Foundation

noun | foun·da·tion | faʊnˈdeɪʃ(ə)n

a basis upon which something stands or is supported.

We exist to make much of Jesus Christ – through our weekly worship gatherings to our roles in family, work and society – we are all about helping people to discover the beauty, strength and joy that Christ brings, whether sceptic or believer, all in the context of deep, formational community.


What we believe

Have a look at our Distinctives below to see how this shapes the way we are organised. But better still, join us at one of our Sunday worship services to experience Christ the Foundation.

Christian in Faith

Foundation Church Belfast is a Christian church. Our faith is grounded in the content of the Bible and especially its central character, Jesus Christ; who he is, what he has done, and how this applies to us. We affirm the ancient creeds of the early church such as the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed, which are concise summaries of core Christian beliefs, confessed by Christians over the last two thousand years. See our detailed Statement of Faith for more details.

For us the Bible plays a key role in what we do as a church – our preaching, theology, ministry and practice are all defined and shaped by the teaching of the Bible. It was by the word of God that the early church flourished, and the world was turned upside down as people were transformed by the Christian message; it has continued to do so to this day. We long for this transformation to continue at Foundation Church Belfast, in the lives of believers and newcomers alike, as we listen and respond to God’s word today.

Reformed in Theology

The Bible makes this monumental statement: ‘Salvation belongs to the Lord!’ At Foundation Church Belfast, we stand within the rich tradition of Reformed theology that emphasises this glorious truth. Reformed theology provides us with a cohesive system of thought and helps us understand and express clearly the great themes of the Bible such as salvation, grace, and the person and work of Jesus Christ.

We are in general agreement with a number of Reformed confessions of faith, particularly the 1689 Baptist Confession. We are committed to bringing the riches of centuries of Reformed reflection and practice into conversation with our contemporary post-Christian world.

Charismatic in Spirituality

We believe that Jesus gives many gifts to the church to strengthen her, to enable her to enjoy him, and to be impactful on mission. The Bible teaches us to ‘be filled with the Holy Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18) and so in humble expectation we ‘earnestly desire the spiritual gifts’ God has for us (1 Corinthians 14:1) . We believe all the spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament are present to the church today. Listen to our mini teaching series When You Come Together for more about how this works at Foundation Church.

Baptistic in Polity

Polity refers to the way a church is organised and governed. At Foundation Church we are baptistic in polity. This means that we place a strong emphasis on living the Christian life in covenant gospel community with one another, a community marked by those who have been baptised as believers in Christ and who subsequently enjoy together the covenant meal – known as the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist. Another element of our baptistic polity is that we are led by a team of elders; men who lovingly and humbly lead the church.

Missional in Practise

At Foundation Church our ministry is centred around the mission that Jesus assigned to his church shortly before his ascension: to go and make disciples. Therefore all that we do as a church is implemented with missional intentionality, whether in word or with deed, both as the church gathered and as the church scattered.


Leadership

David Varney is the lead pastor of Foundation Church Belfast. He is married to Marion and they have one beautiful and lively daughter called Eliza. A doctor by trade, David stepped aside from a career in surgery to go into local church ministry. Read more about their church planting story here.

You can keep up to date with him at Facebook and Twitter.

Joining David on the lead team is David Browne and Neil Keenan.

The church is also supported by a team of Trustees: Marion Varney, Chris Macartney, Glenn Wasson, David Varney and David Browne.


Giving

If you’d like to support the ministry of Foundation Church Belfast, here’s a few ways you can do that.

1. Online Banking

You can donate directly to us through your own online banking using the following details:

Account Name: Foundation Church

Sort Code: 95-06-79

Account Number: 10128821

(Please use your name as the reference)

If you are a UK Tax Payer, please fill out the online Gift Aid Declaration so that Foundation Church can claim back an additional 25% on your donation.

2. ChurchSuite

3. Contactless Giving

We have a card reader so can accept donations through contactless, chip and PIN, ApplePay and Google Pay.


FAQ

What denomination are you part of?

We are part of the Advance Movement of churches, which is connected to the wider Newfrontiers family of churches. We partner together to plant and strengthen churches across the globe.

Why start another church in Belfast?

Belfast is a growing city. It is growing numerically but also in diversity; culturally, ethnically, and socio-economically. Whilst there are many churches in Belfast already, no single church can minister effectively to all the needs of a vibrant and growing city like ours. And so, alongside other local churches and agencies, we want to meet the new challenges and opportunities for gospel ministry here in Belfast.

Where and when do you meet?

We meet every Sunday at 10:30am at our building Foundation Church Belfast, 2d Knockwood Crescent, Belfast, BT5 6GE.

Is there a car park?

Yes. There is small car park situated right outside the front entrance. Additionally there is plenty of on-street parking.

Do you have disabled access?

Yes.

Is there a dress code?

No. Come as you are!

How long does your service last?

We start at 10:30am and our services last for 90 minutes, with time for tea and coffee at the end.

What happens during your Sunday services?

We do what churches have done from the beginning of Christianity: we sing songs and hymns that remind us of who God is and what he has done; we read from the Bible and have it explained to us in a sermon; we pray; and as believers, we eat bread and wine (the Lord’s Supper) and baptise new believers. Everyone is welcome to come along and pay us a visit – whether familiar with the Christian faith or not!

Do you provide baby and child care?

Foundation Kids runs each Sunday during the service. Kids stay with us for the first half of the service and then head out to their kids group. Foundation Kids is for children at pre-school or primary school.

Can I listen to your sermons?

Yes, check out our podcast page.

How can I learn more about Foundation Church?

Follow us on FacebookTwitter, Instagram, or drop an email hello@foundationchurchbelfast.com.