At St Margaret’s, we’re an ordinary group of people who believe that God is with us, here and now, and that his love is for everyone. We don’t have all the answers, and life is often messy, but we trust that Jesus shows us the way to live with hope, courage, and compassion, right here in Rainham.
God
We believe in one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That sounds mysterious, and it is. But at heart, it means God is love, and that love is at the centre of everything, including the life of our town.
Jesus
We believe Jesus is God with us. He showed us what God is really like: welcoming the outsider, forgiving the broken, and offering new life. His death and resurrection are not the end of the story but the beginning of hope, for us, for our neighbours, and for the whole of Rainham.
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is God alive and at work today. The Spirit comforts us when life is hard, nudges us towards truth, and gives us courage to love when we’d rather give up. Here in Rainham, we see the Spirit at work in acts of kindness, in friendships across differences, and in the strength we find to serve our community together.
The Bible
We believe the Bible is God’s word to us. It’s full of stories, poetry, wisdom and challenge. It helps us to see the world as God sees it, and to discover how we might live in faith, honesty and kindness, in our homes, our schools, and our workplaces here in Rainham.
Worship and Sacraments
We believe God meets us in simple things, bread and wine, water and prayer. In baptism we celebrate that every person is God’s beloved child. In Holy Communion, we share bread and wine, remembering Jesus and receiving his life and love. These moments remind us that God is not far away but with us in the everyday life of Rainham.
Living the Faith
We believe following Jesus changes how we live. It means seeking justice, showing mercy, forgiving when it’s hard, and loving our neighbour as ourselves. At St Margaret’s we want our faith to make a difference, not only inside the church walls but in the heart of Rainham: caring for the vulnerable, working for peace, and building a community where everyone belongs.
Our Hope
We believe the story isn’t finished yet. One day God will make all things new. Until then, we live with hope, trusting that his kingdom of peace, healing, and joy, is already breaking in among us here in Rainham.
The Creeds
The words above describe how our faith shapes everyday life in Rainham. But we also stand in a much bigger story. For centuries, Christians across the world have summed up what they believe in short statements called creeds.
The word creed comes from the Latin credo, meaning “I believe.” These words aren’t just old formulas; they are ways of saying together, across time and place: this is the heart of our faith.
Two creeds in particular—the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed—are shared by the worldwide Church. At St Margaret’s, we join our voices with countless others in affirming them.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.