What We Believe

We believe in living out our Christian faith as effectively as possible, making an impact with those who do not know the great news about Jesus Christ.


We believe we should share the good news of Jesus, equip people in their faith journey and see them live their faith out in the world.

To find out more about what it means to be a Christian, why not watch this short video


We believe in…

  • The one true God who lives eternally in three persons—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

  • The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.

  • The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God—fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.

  • The dignity of all people, made male and female in God's image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgement.

  • The incarnation of God’s eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—born of the virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.

  • The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God.

  • The bodily resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world.

  • The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.

  • The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness.

  • The Church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers—given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit's gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.

  • The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.


This text was taken from the Evangelical Alliance basis of faith page

In January of 2024, the Parochial Church Council of St Mary of Bethany Woking adopted the Diocese of Guildford Racial Justice Covenant. If you would like to know more, please find the supporting document attached via this link.

SMOB is very committed to eco related issues

Some ways our church helps the environment:

We aim to use Fairtrade products where we can and provide vegetarian options at parish meals. We have a “bring your own mug policy” and aim to use our cutlery and crockery rather than reusable cups and plates. We regularly refer to the environment and creation in our teaching and worship.

Our PCC has an eco policy which is to be regularly reviewed

We use green energy tariffs. We regularly give information about how to live more sustainably in our church notices. We have recently refurbished parts of our building to provide:

  • Better insulation

  • Double glazing

  • Dual flush toilets

  • Movement sensitive lighting in some areas

  • Water saving taps

  • Solar panels (which produce a large portion of our energy) and electric water heating

Caring for our Earth is integral to our mission as Christians. By responding to the climate crisis and making changes in our own lives and our church life, we show that we support those most affected by the devastation of climate changes. We also show our love and care for God’s creation, of which we are part.

If you can, then consider

  • Solar panels

  • Electric car

  • Heat source pump

  • Increasing home insulation

Resources:

https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/ - WWF guide to calculating your carbon footprint and ways to improve.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/community/climate-change/residents/home-energy/guide - very useful guide to improving your home to make it more energy efficient.

A prayer:

Creator God, in whose Son, Jesus Christ, all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth:

inspire us to play our part in caring for your world:

breathing clean air, cutting carbon,

cherishing our forests, embracing a plant-based diet, protecting wildlife, reducing plastics, and fishing sustainably;

through the same Jesus Christ,

the living Word in whom is life. Amen.

Awarded to SMOB in September 2021

Our Vision & Values

God’s transforming people in our parish:

To love Jesus
To serve and tell others
To be community.

At St Mary of Bethany
We do life together
We believe in a God who can do more than we can ask or imagine.

We are:
Kind - valuing every person as a loved child of God.
Joyful - sharing fun and creativity.
Brave - walking together through the joys and challenges of life.
Equipping - learning from God’s word, discovering our spiritual gifts and deepening our prayer lives.
Hospitable - ensuring there is space for everybody.

A prayer for our Church

Almighty God, transform us your people as we build community together.

Build us into one family, with people of all ages and stages in life united by our faith in Jesus.

Create in us true kindness and enable us to love others as you love them.

Open our hearts and lives to each other, that we might show true hospitality to all.

Equip us for service: teach us from your word, show us our spiritual gifts and deepen us in prayer.

Embolden us to walk together through life’s joys and challenges.

May we be known for our love for Jesus, for people in our parish and everywhere you send us. Amen.