MEET THE PASTORS
Ryan & Jess joined Freedom Church Hereford in 2014 and went on to plant another Freedom Church location in Cheltenham in 2017. After spending some time in Bristol in December 2022, God birthed a call within their hearts to plant a church in this city. They relocated there, along with their son, in 2024 with a desire to fulfil the call to see the Kingdom of God continue to rise in this city.
Ryan is originally from Newcastle - a Geordie chef with a music producer background. Jess is originally from Herefordshire, loves a spreadsheet or getting out in nature on a good hill walk with the dog. As a family, they love being active, getting outdoors and laughing lots!
They are passionate about the church and guiding people towards finding their salvation and purpose in Jesus. They want to see people encouraged and inspired in their faith, particularly to stand strong amid the storms we all face from time to time in this life.
WHO WE ARE
We are a new church launching later in 2025!
We are passionate and expressive, and believe the gospel is alive and relevant to us all today. We believe God has put purpose within each of us and we are excited to journey together to explore more of who God is, discovering our identity in him and allowing him to transform our lives. As followers of Jesus, we believe we are called to reflect his heart to the world around us and we do this through the way we honour and love God, and others.
We believe God loves us, has created everyone with a purpose and the need to do life with others. We hope our church can be a place where people know God's love, find genuine relationships & are inspired to find strength and courage through life's challenges, discovering a full and meaningful life.
OUR LEGACY
Courageous Church Bristol is part of a church with over 35 years of rich history. As a new location of Freedom Church, a global movement based in Hereford, England, Courageous Church is rooted in a legacy of faith, creativity, and a heart for people.
Freedom Church, led by Senior Pastors Gary and Heather Snowzell, began in 1988 with a small team in rural England. Over the years, it has grown into a vibrant international community with locations across the globe. Gary and Heather’s passion for the gospel, deep love for the church, and unwavering commitment to God’s vision have been the driving force behind the church’s expansion.
Now, Courageous Church Bristol carries this legacy forward, embracing the same bold faith, dynamic leadership, and heart for reaching people with the message of Jesus. As part of the global Freedom Church movement, Courageous Church is excited to continue making an impact locally and beyond.
OUR BELIEFS
GOD
God is the creator and ruler of the universe. There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and co-eternal
I John 5:7 / Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19 / Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6 / Hebrews 3:7-11 / Genesis 1:1,26,27, 3:22 / Psalm 90:2 / 1 Peter 1:2 / 2 Cor 13:14
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is coequal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate his power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven's glory and will return someday to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Matthew 1:22,23 / Isaiah 9:6 / John 1:1-5, 14:10-30 / Hebrews 4:14,15 / Romans 1:3,4
HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under his control daily.
2 Corinthians 3:17 / John 16:7-13, 14:16 & 17 / Acts 1:8 / 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16 / Ephesians 1:13 / Galatians 5:25 / Ephesians 5:18
THE BIBLE
The Bible is God's Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
2 Timothy 3:16 / 2 Peter 1:20 & 21 / 2 Timothy 1:13 / Psalm 119:105,160 / Proverbs 30:5
HUMAN BEINGS / SIN
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like him in character. People are the supreme object of God's creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin". This attitude separates us from God and causes many problems in life. People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
John 3:16 / John 14:17 / Romans 6:23 / Romans 8:17-18 / Revelation 20:15 / 1 Corinthians 2:7-9
Genesis 1:27 / Psalm 8:3-6 / Isaiah 53:6 / Romans 3: 23 / Isaiah 59:1-2
SALVATION
Salvation is God's free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sins by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin's penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith, we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment anyone receives Jesus Christ into their life by faith.
Romans 6:23 / Ephesians 2:8-9 / John 14:6 / Titus 3:5
RESSURECTION
Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation (Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21).
THE CHURCH
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfilment of Jesus' great commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23).
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth (Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6).
MARRIAGE
We believe in the Biblical example of marriage between one man and one woman as a covenant bond. Because God, our Creator, established marriage as a sacred institution between one man and one woman, we adhere to the traditional definition of marriage for all of human history. (Matthew 19:4-6, 1 Corinthians 7:2, Mark 10:6-9, Genesis 2:24)