The HBC Mission Statement:

Our mission is to be a transforming community.

With God's help, we will seek to fulfil this mission by:

• Leading people to Christ (Salvation)

• Encouraging one another to grow in Christ toward maturity and wholeness (Sanctification)

• Acting with Christ to bless the communities we touch (Service)

What our Church is like

HBC is an evangelical church, affiliated to the Baptist Union of Great Britain and a member of the Evangelical Alliance. We accept the authority of the Bible in determining what we believe and how it should be expressed. We expect all members of the church to be involved in its life and mission.

The church has quite an international flavour and a youngish age profile: we're a mixture of single adults, couples, families, with a smaller number of retired people. We have people from various backgrounds and countries as part of our church family. Our Sunday services are at the heart of our life together, but there are lots of other things going on as well, with plenty of opportunities to serve one another and our community.

The teaching programmes in our Sunday services are Bible-based. We also ask God to speak to us in other ways, and, especially in the evening services, people are invited to share what God has been saying to them. We're blessed with a committed and gifted Worship Group to lead our praise. Prayer is vital to us, and there are always opportunities during or after services for individuals to receive prayer for particular needs.

Housegroups

Housegroups are important in our church, and everyone who worships with us regularly is encouraged to join one, even if they can't always attend. The groups offer a good way to develop friendships, to give and receive encouragement, and to grow spiritually, and they provide an extra dimension to our church life.

Groups meet weekly in various homes. The programme includes Bible study and discussion, worship and prayer, and there are also some social events.

Mission

Christ's command to take the gospel throughout the world is still vitally important and we encourage and support people who have been called by God to serve Him elsewhere or are training in preparation for this. We are also committed to evangelism in the local community, where possible working with other churches in our area. We are also concerned about matters of social justice nationally and internationally (eg Fair Trade) and moral issues affecting our nation.