SPEAK Ethos statement

SPEAK is a network connecting together young adults and students to campaign and pray about issues of global injustice. Through bringing change to situations of injustice, we aim to share our faith in our all-loving, all-powerful creator: God.

Basis of Inspiration

More and more people are asking questions about "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?" As a Christian-based network, SPEAK believes in the need for change within, but has a different view on the source of this transformation to other spiritualities.

We Can't Change Things in our own Strength

The message of the Christian faith is that as humans we can't transform ourselves fully, however religious or principled we try to be. We need God's grace to change and restore us from within. The death and resurrection of Jesus, God's son, made it possible for us to have a friendship with God, and to live as he intended and demonstrated. He suffered in our place and took the punishment for all the wrong things that happen in the world, so that he can put things right. In order to allow God to transform us, we need to have faith in Jesus. As the verse from the Bible explains below, Jesus makes peace between a world that has gone away from God, and people that have gone away from each other.

"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 giving 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, it is necessary to think clearly about what you have done that has caused hurt to God and others, and apologise to Him. God is more than willing to forgive you, to give you a new start and a relationship with Him. Seeking to follow Jesus is a big decision and requires much thought. It affects every area of our lives. It is helpful to develop a relationship with God within a community of people who are doing the same thing - a church. Being part of a church brings encouragement and support, and allows friendships to grow that will help in your spiritual walk.

Jesus is an incredibly radical figure. Try reading Matthew, Mark, Luke or John in the Bible (in the second half - the New Testament) to read for yourself what he really said and did. SPEAK believes that despite the Bible being misquoted, abused and used to support all sorts of atrocities, it is a book that can teach us about who God is. It has a lot to say about injustice, oppression, social action, politics and is actually very subversive.

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.

SPEAK's Core Values

For a full explanation of our core values, please go to the resources page and get the Core Values booklet.

• 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 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 our 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.
• 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 and social holiness.
• Prayer: We believe in the importance and the
  power of prayer and responsibility to pray for change to peoples lives
  as individuals and to situations of social injustice.
• 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.
• Commitment to the poor and the environment: We
  are committed to people in material, social, economic, physical,
  spiritual and environmental poverty and to strive with them in their
  struggle for justice. We are committed to living a sustainable
  lifestyle that honours God's creation in the resources we consume.
• 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 arts,
  creativity and all the diverse cultures that people in SPEAK are
  involved in. We want to communicate faith in a way that respects the
  culture which people are coming from without compromising the content
  of the gospel.
• Network Ethos: We want to be primarily a network of relationships which shares participation and empowerment.
• Integrated Philosophy:
  We believe all of these values are interlinked, and should not be
  separated. Each one affects the others, and all should be considered
  when making plans or decisions.

 

SPEAK affirms the EA basis of faith.