What we care about
Below, you can see a number of things which are really important to us. You’ll see people, you’ll see issues in our world, and you’ll see situations that really matter. We want our care to go beyond just words, and are always open to finding new and deeper ways to commit to each of these. We know we are not perfect, but with God’s help are seeking to pursue them better.
There is also a page about some of our core beliefs as a Christian church which you might find helpful as well.
Our Vision is to multiply fully devoted disciples of Jesus
Our core values are:
- Bible Saturated
- Reliant on The Spirit
- Expectant in Prayer
- People Focused
Bible Saturated
Reliant on the Spirit
Expectant in Prayer
People Focused
We care about families
A family provides a secure home for children to grow up in. It offers life-long support through adulthood and into old age. This is true of birth families, as well as non-standard families assembled through remarriage, fostering and adoption. As a church, we want to see all families thrive. Our all-age gatherings allow families to enjoy praising God together. Our pastoral support can come alongside families to help them through tough times. The church functions as a family, helping each other out. For example, one couple had lost control of their garden, so we organised two working parties to restore it to order. We support the charity Home for Good which seeks to find a home for every child that needs one, and local charity Restore Hope which comes alongside children, families and young people who are facing challenging situations
We care about children and young people
We have an enthusiastic team that leads a full program of activities for children and youth. Our vision is to allow all young people, whatever their age, to have a personal relationship with God and play a full role in the life of our church. During lockdown, our children produced a weekly Kid’s Church service on YouTube. We welcome children and young people of all ages – see here for details.
We care about Seniors
As a church, we are privileged to have many members who have given a lifetime of service to God. We celebrate their contribution to the church that Gold Hill has become. We also love and celebrate the many wonderful seniors who live in our local community. We support Gold Hill Care, helping people live independent lives at home, and we have a Wednesday seniors day each week.
We care about our planet
God made the earth to provide an amazing home for the human race. He also gave us a responsibility to look after it. When we fail, this leads to pollution, global warming and more severe “natural” disasters. The cost of this falls disproportionately on the poor. We encourage all those who attend Gold Hill to consider how to minimise their own adverse impact on the environment. Gold Hill has been awarded a Bronze Eco Church Award.
We care about poverty and injustice
Wherever we look around the world we see things that aren’t as they should be. 356 million children live in extreme poverty. 20 wars are raging around the world. In many countries, girls miss out on education and women are subjugated. Over 40 million unwanted babies are aborted each year. From 20 to 40 million people live in slavery.
As followers of Jesus, we believe it’s our duty to speak out against injustice and to seek to relieve poverty. Our Hub is a collection point for Chiltern Foodbank and we provide debt counselling and other support in partnership with Christians Against Poverty. We celebrate the achievements of entrepreneurs who create jobs for others, preventing them from falling into poverty. We support Open Doors, which campaigns for religious freedom across the world. We are part of Welcome Churches welcoming refugees and asylum seekers
We care about our community
We are committed to the community in Chalfont St Peter and surrounding areas. That’s why we invested in the Hub, a community resource in the heart of the village. We work with the Chalfont St Peter Feast Day, local schools, and the Youth Club. Our Unique Like You ministry provides the opportunity to practise creative skills.
We care beyond our community
We love our local area, but we also know we are part of a far bigger world and that there are people everyone who we believe are loved by God and who He wants to see flourish. We regularly pray for people in lots of different parts of the world, and also have a ‘Cross Cultural Team’, a group of people who organise and lead the work we do in other parts of the world, amidst people from other cultures and in other places.
In fact, a significant part of our annual budget goes to support 13 people who work in different parts of the world, all seeking to serve and bless people where they are and share God’s love with them there. You can find out more about the team and their work here.