Elim is the name of an oasis that is mentioned in the Bible (Ex 15:27 "Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees"). It described a place of refreshment and shelter in the wilderness. We recognise that life can sometimes become a wilderness in this day and age too. We aim for our churches to be an oasis in the 21st Century.

Elim as a denomination grew out of the Elim Evangelistic Band, a group of young men and women moving in the power of the Holy Spirit who saw many people healed and saved in the early 1900s. In 1915 the first church was established in Monaghan, Ireland. There are now over 600 Elim churches in Great Britain.

Pentecostal people believe that the power and presence of God is as real and relevant today as it was in Bible days. God has not changed. We believe that God longs to transform lives, heal bodies and give new direction. Many people have already found this to be true. There are over 93 million Pentecostal people throughout the world. It is the fastest growing section of the Christian Church.

Church - the Bible never speaks of the Church as being a building. The Church is always referred to as a group of Christian people. Because of this, we place little emphasis on ornate buildings, ceremony or religious ritual. Instead we seek to engender a loving and caring atmosphere in which every person can experience God through worship that is both enthusiastic and relevant.

The fundamental truths of the Elim Pentecostal Church can be summarised below:

The Bible: We believe the Bible, as originally given, to be without error, the fully inspired and infallible Word of God and the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

The Trinity: We believe that the Godhead exists co-equally and co-eternally in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and that these three are one God, sovereign in creation, providence and redemption.

The Saviour: We believe in the true and proper deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His real and complete humanity, in His sinless life, in His authoritative teaching, in His substitutionary and atoning sacrifice through His blood shed, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His heavenly intercession and in His second advent to receive His Church.

The Holy Spirit: We believe in the deity of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son and the necessity of His work in conviction of sin, repentance, regeneration and sanctification, and that the believer is also promised an enduement of power as the gift of Christ through the baptism in the Holy Spirit with signs following. Through this enduement the believer is empowered for fuller participation in the ministry of the Church, it's worship, evangelism and service.

Mankind: We believe in the universal sinfulness of all men since the Fall, rendering man subject to God's wrath and condemnation.

Salvation: We believe in the necessity for salvation, of repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, by which the sinner is pardoned and accepted as righteous in God's sight. This justification is imputed by the grace of God because of the atoning work of Christ, is received by faith alone and is evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit and a holy life.

The Church: We believe in the spiritual unity and the priesthood of all believers in Christ and that these comprise the universal Church, the body of Christ.

The Ministry: We believe in the ministries that Christ has set in His Church, namely, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and in the present operation of the manifold gifts of the Holy Spirit according to the New Testament.

The Ordinances: We believe in the baptism of believers in water in obedience to the command of Christ and the commemoration of Christ's death by the observance of the Lord's Supper until His return.

The Commission: We believe that the Gospel embraces the needs of the whole man and that the Church is therefore commissioned to preach the gospel to the world and to fulfil a ministry of healing and deliverance to the spiritual and physical needs of mankind.

The Coming King: We believe in the personal, physical and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to reign in power and glory.

The Future State: We believe in the resurrection of the dead and in the final judgement of the world, the eternal conscious bliss of the righteous and the eternal conscious punishment of the wicked.

The vision of the Elim Church Centre can be summarised as follows:

Revealing the full nature and purposes of God described in the Bible through our lifestyles, teaching programmes and social actions.

Releasing each person to become truly themselves, grow into maturity and maximise their contribution to the church and society.

Relating to one another as members of an interdependent Christian community and building constructive partnerships within our movement and with other churches and organisations that are moving in the same direction.

Reaping a harvest for God by enthusiastically accepting our commission to "make disciples of all nations", starting in our own town and its surroundings and extending right around the world.

If you are considering coming to one of our services but don't know what to expect, there are four main elements to our services:

Worship - led by a group consisting of guitars, drums and often flute, clarinet or violin, as well as a two or three singers. The songs are projected onto a wall, as we don't use hymn books or song sheets. The music is generally contemporary - and we enjoy singing and praising God!

Preaching - because we believe that the Bible is important we take time to explain its meaning and how it can be applied to our lives. Sermons usually last about half-an-hour and are presented clearly with practical illustrations.

Prayer - this happens at points throughout the service. You may hear people audibly responding to what is being said. During the service opportunity is sometimes given to respond to what we believe God is saying to us and people will come forward for prayer. Respected members of the fellowship will often be invited to come forward and lay hands on them and pray with them. We believe that during these times God's power can work in a person's body or circumstances to meet their needs.

Using the Gifts of the Holy Spirit - during the service, people may come forward (with permission of the Elders) and share a word they believe they have received from God with the help of the Holy Spirit, or give a message in Tongues (which is described in Acts 2:4 & 1 Cor 12:10). Leaders in the church usually give instruction and guidance when this happens. We believe God wants to be involved in our lives by His Holy Spirit. Being God and caring for us, He wants to encourage us, unlock situations in our lives, or show us the way forward. See chapters 12 & 14 of 1 Corinthians to get an understanding of this aspect of our service.

Our prayer is that you will feel comfortable and hear God speak to you during the time you are with us. If you have any questions about our services, activities or the church, please feel free to ask anyone you know, or any person who has taken part in the service.

If you are visiting a Church service at Elim Church Centre, here is some helpful information:

To make your experience of worshipping with us more enjoyable we have available Bibles in Russian, Latvian and Polish. In addition, we provide sermon notes in Russian for our Sunday morning services.

Visually Impaired:

We are delighted to have students from the RNIB college visit us on a regular basis. If you become aware that someone near you is visually impaired, we can provide large print copies of the songs we sing.

Problems with Hearing:

We also have a loop system for those with hearing aids. Please speak to one of the stewards at the entrance to the main hall if you require help or information.