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Our Vision
“Love God. Love People”.
To many, this might seem too simplistic, but we believe this is the kind of church God calls us to be – one that loves God and loves people. Jesus, stepping into a complicated and cluttered religious scene, was asked by some of the religious leaders, “what is the greatest commandment?” Now, there were 613 individual laws within the religious system of the day that had been debated for centuries by expert scribes and scholars. Yet Jesus’ simple and perfect reply captured the essence of all that God expects of his people:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

At AOG Central we want all we do to express love for God and love for people; so every service, programme and ministry within our church is designed to help people grow in their love for Him and their love for others.

Staff team
WHO SERVE THE CHURCH
Ben Ritchie
Senior Pastor
Ben became the senior leader of AOG Central in January 2013 after serving as Associate Pastor for 5 years. Prior to this Ben was heavily involved with Teen Challenge North East having pioneered the Solid Rock Café in Fraserburgh, a drop-in service for people struggling with addictions. Subsequently Ben also played a key role in the establishment of two residential rehabilitation centres, Sunnybrae & Benaiah.

As a born and bred Brocher, Ben has a huge heart for the people of Fraserburgh. He embodies the all-inclusive nature of our church, with a longing to see all people from all walks of life come into a personal relationship with Jesus. Ben is married to Val and they have three children, Shannon, Ben Jr. and Sienna.

Lisa Lyall

Associate Pastor

Lisa is a lifelong member of AOG Central and has been the Children’s Pastor here since 2002 when she pioneered Kids No Limits, a work that now reaches hundreds of children each week through a variety of programmes.

Lisa is passionate about the Church reaching children and families so they can live for Jesus. Lisa is also a qualified primary school teacher.

Sam Moir

Associate Pastor

Sam joined the team at AOG Central in December 2016, originally from Leicester, Sam has been based in the North East for most of his life. Sam is married to Sophie and has a daughter Sofia.   Previously a postie, Sam has a heart for the community and is committed to helping our young people in their day to day lives. A passionate musician, Sam always has a guitar near to hand and appreciates good music.

Alison West
Church Administrator
Alison began working here at the church in April 2013. Having previously worked as an insurance administrator at local estate agents Masson & Glennie, she is the key cog that keeps the wheels of our church in motion, involved in every aspect of the day-to-day running of the church. For anything from booking an appointment with one of the pastors to finding out information about our ministries, Alison is the go-to person!

Alison is married to Victor and has two children, William & Aimee.

Our Values
WHAT MATTERS MOST
AOG Central is by no means a perfect church, however we are a church that tries to live out certain values.
ALL Inclusive
2 Peter 3:9 “He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

We believe that the Gospel is good news for EVERYONE! We desire to be a church that reflects its founder, Jesus, who didn’t exclude anyone but embraced everyone who drew near to him. Rich or poor, familiar or foreign, saint or sinner; Jesus was indiscriminate in his love for people… and so should we be!

We aim to be less like a courtroom and more like a hospital, leading people to a Saviour who can heal, restore and forgive. As Billy Graham so eloquently once said, “it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge, and my job to love.”

ALL Called
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Someone once said that the two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why. Most of us know when we entered the world, but the search for the reason why has often puzzled people throughout the ages.

We believe that God created us with a plan in mind (Jeremiah 29:11) and that He calls us to Him according to that purpose (Romans 8:28). As such we want to help people discover their God-given destiny, for without purpose life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason.

ALL Devoted
Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves…”

Our goal is to help people become personally devoted to God, not perpetually dependent on a pastor. Like the early believers in the book of Acts, we want to be consistent in our commitment to:

  • The Word of God
  • Gathering together for fellowship
  • Remembering Jesus’ sacrifice
  • Prayer
  • Giving
  • Worship

As such, these things are strategically interwoven into many of our services and activities. Our methods may change, but our message remains grounded within these timeless practices.

ALL Together
Acts 2:44 “All the believers were together and had everything in common”

AOG Central is not a church that expects everyone to have it all together. But we are a church that expects everyone to stick together, because we believe the Bible reveals God’s desire for His people to remain in unity.

Unity does not mean uniformity. We embrace difference and celebrate diversity, but we are strongly opposed to division. Whilst we can each have a part to play, it must always be for the benefit of the whole body. Our personal preference is always secondary to our shared purpose; therefore it is never about “me” and “my”, but rather “we” and “our”.

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