This page will tell you a bit more about us. We are by no means perfect but we hope what you read below reflects something of who we are as well as what we seek to become.
God
Fivehead Baptist Church is a community of people being shaped by the Christian message of God’s love for us all. We believe God’s character is revealed to us in Jesus Christ who we learn about in the Bible and who we experience in our shared life together. We meet together regularly to learn about God, to encourage and support each other, and to respond to God’s love in gratitude and worship. We believe God has given his Spirit to help direct and shape our lives on this journey.
As a community we believe the life and teachings of Jesus make a big difference in the world. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus define our story and shape our sense of hope for the world. God brings new life in many different ways, even when things seem impossible... just like when Jesus rose from the dead! We believe God calls us to live in ways that reflect his goodness, creativity, hope, and love towards all.
Church
Our church is made up of people from many different backgrounds and traditions. Some have been Christians for many years, others are new to the Christian faith, while others are just curious to find out more. Everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, is welcome and is invited to feel at home.
Over the years we have seen God do amazing things in people’s lives, transforming things for the better in our church and the wider community. Everyone is welcome to join us on this journey of following Jesus.
Mission
We believe God puts churches in the world to be a blessing to all and to help communities thrive and grow. As such, our mission at Fivehead Baptist Church is to be a blessing to our local community in South Somerset. In addition to this we support various Christian missions further afield, including SWBA Home Mission (supporting churches and community projects across South West England), BMS World Mission (working in around 30 countries on four continents), and Toybox (a charity working in Latin America, Asia, and Africa to help street children). Our sense of “mission” is inspired by the Bible’s focus on social justice and above all by the example of Jesus who gave himself “for the life of the world”.
A Baptist Church
The name “Baptist” comes from the Christian tradition of baptising people in water, which has been part of Christianity since its beginnings. Baptism symbolises a new beginning in a person’s life and is a picture of the new life God gives us as we follow Jesus. Baptist churches are found in almost every country in the world and are part of the wider Christian community, alongside other traditions such as Anglicans, Methodists, Orthodox etc.
For Baptists the concept of church as “family” is important. The church is not so much a place or building, but rather a gathering of people committed to following Jesus together. We support one another and follow God in his mission to bring blessing to the world. In this Baptist “family” everybody is equal and everybody has a part to play. While Baptist churches usually have leaders there is no hierarchy and decisions are made by the whole church.
Our sense of shared connection extends beyond our own local church to the wider church family. Fivehead Baptist Church is a member of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the South West Baptist Association.