STATEMENT OF FAITH

We wish to declare and preserve the following statements of faith that bind us together as a people and focus our message and mission as a church of Jesus Christ.

The Bible

We believe the sixty-six books of the Bible are the written Word of God. We believe each book had a human author operating under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We believe the Bible was given without error in the original manuscripts. The Bible is our supreme and final authority in all matters related to our faith and practice (Mt. 7:24-27, 28:20; Rm. 1:16-17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).

The Trinity

We believe there is one true God who is the creator and sustainer of all things. We believe that God eternally exists in three persons as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Also, we believe that each is equal in divine nature, power, and perfection. Complementing one another, we believe each has a specific role in creation, redemption, and revelation (Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Mt. 3:16-17, 28:19; Eph. 4:4-6).

God the Father

We believe God the Father is perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, and limitless in presence, power, and love. We believe that God the Father concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of men and women by hearing and answering prayer.

Also, we hold that he saves from sin and death all who come to Him through faith in his Son. We believe God is Father of all those who are saved by his grace (Gen. 3:4-14; Jn. 16:23-28; Eph. 1:1-6).

God the Son

We believe Jesus Christ is God’s one and only Son, fully human and divine. We believe that he is the eternally pre-existent Word of God. Yet, he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. We believe he lived a sinless life and made atonement for the sins of all people through his death on a cross. We believe he physically rose from the dead on the third day and later ascended into heaven where he makes intercession for the saved. We believe salvation is available through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We believe Christ will physically return to the earth at a time only known by the Father (Mt. 1:18-23; Luke 24:1-12; Jn. 1:1-5, 14; Acts 1:11; Col. 1:15-20; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:24-25; 1 Jn. 2:1-2; Rev. 19:11-16).

God the Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is the living presence of God in the world today. We believe the Holy Spirit guides men and women to see their sin and need for God’s forgiveness. We believe the Holy Spirit comes to live within every Christian at the moment of salvation and endows them with spiritual gifts based on God’s sovereign will. We hold that the Holy Spirit reveals the truth of God’s Word to men and women. We believe every follower of Christ is commanded to live a life that is filled with and guided by the Holy Spirit. We believe the Holy Spirit comforts, encourages, convicts, and points all people to Jesus Christ for the glory of God (Mt. 28:19; Jn. 14:16-17, 16:8; Acts 1:8, 2:1-21; 1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19, 12:4-13; Eph. 1:13-14; 3:16).

Humanity

We believe God created man and woman in his image and free from sin. We believe mankind fell from perfection and grace into sin by disobeying God, and thus inherited physical and spiritual death. As a result, everyone is born separated from God, spiritually dead, and in need of God’s forgiveness and grace (Gen. 1:26-31, 2:7-3:19; Rm. 3:23, 6:23; Eph. 2:1-16).

Salvation

We believe God gave his only Son so that all who trust in him for salvation would not perish but receive eternal life. We believe God’s grace is required for sin to be forgiven and that it is received through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We hold that salvation is the result of the sovereign grace of God and stands separate from any human merit, work, or ritual. We believe salvation produces life-change that is seen in the desire to live in obedience to God’s Word and see others come to know God’s salvation (Jn. 3:16-17, 5:24; Acts 2:36-41; Rm. 10:9-13; Eph. 2:8-10; Jn. 14:6).

The Church

We believe the Church is the living spiritual body of Christ of which he is the head and all those saved by God’s grace are the members. We believe the local church is made up of believers in Jesus Christ who have been biblically baptized and agreed to join together for worship, discipleship, fellowship, prayer, outreach, and service. We believe the Church is God’s plan to impact our lost world and that it exists to bring glory to God (Acts 2:41-47, 15:13-18; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 3:21).

Christian Conduct

We believe every follower of Christ is called to glorify God in his or her life. Therefore, we believe every Christian is called to live a godly life because our conduct is a reflection of our faith in Jesus Christ. We believe Christians are called to develop Christ-like character in their lives, families, and business affairs (Rm. 6:12-14; 1 Cor. 3:16, 10:31; Eph. 4:1-3; Col. 1:28; 1 Pet. 1:14-15).

Eternity

We believe the human soul was created for eternity. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and the lost. We believe in the renewal of creation in the age to come, the eternal existence of all people either in the presence of the Lord or separated from him, and in divine judgments and rewards (Jn. 5:24- 29; 1 Cor. 15:51-58; 2 Cor. 5:6-10; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 21:1-5).

Priesthood of Believers

We believe every person who has trusted Jesus Christ as Savior has the right and authority to direct access to God through prayer. This was made possible through the atonement of Christ on the cross. We believe the Bible never encourages, requires, or instructs that prayer should be offered to God the Father through anyone other than God the Son. We believe Jesus Christ is the only intercessor between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:1-6, 10:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:4-5).

Church Ordinances

We believe during his earthly ministry, Jesus Christ commanded the church to baptize disciples and celebrate the Lord’s Supper until his return. We do not call these sacraments because God’s grace is received through faith alone. Instead, we call these Ordinances because they were ordained by Christ to be done under the authority of the church awaiting his return (1 Cor. 11:23-25; Mt. 28:19-20).

Baptism

We believe that Jesus Christ commanded all who follow him should be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as a symbol of their faith. We believe baptism in the New Testament was practiced by immersion and followed the person’s decision to become a follower of Christ. Therefore, we hold that all Christians should be baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit after their decision to become a Christian (Mt. 28:18-20; Acts 2:37-41, Acts 9:17-19, 16:29-34; Rm. 6:1-4).

Lord’s Supper (Communion)

At the final Passover shared with his disciples, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper with the instruction that it be practiced in his memory until his return. We believe the bread and cup are symbols of the body and blood of Christ. We believe they do not contain or impart grace since grace is received by faith alone. The Lord’s Supper reminds us of the sacrifice required for our salvation. We believe the New Testament limits participation in this meal to followers of Christ (Mk. 14:22-26; Luke 22:7-20; Acts 2:37-41; Cor. 11:23-32).

Marriage and Family

We believe God himself created marriage and the family. We believe God ordained marriage as the sacred union of one man and one woman. As a result, we believe the biblical definition of marriage is limited to this position. We believe parents are called by God to do all they can to see their children become followers of Christ (Gen. 2:18-25; Deut. 6:4-9; Eph. 5:21-6:4; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7).

Gender and Sexuality

We believe that the sexual relationship between husband and wife serves as a beautiful picture of God’s own commitment to relational intimacy with his people, the church. Therefore, we hold that sexual activity outside of a committed, loving marriage between one man and one woman is contrary to God’s will. Also, we believe God created man and woman. For this reason, we believe that gender is a matter of God’s design, not human preference. At the same time, we acknowledge the need to show compassion and patience to all who struggle with their gender or sexuality (Gen. 1:27; 4:1; Song of Sol.; 1 Cor. 7:2-4; Eph. 5:31-32).