About us

Here you will find some infromation about Longton Community Church, things like:- What we beleive, Who leads Longton Community Church, the network of churches we are part of, and what we call servant leadership; but please explore the rest of the web site to find out more...

What we believe

We are a radical comunity of people who love Jesus and seek to share the love of his father with those who have never heard he cares for them. We also have a passion to see those who may not have been to church for a long time to come back and find a warm welcome.

• We believe the authentic church of Jesus Christ is the hope of the world today and that Jesus chose the church to be his on going presence in the world.
• We believe that everything good that comes through the church is from Jesus and is for the glory of his father.
• We believe God has a big dream, but he also transforms the world one person, one family, one community at a time.
• We have dreaming big to see Longton transformed by the power of God and we are fulfilling our dream by seeing each new beleiving indivdual person added into the family of God.
• We believe in fostering a culture of discopleship that thursts each one of us out to demonstrate and share the love of Jesus with others.

People

Andy and Angie have five grown up children and enjoy spending time with their family and grandchildren. Before becoming the Pastor of Longton Community Church Andy was the administrator for Lifelink International. Angie is also the Manager of a childrens centre in Birmingham. Andy and Angie moved to Stoke on Trent from Rugby, via Cape Town, South Africa, where they spent a year dedicating their time to God and now they are feeding thier passion for God into Longton Community Church.

Lifelink International

Lifelink is a family of evangelical charismatic Christian churches who share a common vision and purpose of wanting to see the Kingdom of God fully established across the World in this generation. All the churches within Lifelink work relationally with the apostolic company that is led by Alan Scotland. Currently there are related churches in the UK and USA with church links in a number of other nations in South America, Africa and Asia

Servanthood Leadership

Leadership in the church is only leadership as God intended when it takes up the 'basin and towel'. The most revolutionary act to humankind was expressed through the servant heart of Jesus, when he came to the world to liberate it from bondage. Servanthood is not some posture to attract attention and sympathy; it is love in action.

'The new language in the life of Christians was the language of love. But it was more than a language, it was a thing of power and action.' Hanark 1962

The same of course is true of the leading prophets. They were referred to as 'The Servants of God" (1 Samuel 3:10, Exodus 14:3, 2 Samuel 3:18). In his earthly ministry, Christ stressed by his actions that he had come to serve, not to be served.

'Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.'
Philippians 2:6-7.

As human beings, we were designed to serve God and to express such devotions in the outworking of relationships that are forged in the context of every day life – be it husband and wife, parent and child, pupil and teacher. Detailed instructions can be found in the epistles.
(for futher reading Ephesians 5:33 – 6:9, Colossians 3:17 – 23).

True leadership dissolves the pedestal.

'…you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.'
Luke 22:26

We must conclude that true leadership can only be properly conducted within an attitude of humility.

So then, …regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.'
1 Corinthians 4:1

Indicators of a servant heart:

People are not there to serve you; rather you are there to serve them. A sense of stewardship, not ownership, is expressed in word and deed. Words translate into deed, which often demand everything. A sense of fulfilment, not in the recognition by others but in the accomplishment of the task.

1. What task draws out an expression of your servanthood in the Christian community?
2. How are you serving God in the outside world?