The Bourne Parish is part of the Church of England, within the worldwide Anglican Communion. Every time we worship, we affirm our faith in a loving and inclusive God, who is a dance of three:
Father
God as ultimate creator, before whom nothing existed. God loves his creation and cares for each part of it, knowing us intimately and yet still loving us.
Son
God as revealed in Jesus of Nazareth, a flesh and blood historical figure from first century Palestine. Jesus was a dynamic, challenging man who upset the religious establishment of the day with his bold claims to know God as Father, and his condemnation of elitist and hypocritical practices. Christians believe that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus has opened the way for each person to experience God’s love and forgiveness for themselves, and assures us that God’s love is stronger than death.
Holy Spirit
God as active agent today. The Holy Spirit inspires us to understand the Bible, to pray, and to work for God in the world today. As Christians live in the power of the Spirit, so the Spirit nurtures in them good fruits such as love, peace, patience and joy, to help us transform not just ourselves, but the world around us, and to spread the message of God’s love revealed in Jesus.
At the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus commanded his disciples:
Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.
It was in obedience to this command, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, that the first disciples began to preach and teach, forming themselves into what would later become known as the church.
As Anglicans, we trace our roots back to that early church, recognising that to understand the God of relationship and love, we too need to be in relationship with others on their spiritual journey. We meet to worship God, to take bread and wine together as Jesus commanded, to learn more about our faith, and to equip ourselves through sharing our gifts, knowledge and experience, for service in the world.
Our Vision
As a parish seeking to put this faith into practice our vision is that we are
Radiating God’s love: transforming lives and communities.
You can find out more about our current vision focus here.