Christians believe that Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem in two thousand years ago, was and is the son of God. The story of his life, death and resurrection, is told in the four Gospels of the Bible, in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. You can find out more about Jesus Christ, watch a film about him and download these books at www.rejesus.co.uk.
The Christian Church is the community of Jesus' followers who attempt to live their lives according to his teaching. Christians express their love for God in worship and in prayer. They express their love for their neighbours by caring for them and helping them to know and experience God's love through Jesus.
If you would like to explore Christianity for yourself please visit one of our churches. Use our Church Finder to find one nearest to you. There is also a range of helpful introductory courses you could take. All cover the main beliefs of the faith and offer guests the opportunity to ask any questions they like. Courses run in local churches, schools, homes, universities, prisons and workplaces. Most sessions include a talk and the opportunity to air your views in a discussion group setting. Often, a meal is provided. The main courses available are:
Alpha - http://alphacourse.org
Christianity Explored - www.christianityexplored.com
Emmaus - www.e-mmaus.org.uk
The websites should help you to find a course running near you. Alternatively, you could contact a church close to your home or workplace. You can use our Church Finder facility for this.
Members of the Church of England (Anglicans) trace their Christian roots back to the early Church.
The basis of the faith of the Church of England is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (the Bible) and the teachings of the early Church Fathers.
The Church of England is part of the Anglican Communion, a worldwide family of churches with more than 70 million adherents in 38 Provinces spreading across 161 countries. Although these churches are autonomous, they are also uniquely unified through their history, their theology, their worship and their relationship to the ancient See of Canterbury, seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The basic tenets of being Anglican are:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
We also believe the Nicene Creed which explains how Christians understand God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons but one God. This Creed is based on a series of Councils of Bishops in the fourth century.
We believe in one God,the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
We believe that God's help and grace are available to us through the Sacraments. We continue to use the two Sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ himself, Baptism and Holy Communion, using His words. We believe that the other Sacraments of Confirmation, Holy Orders, Reconciliation, Marriage and the Anointing of the sick are also means of expressing and receiving God's love.
Anglican bishops trace their authority from the bishops of the earliest church.
The Church of England divides the country into administrative areas called dioceses, for which bishops are responsible. Dioceses are ultimately subdivided into parishes. Every inch of England falls within a Church of England parish. Each parish has a parish priest (who may have the title Vicar, Rector, or Priest-in-Charge), who is responsible for ensuring that worship and prayer takes place for and on behalf of the people who live in the parish. He or she also has the responsibility for providing pastoral and spiritual care for everyone in the parish.
The Diocese of London has existed since at least 314, when a bishop from London is recorded as attending a Council of Bishops in Arles, in southern France. The Diocese was reorganised in 604, since when there has been a constant succession of bishops.
The Diocese covers 277 square miles of Greater London north of the Thames from Staines in the west to the Isle of Dogs in the east and as far north as Enfield. There are 479 churches, a similar number of clergy and 140 people currently in training for the ordained ministry. The Diocese has 148 church schools with more than 46,000 pupils. There are some 150 social responsibility projects, incorporating work with children and young people, refugees, asylum seekers, the homeless, people with mental and physical disabilities, families and the elderly. There are also countless community based activities operated by Church of England churches in London such as mother and toddler groups, youth clubs and branches of uniformed organisations, such as Scouts and Guides.
Currently 69,000 people are registered as members of parish churches in the Diocese.
Under the guidance of the present Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dr Richard Chartres, the Diocese of London has set out its priorities and goals London Challenge 2012.
