Church is quite informal in style. We laugh and enjoy the company of people and the presence of God. There can be moments filled with awe and silence, at other times it's boisterious. We pray at different times for different reasons - during the worship time or spontaneously when a specific need is raised. We share stories of faith at different times also - if someone has had a faith building experience during the week, we love to hear about it. Most people dress casually, whatever is comfortable or "normal" for you is fine.
We value freedom in worship, where each person can reach out to God in a way that benefits and suits them. We are mindful of others and generous towards others. Worship is important to us because it helps us to express our love to God and receive His love in return. The music is presented with a contemporary flavour but varies from classic hymns to Brooke Fraser, Hillsong, Robyn Mark, Tim Hughes or even the odd Delirious tune.
We have communion every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month using grape juice :-) All who love Jesus are welcome to share in this rememberance tradition with us.
Preaching is something we think shouldn't put people to sleep. We love it relevent, dynamic and graciously applied. Sometimes we run with a series or theme... but no matter what aim to give each person a bit of treasure to take into the week. Something to chew on or inspire or challenge or bring restoration. Part of our history is in the scriptural by-line: "Where ever the Spirit of the Lord is, there's Liberty." This just about sums up the question.
We believe that giving should reflect our appreciation and commitment to God. It's not primarily about a set amount, but a heart set on supporting church activities/workers that bring value and purpose into people's lives. Giving to God demonstrates our thankfulness for all that we have... and acknowledges that it all we have comes from Him.
We don't make a big thing of being "baptist" which is why our congregation is made up of people from varied church backgrounds. We would call ourselves "Christians" before "Baptist". At Liberty we quite enjoy and appreciate the church/denominational diversity within those who gather. Our experiences of God and worship are varied, but we find our glue in the good news - that God accepts us when we accept His son Jesus. This is as fundamental as it gets.... and as GOOD as it gets.