Beacon Basics!

Background
We believe we are created for loving relationship; firstly with a loving God but also with one another. We believe that our capacity to live this out fully is restricted if we are unable to love ourselves. We believe that we are in a battle for this wholeness as individuals and as a race.

Emphases
For these reasons we therefore believe it is imperative that we:

Know what God is like
His nature, His character and His ways. These are fully revealed in Jesus and described in the Bible. It is essential that we have a good and growing understanding of what the Bible says, not just in individual stories or verses, but as a whole. Our whole outlook on life, our view of the world needs increasingly to be shaped by through this understanding.

Are able to hear and relate with God together and as individuals
Our day to day relationship with God is founded on two way communication and should be as natural as the communication with any other person – it is the life-blood of the relationship. It will be expressed in ways such as praise, prayer, listening to or reading God’s word, reflective meditation, talking with others, serving, doing everyday tasks, being out in God’s creation – the list is endless! Because we are individuals whom God loves, we should expect the way He speaks to us and the ways we communicate with Him to be as unique as we are. We are dependent upon hearing His voice as individuals, together in team contexts and in larger corporate gatherings. This is an integral part of our process for decision making.

Engage in the battle
Intercession & prayer ministry are integral parts of daily life. We recognise the intent of the enemy and his slaves to destroy the work of God and we exercise the gifts that God freely gives us to overcome his strategies in the lives of individuals and communities. We seek to develop and encourage those gifts and actively engage in ministry to see strongholds broken and individuals unbound and set free.

Value every individual equally
We believe God has gifted and called all people irrespective of age, sex or background. We are committed to value, trust, train, support and make space for everyone.

See every aspect of life as God-centred
The practical dimensions of life are no less spiritual than the ministry expressions. We are not physical people and spiritual people. We are people. Everything is spiritual and everything we do has a spiritual dimension.

Recognise the centrality of ‘family’
God wants us to express the love we receive to others. More than this He has designed the universe with this as a requirement. We cannot function or thrive without each other. We cannot minister or represent God without one another. God is loving relationship, we only really live when we live like that. Family then, both genetic and spiritual is at the heart of our priorities and the centre of all we do. Within our communities we affirm the value you of serving God together, not just the parents, but every generation sharing the call and contributing their gifts in unique and complementary ways.

Regard leadership as but one of the diverse gifts in the body
We recognise leadership as one of the gifts and ministries that people may be called to. It is neither more nor less significant than any other gift or ministry. We believe then in leadership as a call rather than a leadership hierarchy. We do not believe leadership carries with it inherent status but rather leaders serve by leading. Leadership does not imply decision making, rather, we believe in communities that are small enough for all to actively and significantly contribute to hearing God and discerning His will.

Believe in relationship over rules
The communities in which we live will be characterised by lived-out love in holiness, mutual support, transparency, humility and open communication, rather than a dependence on structures or rules.

Believe hospitality is at the heart of who God is
God; Father, Son & Holy Spirit have an eternal loving relationship into which they have invited every person to fully participate. This is the most extravagant act of hospitality and we must respond to it and emulate it. We therefore affirm hospitality as an expression of God's character and we open our hearts and homes to serve and honour one another, our guests and the poor and needy, not as acts of social protocol, but as expressions of generosity.