We have a rich Christian heritage and believe in a God who is good and wants a relationship with each one of us.
The content of the holidays and camps is determined by each group and their leaders, but we are delighted whenever we hear stories of God at work through what happens at Great Wood.
Statement of Faith
Within its Charitable Objects, The Great Wood Trust has adopted the Scripture Union International Statement of Faith:
Statement of Belief
God and the human race
We hold that the Lord our God is one: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that he fulfils his sovereign purposes in creation, revelation, redemption, judgement, and the coming of his kingdom by calling out from the world a people united to himself and each other in love.
We acknowledge that though God made us in his own likeness and image, conferring on us dignity and worth and enabling us to respond to himself, we are now members of a fallen race; we have sinned and come short of his glory.
We believe that the Father has shown us his holy love in giving Jesus Christ, his only son, for us, while through our sinfulness and guilt, we were subject to his wrath and condemnation; and has shown his grace by putting sinners right with himself when they place their trust in his Son.
We confess Jesus Christ as Lord and God; as truly human, born of the virgin Mary; as Servant, sinless, full of grace and truth; as only Mediator and Saviour, dying on the cross in our place, representing us to God, redeeming us from the grip and punishment of sin; as victor over Satan and all his forces rising from death with a glorious body, being taken up to be with his Father, one day returning personally in glory and judgement to establish his kingdom.
We believe in the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin, righteousness and
judgement; who makes the death of Christ effective to sinners, declaring that they must now turn to Christ in repentance, and directing their trust towards the Lord Jesus Christ; who through the new birth makes us partake in the life of the risen Christ, and who is present within all believers, illuminating their minds to grasp the truth of Scripture, producing in them his fruit, granting to them his gifts, and empowering them for service in the world.
The Scriptures
We believe that the Old and New Testament Scriptures are God-breathed, since their writers spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit; hence are fully trustworthy in all that they affirm; and are our highest authority for faith and life.
The Church And Its Mission
We recognise the Church as the body of Christ held together and growing up in him; both as a total fellowship throughout the world, and as the local congregation in which believers gather. We acknowledge the commission of Christ to proclaim the Good News to all people, making them disciples, and teaching them to obey him; and We acknowledge the command of Christ to love our neighbours, resulting in service to the church and society, in seeking reconciliation for all with God and their fellows, in proclaiming liberty from every kind of oppression; and in spreading Christ’s justice in an unjust world … until he comes again.
Our lifestyle statement
We believe that the Bible calls us to a distinctive lifestyle of discipleship.
Our ministry requires us to demonstrate that, especially as we are likely to influence others. Such a lifestyle includes regular Bible reading and prayer and active involvement in a local church. It is marked by a selfless attitude to money, possessions, time, work, leisure, social action and
relationships. It demonstrates moral standards including an acceptance that the only appropriate place for a sexual relationship is within a marriage between a man and a woman.
Whilst we recognise that as fallen people we often fall short of this ideal, we believe that grace and forgiveness are always available to those who repent. We nevertheless expect that all working with us will be committed to work towards achieving such a lifestyle with God’s help.
