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Our Beliefs
A Personal Journey
Every human being is travelling a unique and personal journey.
Through different experiences and encounters, some good and some bad, people form opinions and perspectives, gather knowledge and wisdom.
Along the way, people we meet and those experiences encountered shape us into who we are.
How we as human beings respond to stories in the Bible, in newspapers, or in works of fiction tells us a lot about who we are.
It is on this journey we learn, grow and create ourselves. We can then learn more about the world we live in and our place within it.
Our belief is part of who we are, the choices we make and the way we respond. It's not just about coming to church on Sunday.
Our faith is part of us every day of our lives. It is a way of life.
Different Perspectives
We understand and respect that everyone has a different perspective about what faith is, who God is and how we should live.
We respect that atheists choose not to believe in God and that agnostics are unsure of what they believe.
We respect that people may believe in other faiths. We respect that Christians may have different perceptions or understandings of God.
No one is right or wrong. We are all different and at different stages of our own journeys.
People come to God in different ways and we can only have a true relationship with God and other people if we are honest with and true to ourselves.
Sometimes we may not feel comfortable about something we should believe as Christians.
This does not mean that we are not a proper Christian or Christian enough, it means that we sometimes have to take time to explore further these things which we have difficulty understanding.
It is at these times of challenge and doubt we discover more about ourselves and our relationship with God.
It is difficult to put into words, everything that we believe and agree on, as some people may hold different views on different aspects of the Christian faith.
Somewhere however a foundation needs to exist for us to build upon.
This foundation may include what our ancestors believed and what different theologians may think today.
A foundation to build on
Much of what we base our belief on comes from the Bible. The Bible is a collection of books, organised into the Old Testament, which includes stories of what happened in the times before Jesus, and the New Testament, which includes stories about the life of Jesus.
We appreciate that these books in the Bible were written hundreds of years ago by different people for different groups of people at that time, but we as Christians still see them as relevant today. These stories are about people who once lived, giving accounts of how they lived and how they responded to God and Jesus.
All of these stories feature people and show us the many aspects of humanity.
As Christians we believe in one God and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We believe that no one is beyond God's love. We believe that God knows our every thought, word and action. We believe in forgiveness. God loves us and wants us to be the best we can be.
We are encouraged to be aware of those in need and do what we can to help. We are called to love one another as ourselves and live out our lives in faith, hope and love. We share God's love through worship, fellowship and service in the community and world.
We pray to God to seek help in overcoming worries and fears, for the forgiveness and renewal from past regrets and mistakes, to say thank you for what we have in our lives and to celebrate what is and what potentially can be.
On a Sunday
Every Sunday morning, many people from Almondbury village and surrounding areas come to gather for morning worship. A service normally includes readings from the Bible, a sermon from the minister or preacher giving us their interpretation of its meaning, a time for prayers and a collection of hymns to sing our faith.
Occasionally a service may include an infant baptism. We believe that no one is too young or old to be baptised and there should be no barriers preventing anyone coming to God. During an infant baptism the child will be baptised marking their receiving of God's love before they know of anything of it.
Once a month a service will include Holy Communion, where we are invited to receive bread and wine, representing the bread of life and the cup of life, as Jesus' disciples did during the last supper.
Throughout the year
Every year there are services which have a theme relevant to that time of year. We begin the Christian year in late November or early December with Advent, our journey towards Christmas, preparing for the birth of Jesus Christ.
Advent ends with the celebration of the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. We then come to Lent, six weeks prior to Easter Sunday, when Jesus has grown up and we remember the trials and temptations that Jesus faced. We see Jesus make a triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, followed by a betrayal and his death on the cross. Three days following his crucifixion, we celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Jesus.
At each of these special times throughout the year, we come to Church, to worship, to explore, to reflect and to respond.
Whether you are a regular churchgoer, or an occasional visitor, looking for a home to continue your journey of faith, or seeking a safe place to explore your new found faith, we look forward to meeting you soon.
For further information:
If you would like to contact our minister to discuss any of the above, please feel free to email minister@almondburymethodist.org.uk
Almondbury Methodist Church is part of the Huddersfield Circuit, part of the West Yorkshire District, part of The Methodist Church In Britain. The Methodist Church is one of the five biggest denominations of the Christian faith and was founded by John Wesley in the late eighteenth century.
More information about Methodism and John Wesley can be found on The Methodist Church In Britain website at www.methodist.org.uk (or see links available on the Other Links page).
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