Our Vision

Our Vision is the practical out working of our Mission.

1) Know Christ

• Encourage vibrant worship, open to the Holy Spirit and his gifts, engaging heart and mind, and facilitating experience of and encounter with God.
• Attract and welcome all ages; giving particular attention to families with children, young people, and young adults (the areas where we are currently under represented).
• Create community between all who are part of Freshbrook church and its various activities.
• Encourage attenders to become participants, and then contributors to the life of the church.
• Ensure bible teaching is clear and central to the life of our church and its meetings, and equips people to know Jesus and live for him.
• Develop an intentional focused church prayer life.
• Encourage regular personal Bible reading and prayer.
• Create opportunity for people to share personal experiences, challenges and encouragements from their walk with God.

2) Grow in Faith

• Embed a culture of team across the life of the church.
• Grow a culture of succession planning across the life of the church.
• Progress the succession plan for the leadership structure of the church.
• Provide Pastoral care for all who need it.
• Grow a wide variety of small groups – such as home groups.
• Create a year on year pattern of one-year volunteer church interns (gap years).
• Develop a strategy and structure for the discipling of all ages and stages of faith.
• Help people to discover, grow and use spiritual and practical gifts and skills. Identify, nurture and train those showing character and potential for preaching and for leadership.
• Revitalise mid-week children’s outreach building on the success of Open the Book.
• Develop a structure for enabling services (hub services) such as office managing, media, finance, welcoming etc.
• Renew interest in Spree South West event.
• Explore alternative provision for older youth now that Soul Survivor has closed.

3) Go to the World

Mobilise our church to reach out with the Good News and develop a clear annual plan to facilitate and support local evangelism and global mission.

Local

• Support agencies helping in our community, for example, Night Shelter, Food Collective, Street Pastors, Samaritans, Safe Families for Children.
• Encourage and support people within the church with vision and ideas to develop church faith works in the community
• In the church, and where relevant in partnership with Good News for Swindon, ensure we follow best practice guidelines and comply with all statutory requirements.
• Reach out to Freshbrook and Grange Park through regular events, door to door, and courses such as Alpha, The Parenting Course, etc.
• Engage every member in evangelism, stirring passion for the lost and equipping people to witness in our community and where they live and work. Effectively use the building, promotional materials and a wide range of media to welcome everyone.
• Continue with Breakfast@9 outreach.
• Join with others who are faithful to the Gospel in outreach and evangelism.

Global

• Identify a global mission ‘champion’ who will build a team to promote interest in and support for mission.
• Support current missionaries and encourage people to short and long-term mission.

Our Values

• Jesus Christ is Lord. Who we are, what we say and what we do must exalt Him, not us.
  (1 Peter 3 v 15; Colossians 1 v 18) 
• The Bible is God’s word: Everything we believe and do should be governed by God’s truth and will, as revealed in His word.
  (2 Timothy 3 v 16) 
• Human beings, made in God’s image, have inherent and equal dignity and worth. Although damaged by sin, we are all objects of His love.
  (Genesis 1 v 27; 1 Timothy 2 v 3-4; John 3 v 16-17; 1 John 4 v 9-10) 
• We are brought into a personal relationship with God through the new birth, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit through the Word
  (John 3 v 3; Ephesians 2; Titus 3 v 4-7) 
• We are committed to one another in love and the grace of God is the basis of our fellowship. This grace should define every aspect of our lives.
  (1 Peter 4 v 8; 2 Timothy 2 v 1; Titus 2 v 11-14) 
• We recognise the need to meet together regularly for teaching, fellowship, communion and prayer that we may grow in our relationship with God and encourage one another.
  (Acts 2 v 42; Hebrews 10 v 24-25) 
• The Holy Spirit indwells and empowers every Christian for service using the gifts God has given – we must walk in step with the Spirit to ensure that we recognise, develop and use these gifts.
  (Galatians 5 v 16-26; Ephesians 4 v 7-16) 
• We exist as a local church in the community and function like a body – different people yet united, equal in value and working together for God.
  (1 Corinthians 12 v 27; Ephesians 4 v 15-16; 1 Peter 2 v 9)