What is a Christian
The Lighthouse Community Church exists not just for Christians but for anyone who wants to investigate the claims of Jesus the person at the very heart of Christianity.
God made us, to know Him and to live with Him forever. Yet things are not right between us and God: we are alienated from Him. That is why, out of His love for us, God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place, so that He could bring us into relationship with Himself.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:18 "Christ suffered* for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God."
Jesus died, but God raised Him from the dead as the Lord and Saviour of all. And God now urges everyone to trust in his Son, so that they can be made right with Him. To be a Christian is to know Jesus personally. A Christian is a person who has put faith and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ, including His death on the cross as payment for sins and His resurrection on the third day. John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” A true Christian is indeed a child of God, a part of God’s family, and one who has been given new life in Jesus Christ.
Church Membership
All those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross, have become a members of Christ's body, the Church. However, Baptist Churches such as the Lighthouse Community Church, offer the opportunity for believers to express commitment to their local church through formal (voting) membership. Membership is open to all who profess repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and have been baptised and show evidence of their faith in daily life. Acceptance into formal membership involves taking on the following responsibilities:
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To lead a Christian life in humility and peace and to build one another up in love
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To glorify God in the worship and work of the Church
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To study the Scriptures and to be faithful in personal and corporate prayer
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To promote the unity and welfare of the Church as a family of God and to work harmoniously with other members in the fulfilment of the Church's objectives
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To join regularly in congregational worship, the hearing of the Word of God and partaking of the Lord's Supper
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To be faithful, regular and generous in financial support
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Through the Members' Meetings to exercise discipline when necessary in accordance with the Scriptures
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To attend all Members' Meetings and to humbly participate in discussion about matters being considered
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In effect, belonging to the Lighthouse Community Church as a Member means saying: “I am committed and I am responsible to this part of God’s family at Brighton”.
Baptism
As a Baptist church, the Lighthouse Community Church practices believers' baptism by full immersion. After his resurrection, Jesus commanded his apostles to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)
What is the significance of baptism?
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Baptism symbolises being united with Christ through faith, dying with him to sin and rising with him to newness of life.
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The washing of our bodies with water is the outward and visible sign of inward cleansing from sin through Jesus' death on the Cross.
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In baptism we are baptized into the body of Christ and so become members of the one body of believers.
Believers' baptism is:
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An act of obedience to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ:
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A following of the example of our Lord Jesus Christ who was baptized in the river Jordan, that he might fulfill all righteousness:
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A public confession of personal faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord:
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A vow or pledge of allegiance to Jesus Christ and to be His for ever.
If you would like to examine the claims of the Christian faith we would like to help. Please contact us or give us your contact details so that we can talk further. We look forward to hearing from you.