The Aim of the College

To share in the mission of God in the world through the formation of able, passionate, spirit-filled and evangelical women and men for different forms of Christian ministry.

We seek to accomplish this by enabling our students to be disciples of Jesus Christ who love God, and who love and understand the Scriptures, the Church and the Christian faith. We help them to live in ways that authentically express this love and understanding. Our students are able to communicate their passion for God within the church and beyond it; they are equipped to oversee and support the discipleship of others; they are team players who are able to offer leadership to churches and to the wider community; and they can participate in and to lead the tasks of mission. They are equipped to do this in churches of any tradition but have a particular love for, sympathy for, affinity with and understanding of the Baptist tradition as it is expressed through the churches, associations and colleges of the Baptist Union of Great Britain.

The Values of the College

Spiritual Passion

We give attention to nurturing our relationship with God, Father, Son and Spirit, through prayer and through the Scriptures. Spiritual disciplines are a part of our learning and our living. We have daily prayers, weekly communion, termly retreat days, regular days of prayer and fasting and a Bible reading programme. These practices form the heart of the college and everything else we do flows out of them.

Radical Discipleship

We are a community of people who are following Jesus. We never forget the traditional disciplines of church membership like attendance, prayer, Bible reading, giving and serving but we also recognize that God may ask more of us and that we need to be prepared to offer it. Our commitment to spiritual passion results in a desire to respond to God in wholehearted discipleship.

Missional Commitment

One of the roles of disciples is to help others to follow Jesus. Another is to embrace and to live out the justice and peace that belong to the kingdom of heaven taught and embodied by Jesus. This means we have a major emphasis on mission. We don’t simply teach mission, we look for opportunities to join in here in Bristol, in our placements and in other parts of the world.

Covenant Community

College is a place for challenge, for growth and for development. Learning is just one part of the journey of personal transformation that students embrace as God prepares them for the next stages of their ministry. This requires a committed trustworthy community with the members bound to one another in covenant; an important link to our roots in the Baptist tradition. Our community weeks, shared meals and pastoral groups all nurture our shared life.

Academic Excellence

Our academic programmes, significant as they are, are not an end in themselves. They are an integral part of preparing people for mission and ministry. Our goal of academic excellence means we celebrate the achievements of those who do well but, more importantly, that we help every student to do the very best they can.

Vision

Growing healthy churches in relationship for God’s mission

As a member College of Baptist’s Together we share the above vision. Likewise we are committed to intentionally developing a culture where Baptists Together:

  • Seek to be a movement of spirit led communities
  • Feel like one team
  • Embrace adventure
  • Inspire others
  • Share a hunger for God’s coming kingdom

(see https://www.baptist.org.uk/Groups/226987/Vision_and_Values.aspx)

We also share the core values of Baptists Together as we seek to be a gospel people who are prophetic, inclusive, sacrificial, missionary and worshipping.