• Jesus Centred: we believe in centring all we do and say on Jesus. We want all that we are to be centred on worshiping him.
• Believing in the Bible: we believe that the Bible is inspired by God and is there to Guide us in all matters of faith and conduct.
• The Holy Spirit: we believe in the Holy Spirit is imparted to believers as a result of Jesus' promises. We believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today and we want to encourage people in them.
• Community: we believe in community of believers and the need to maintain community in wider relationships and the Network itself. Moving against the spirit of alienation. We are committed to relationships in all things, 'People before Project'. We are committed to relationships with each other and relationships with partners.
• Sharing Our Faith: We believe in the importance of sharing our faith with others and the importance of leading others into a personal relationship with Jesus. Speak playing our role in the Great commission
• Discipleship: We believe in the importance of personal holiness and our responsibility to spur each other on to radical personal holiness. We also recognise the inter-connectedness of personal holiness with Social Holiness.
• Prayer: We believe in the importance and the power of prayer and responsibility to pray for change to peoples lives individuals and to situations of social injustice and for salvation of our generation.
• Campaigning and SPEAKing for justice: we recognise the importance of campaigning for justice as part of the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. We are committed to campaigning in a way that connects that with our desire to worship God.
• A commitment to the poor: we are committed to the poor. We care committed to honouring the poor, listening to the poor to speaking with and for the poor and to relationship and community with the poor.
• Empowerment: We are committed to seeing this generation accept their responsibility to speak for justice and to share their faith as well as to be empowered to do what God has called them to do.
• Arts and Culture: We are committed to communicating God's truth and Justice through culture and all the diverse cultures that people in SPEAK are involved in. We believe in God's heart for redeeming the cultures of both youth culture and of the cultures of people in other nations. We believe that any attempt to communicate God should be done in a way that doesn't compromise the content of the Gospel but respects of the culture of those people.
• Network Ethos: We believe in the Network ethos which shares participation and empowerment.
• Integrated Philosiphy: we believe all of these values are interlinked, and should not be separated. Each one effects the others, and all should be considered when making decisions or making plans.

Basis of Inspiration
More and more groups are looking for answers to the questions of "why things are the way they are" and in the process, they are turning to spiritual answers. Many ask the vital question, "What about human nature: why is it as it is? Why does it allow such atrocities whilst being so capable of compassion?" Many people are looking to meditation and Buddhism or self-help teachings to try and change themselves for inner transformation and strength to challenge injustices in this world. As a Christian-based network, SPEAK believes in the need for change within, but SPEAK has a very different view on the source of this transformation.

We Can't Change Things in our own Strength
The message of the Christian faith is that we can't change things in our own strength. We can't even break our own habits (ever tried keeping a new year's resolution?) The message of Jesus' life was that as humans we can't do it, we can't change ourselves no matter how religious or principled we try to be. We need God's supernatural strength to transform us from within. This power is released in our lives and in the world through the death and resurrection of Jesus because he suffered in our place and he took the punishment for all the wrong things that happen in the world. In order to allow God to transform us, we need to have faith in Jesus. God wants to heal our inner hurts and draw near to us and have a friendship with us. Jesus is the peace-making diplomat between a world that has gone away from God, and people that have gone away from each other. Many people believe that God has worked to change the core of who they are.

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (Jesus), and through him to reconcile himself to all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross." Colossians 1 v19-20

Before we begin to give time and attention to transforming relationships of exploitation in the world and in our environment, we need to put the most important relationship right - our relationship with God. In order to get into a right relationship with God, we need to think clearly about what we have done in our lives that have caused offense and apologise to God. We need to express a desire to be close to God and make a commitment to developing that relationship. Seeking to live as God wants is a big decision and requires much thought. We shouldn't take it lightly. It will affect every area of our lives. It is helpful to develop a relationship with God in a church community with these values. Just as when we are campaigning we need to be part of a group for encouragement and support, so in our spiritual walk we need to develop friendships with others.

Jesus is an incredibly radical figure. It is helpful to read what he really said and did for yourself. Try reading Matthew, Mark, Luke or John in the Bible. SPEAK believes that the message above is outlined in the Bible, and that despite its reputation of being abused by Christians, that it is still a good book. The Bible is radical and subversive and has a lot to say about injustice, oppression, social action and politics. Start in the second half - the New Testament.

If any of this has made you think or if you have further questions about what we believe in please feel free to contact us at SPEAK.

The Evangelical Alliance Basis of Faith

We assent to the Evangelical Alliance Basis of Faith:
Evangelical Christians accept the revelation of the triune God given in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and confess the historic faith of the Gospel therein set forth.

They here assert doctrines which they regard as crucial to the understanding of the faith, and which should issue in mutual love, practical Christian service and evangelistic concern.

• The sovereignty and grace of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in creation, providence, revelation, redemption and final judgement.
• The divine inspiration of the Holy Scripture and its consequent entire trustworthiness and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
• The universal sinfulness and guilt of fallen man, making him subject to God's wrath and condemnation.
• The substitutionary sacrifice of the incarnate Son of God as the sole all-sufficient ground of redemption from the guilt and power of sin, and from its eternal consequences.
• The justification of the sinner solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ crucified and risen from the dead.
• The illuminating, regenerating, indwelling and sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit.
• The priesthood of all believers, who form the universal Church, the Body of which Christ is the Head and which is committed by His command to the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world.
• The expectation of the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and glory.