SPB is an Evangelical Anglican Church and a relaxed Church family, which means we have some key distinctions: 

THE WORD

It is only by the word of God that the good news of Jesus is made known and alive by the Holy Spirit.  That is why the Scriptures are so important in the life of SPB; our rhythms of worship are shaped by them, they nurture our faith, and our following of Jesus is made known through them.  The word of God helps us live today and discern what God is calling us to tomorrow.  Psalm 139 reminds us of how beautiful the word of God is and how necessary it is for each of us as we seek to live for God in the world: "Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path."  Psalm 119:5

PREACHING & TEACHING

We emphasise the word of God being preached and explained each Sunday to help people encounter Jesus and know what it means to live for him.  That means that preaching the Word is the pinnacle of our Sunday Worship because we know by it that we come to know of Jesus and what he is calling us to do and be in the world.  Furthermore, that means we delight in having time to hear the words read and taught.  We come to church to worship God and hear from him, and we know that the word of God is the voice of God to the Church in the world today.  Lastly, we hold the scriptures to be true and beautiful in everything they say and reveal (even the hard bits), as Paul writes to Timothy: 

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." - 2 Tim 3:16-17

DISCIPLESHIP

it is not just about coming to faith but learning to live out our faith as we sit at the feet of Jesus and seek to understand his ethics and live it out.  To be a follower of Jesus means more than trusting him as Lord and Saviour; we identify with his way and teaching.  Those things are often summed up in the Imagery of the Kingdom.  Thus, when we come to faith, we don't just wait for Jesus to come again; no, we practice the things he has taught us through his word in the Power of the Holy Spirit.  We don't just live in the Kingdom. We live out the Kingdom where God has placed us.  That means we seek to grow in our faith and God's giftings.  Discipleship, then, is nurturing the gift of faith that God has given us in the community of the Church and then naturally living it out so that others can know the hope that is ours. 

PRAYER

To be an evangelical Anglican is to be a person who loves praying.  Whether it is through the Book of Common Prayer, Daily Offices, or Collect - Prayer and The Word shape our worship.  Prayer at SPB is the air we breathe as we walk with God and talk to him.  As Timothy Keller put it "Prayer is how God gives us so many of the unimaginable things he has for us. Indeed, prayer makes it safe for God to give us many of the things we most desire. It is the way we know God, the way we finally treat God as God. Prayer is simply the key to everything we need to do and be in life.”

MISSION

 An Anglican Bishop once reminded the church that the church was the only organisation in the world that existed for those who did not belong to it.  The mission is not just something we think about; it is who we are as we seek to fulfil the great commission's call - to go and make disciples. As a church, we are committed to reaching our locale and the city of Belfast with the good news of Jesus so that people can discover what they were made for - a relationship with God. Additionally, as a Church, we love that we are part of a global church family in the Anglican Communion. We remember that our call is not just local but global as we seek to resource and support Kingdom work across the globe.  As John Stott reminds us: "We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God."

COMMUNITY

The Christian faith cannot be done alone; we walk the Cross with Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit and with one another.  That means the Church is family! At SPB, we seek to nurture and grow that sense of community as we gather on a Sunday for Worship and fellowship after and regularly throughout the week as we meet in different ways to support one another. Church is a Community, and we would love for you to join us.