| The Branches Christian Fellowship was started 15 years ago, by a group of Christians
who wanted to worship at a church where the Bible was held as the true and infallible
Word of God.As a registered charity we have a doctrine, but this is short and secondary to
the Bible itself.
(Read the doctrine)
|
| We spent six months seeking God about what to do and how the fellowship
should operate, culiminating in a day of prayer and fasting and a couple of worship meetings.
God gave us the verse from John 15:
|
| "Jesus said, 'I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man
remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 (NIV)
|
|
This verse was our basis:
|
 |
We have to remain in Jesus |
|
We can do nothing without Him |
|
We should be bearing fruit |
|
We are a part (branch) of the wider church family |
|
|
We began meeting in a home on Sunday mornings and for midweek meetings, but because we wanted
to show that we were a part of the wider church and build relationships with local churches,
we went to Sunday evening services at other churches as a group.
|
| After about nine months we had outgrown the living room of the house and moved into the Bateman Centre
in Birch Hill Hospital, where we stayed for 12 years and have seen people saved, set free and
released into the life God has for them. At this point we stopped going to Sunday evening
services, but continued to work with the wider church at joint events, in evangelism and in ministry.
|
| In 2003 the Bateman Centre was closed due to hospital reorganisation and we moved to Wardle Community Centre.
|
| In 2005 praise God we had too many folks to meet comfortably in the Community Centre on Sundays (though we still use it for
some other meetings such as Alpha, DJ courses and Kids Klubs) and moved to Kentmere School about
half a mile away. We are very grateful to the school and especially the caretaker Peter for the care they give us.
|
Branches 2007