Values

In Cornwall as in heaven.

Our vision is shamelessly plagiarised from Jesus’ central prayer, as we believe it articulates what we are living towards. We long to see Jesus Kingdom established in Cornwall. We pursue this vision by wholeheartedly following Jesus and serving him in Cornwall and beyond.

We know some people find it helpful to know at little bit about us before you come to visit us. Hopefully this gives you an insight into our beliefs, convictions and the culture we seek to create.

Beliefs

In our beliefs, we are pretty straight forward! At St Gregory’s we hold to the historic teachings of Christian orthodoxy as laid out in the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. A helpful summary in modern speak of what we believe can be found in this statement of faith. We would describe ourselves as charismatic evangelical which means we love God’s word (the bible) and can’t get enough of his Spirit!

Convictions

  • We choose to operate with a guide not a map, believing that God’s presence leads us to abundance. This doesn’t mean we are directionless. We look at where he has led us so far, we’re curious about what he has put into our hands and we listen to our marching orders.

    We long for the Spirit to shape our character, empower us with gifts, and direct our steps. We believe it is him who releases calling, and enables faithfulness, courage and obedience as we participate in God’s mission on earth.

  • We receive Holy Scripture as our authority for faith and life. In doing so we submit to God’s word, echoing the words of Jesus in Gethsemane, “Not my will be done but yours.” This is a death that brings about resurrection life. It enables us to find the blueprint for kingdom life in Scripture and build accordingly.

  • Our primary call is to be with Jesus, to become like Jesus and to do as he did. We therefore seek to adopt Jesus’ teachings, lifestyle, and mission as the model for life, shaping our individual character and communal identity.

  • We have a commitment to be a kingdom family in all its diversity, celebrating cultural, ethnic and social difference, as we unite around the person of Jesus.

    We believe the Christian life invites us into deep relational inter-dependency. Therefore, we want to build towards being community where everyone has a space to be honest and real, close enough to speak into each others lives.

  • We unashamedly say that Christ as Lord and the resurrection is the only hope for eternal salvation. This means seeking to align all of life with God’s purposes.

    Every disciple is called to extend the Kingdom of Heaven. This requires all of us to continually be open to personal transformation and to live as ambassadors of God’s kingdom in every sphere of life.

Culture

  • Jesus said the most important commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. So we want to be wholehearted and all-in in our worship; giving ourselves away to God, each other, Cornwall and beyond.

    This wholeheartedness includes the intentional pursuit of healing, freedom and wholeness. As a family we seek to support one another towards fullness of life, placing high value the power of the Spirit to see people come alive.

  • We take God very seriously, we don’t take ourselves too seriously! CS Lewis said that “joy is the serious business of heaven.” Joy is the strength that sustains on the journey of faith. Therefore, we embrace playfulness as a helpful counterbalance to some of the intensity of ministry.

    Lightheartedness can also helpfully facilitate ‘light-handedness’, where we healthily recognise that none of this is our to take credit for, but all belongs to God. “We are loose change in his pocket, he can spend us how he wants”.

  • Our God exists in the divine family of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are therefore made in the image of a relational being and our task is to reflect his character to the world. We can only do this in the context of relationships. Relationships are more important than programmes.

  • St Gregory’s was born from the sacrificial generosity of individuals at Kings Cross Church and the generous funding provided by Pydar Deanery. We are the beneficiaries of extraordinary generosity, and so we believe it is both our responsibility and our joy to embody that same spirit of generosity for others.

  • Our response to God’s faithfulness is to be a people of faith. Faith is the ingredient for kingdom growth and therefore we want to be obedient to the Spirit, even when it looks foolish.

  • In an age dominated by what is instant, disposable and superficial, and where at times the very foundations of the Church are being shaken from within, we want to develop a deep theological underpinning that will enable us to withstand the storms that will come our way.