conscious punishment of all whose names are not written in the Book of Life.
Dan 12: 2-3; John 5: 28-29; 1 Cor 15: 22-24; Matt 25: 46; 2 Thess 1: 9; Rev 20: 10-15.