Thanks for taking the time to stop and look at our web site.
We'd love you to understand our faith, and perhaps answer some questions you
have. On our Fundamental Truths page we list what you could call our "key
points" - on this page we try and explain things in a bit more detail. If
you have any queries or want more information, or just to chat, please
contact us
We believe... in the Trinity
The Trinity is the seemingly paradoxical belief that there is one God, yet he exists as three persons - the Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit - and each person is fully God.
ALTHOUGH the word ‘Trinity' is not found in the Bible, what it means most definitely is. It is the distinctive and all-comprehensive doctrine of the Christian faith. Although this is a mystery, it is significant because it shapes the way we think about God and how we respond to him.
The working out of what the Church believes about the Trinity took place in the early Church's defence of Christ as God. When Jesus was on earth, he did things that previously were only attributed to God. For example, he forgave people their sins, he accepted people's worship, and he said that, like God, he existed be- fore Abraham, the ancestor of the Jews, was even born.
So if Jesus is God, and the Father is God, then there are at least two persons who are the one God, But it doesn't stop there. Jesus' teaching clearly indicated that there is a third person in God,
Experienced
Jesus taught his disciples that he had been sent by the Father and that he would send the Spirit to be with them once he had left them. When the disciples experienced the arrival of the Spirit in their lives, they knew that what Jesus said had come true.
So the early Christians had to come to terms with a God who was beyond their, and our, natural understanding. The biblical record is clear: there is only one God, but he exists as three persons, each of whom is God, and each of whom works together in unity - even though they differ from each other.
The central message of the Bible is that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are intrinsically intertwined and together are committed to helping us find God and get to know him for ourselves.
Many illustrations of the Trinity have been suggested -for example, that water exists as ice, a liquid and as steam - but all are still water. But no analogy fully explains the Trinity. Ultimately, we have to accept that we can only know as much about him as he has chosen to reveal to us in the Bible.
As created beings, we will never be able to fully understand the Creator in this life. But he has promised that all Christians will understand far more when we meet him face-to-face in heaven!
By Dr Neil Hudson of Regents Theological College.
We believe... in one Church
Different groups or 'denominations' of Christians have emerged over the centuries - like the Church of England, the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, etc. Elim is one of the latest.
EACH OF THESE groups have their different emphases, but all share the same basic faith. Elim's own emphasis is on the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the life of every believer.
Elim is part of the universal Christian Church across the globe. People who call themselves Christian number about two billion, in a world population of just over six billion - almost one third of the world!
Growing churches
The media often reports that, nationally, church attendance has declined. But they don't often cover the fact that Bible-believing churches like Elim are expanding. God is moving in power to restore faith to this nation. Elim across the UK, continues to grow.
Elim is a member of the UK's Evangelical Alliance (EA), which links Bible-believing Christians from many denominations -from Anglicans to 'house churches', and from Methodists to black Pentecostal churches. Many of Elim's churches, ministers and church members have also joined the Alliance on an individual basis. It’s overseas missions workers are in many parts of the world and active in Christian ministry and relief operations, working with our own relief projects and ‘Tearfund’
And at a local level, Elim churches work with other churches, both in social action and to spread the good news about Jesus. Because we all have this in common - we love the One who laid down his life for us.
Edited from an article by Andrew Halloway,
We Believe... in Baptism by immersion.
The act of baptism in water is a thrilling moment in the life of a believer, and the baptismal service is always a special feature in the life of a local church.
BUT WHY DO we baptise, and why do we totally immerse people, rather than just 'sprinkling' water on their heads?
Baptism was a major part of becoming a Christian in the Bible, which seems to have happened immediately after someone had 'repented1 - renounced their previous way of living without Christ. The Apostles, Jesus' first followers, taught that we should 'repent and be baptised'.
In today's services baptism still holds a major place as a sign of repentance and as a declaration to the world that someone's new life with Christ has begun.
Jesus was baptised
We continue to baptise because we believe in following Bible teaching in all that we do. Even Jesus was baptised, because, as he said to John the Baptist, "we must do all that God wants us to do." The original words used in the Bible for baptism mean to dip or to dye - both of which involve going under the water. In the Bible, only people old enough to make their own decision to become a Christian were baptised - not babies or young children
Edited from an article by Geoff Feasey, National Leadership Team
We believe... in the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit
Jesus promised that all those who believed in him and followed him would experience his presence and power in a special way. This experience is called 'being baptised in the Holy Spirit' and is the source of the life, joy, power and vitality in the Christian Church. WITHOUT THIS divine help we would be utterly powerless to do the things that God has asked us to do.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit was first experienced by Christians on the Day of Pen¬tecost, as described in Acts 2:1 -4 in the Bible. When the Spirit entered these disciples they were filled with his glori¬ous presence and began to speak with new languages: 'All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them." This 'filling of the Spirit' is intended for every believer and it brings us into a new realm of living - life in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is 'God's empowering presence' in the lives of his people and God wants us all to be continually filled with his presence and power.
The baptism in the Spirit brings us into the dimension of supernatural living. That is why God gives his Spirit to those who believe him and ask for this gift, just as Jesus describes in Luke 11:13: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
When the Spirit comes into our lives he makes it possible for us to experience his many gifts. Each gift helps Christians to strengthen each other's faith or to tell other people about eternal salvation in Christ. The Apostle Paul outlines these supernatural gifts in I Corinthians 12:7-10 as "the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues,"
The Spirit also helps us to grow more like Jesus. This is the supernatural lifestyle of the Christian, and the Apostle Paul calls it growing the 'fruit of the Spirit' in your life. In Galatians 5:22-24 he says the Holy Spirit helps us grow the qualities of "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." That is why the Holy Spirit is called our helper - he helps us in every way to live the Christian life and make us more like Jesus, day by day.
By Co/in Dye, Senior Minister, Kensington Temple
We believe... in prayer
Prayer is simply talking to our Father God in your own words - you don't have to know all the right Christian jargon or be perfect in order to get God's attention, He cares and he is always listening out for genuine hearts.
Jesus' disciples asked, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). They had prayed all their lives, and yet something about the quality of Jesus' praying caused them to see how little they knew about prayer, If their praying was to make any difference on the human scene, there were some things they needed to learn.
When we pray as Jesus taught prayer, we soon learn there are things we can actually do to make a difference! The Bible teaches us that we have to pray earnestly and we will see God answer our prayers. – It’s worth saying that He sometimes answers in ways which we do not expect, or even want, but He certainly does answer! One of the most critical aspects in learning to pray for others is to get in contact with God so that his life and power can flow through us to others.
Edited from an article by Barry Killick, National Leadership Team
We believe... in Communion
At Jesus' last meal with his disciples before his death, Jesus blessed the bread and gave it to his disciples saying, "Eat this, it is my body". He then gave them wine saying, "Drink this - it is my blood".
AT FACE VALUE, these words seem rather distasteful, but they were symbolic - Jesus wanted his disciples to use the bread and wine to remember his death in the future. The meal Jesus and his followers were eating was a religious ceremony called the Passover. Jesus was giving that ceremony a new meaning, which has led to our present-day Holy Communion service or 'Lord's Supper'.
Through Communion, Christians all over the world remember that Jesus died to take God's punishment for the world's sin. That opened the way for everyone to receive God's forgiveness, and have a relationship with God.
Elim churches regularly hold Communion services. You don't have to be a member of an Elim church to participate - but you do need to be a committed Christian. The Bible teaches us not to take Communion without first clearing our conscience with God, asking his forgiveness for anything we have done wrong. Then we can thank Jesus for dying for us, and celebrate the new life with God that Jesus' resurrection has brought us!
We believe... in heaven & hell
The Bible tells us that heaven is a place where there will be no more pain, no more sadness and no more death (Revelation 21:4). Not bad for starters! But much more than this - the Bible tells us that heaven is a real place. There are over 250 references to heaven in the Bible.
Jesus himself talked about heaven a lot, encouraging us to pray to his Father in heaven (Matthew 6:9). The Apostle Paul also talks about heaven, telling us of the "hope that is stored up for us in heaven" (Colossians 1:5) and that life in heaven lasts forever (2 Corinthians 5:1).
Through Jesus, the Apostle Paul and the gospel writers, the Bible teaches that heaven is a reality. But this is only half the picture, because the Bible also says just as clearly that hell is a real place. What is hell like?
Jesus tells us it is a place of anguish (Luke 16:23) and a place to avoid at all costs (Mark 9:43). The only thing that hell has in common with heaven is that it also lasts for ever (Revelation 20:10). The Apostle Peter tells us it is a place of absolute darkness (2 Peter 2:17) and the Apostle Paul tells us it is a place where people are shut out from the presence of God (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
We choose
How can a loving God send people to hell? The answer is that he doesn't send anyone there - we choose it ourselves. If, in this life, we choose to avoid God - then that choice lasts for ever. But if we choose God in this life, then we choose to be with him for ever.
Edited from an article by Steve Reilly.
We believe... in the return of Jesus as King
We believe in the personal, physical and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to reign in power and glory - because God promises he will come again.
AFTER JESUS' DEATH and resurrection, his slightly bemused disciples stood looking up into the sky; their Master had just disappeared into it. Suddenly two angels appeared and stated, "This same Jesus will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). That simple statement, along with many others in the Bible, has echoed down through two millennia, maintaining the hope of Christians across the centuries. In that time the prospect has spurred on the Church in evangelism, stimulated the courage of persecuted believers, and stirred up Christians to a godly life.
This Second Coming is going to be personal. Mankind will see the sign of the Son of Man (Jesus) in heaven, accompanied by angels and by Christians of bygone generations, but it will be "this same Jesus" - risen, ascended, glorified.
It will also be physical. Jesus is coming back in his glorious resurrected body which can live in both spiritual and physical realms. Christians will be transformed, just like him. So it will be a visible return: "every eye shall see him" (Revelation 1:7).
Jesus will return as the conquering King to save the world from self-destruction and Christians from persecution. And at the end of time, he will judge us all - according to whether we have put our faith in him or not. Finally, God will create new heavens and a new earth - restoring the universe to the paradise it once was, before selfishness and sin entered the world.
With thanks to Bill Crawford, Bangor Elim Pentecostal Church, N Ireland, who
put this text together.