We believe God loves you. We believe He knows you, sees you and is with you. We believe God has a purpose, a mission, a vision for your existence: to live loved by Him and to fulfill His mission on earth with the time He graciously gives you, and each of us. We know that Jesus is the way and His words and His ways are life giving and true.
We believe God forgives and is rich in mercy. You are never too far gone that you can’t turn toward His love. He will meet us every time we draw close to Him. We hope our church can be a blessing on your journey with God and others. Thank you so much for visiting our “what we believe” page. Below is a short list of doctrinal beliefs we confess and affirm. We’d love to invite you to experience one of our life giving services this Sunday 10:30 am.
THE SCRIPTURE
We affirm that the Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired word of God. We believe the Scriptures tell primarily the story of God, and also reveal the story of humanity in relationship with God. Ultimately, we believe the Scriptures point to Jesus Christ, His Kingdom, and eternal life in relationship with Him as Savior and King. The Bible is the source of doctrine, instruction, correction and reproof. It contains all that is needed for guidance in godliness and practical Christian conduct.
The Godhead
It is the testimony of both the Old and New Testaments and of the Christian Church that God is both One and Triune. The biblical revelation testifies that there is only one God and that He is eternally existent in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit (the Trinity).
God the Father - God the Father is the creator and sustainer of all things, and He created the universe in love. He created man in His own image for fellowship and called man back to Himself through Christ after the rebellion and fall of man.
The Son - Jesus Christ is eternally God. He was together with the Father and the Holy Spirit from the beginning, and through Him all things were made. For man’s redemption, He left heaven and became incarnate by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary; henceforth, He is forever one Christ with two natures—God and man—in one person.
The Holy Spirit - The Holy Spirit is God, the Lord and giver of life, who was active in the Old Testament and given to the Church in fullness at Pentecost. He empowers the saints for service and witness, cleanses man from the old nature and conforms us to the image of Christ. The baptism in the Holy Spirit, subsequent to conversion, releases the fullness of the Spirit and is evidenced by the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
THE ATONEMENT
Jesus Christ’s death on the cross was the ultimate act of love between God and humanity. Jesus willingly gave up His life to absolve sin and the cycles of sin, as well as disarm death. By His death on the cross He defeated the power of death and sin once and for all. In Mark 10:45 Jesus says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many.” In Colossians 2:13-15, the Apostle Paul writes: “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with it’s regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us, he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
SALVATION
The Bible declares that salvation is a free gift of God, based on the merits of the life, death, and Resurrection of His Son, and is appropriated by faith. Salvation is effected by personal repentance, belief in the Lord Jesus (justification) and personal acceptance of Him into one’s life as Lord and Savior (regeneration). The new life in Christ includes the privileges of adoption and inheritance in the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Salvation is an act of free will in response to God’s personal love for mankind. It is predestined only in the sense that God, through His omniscience, foreknew those who would choose Him. It is secure in the eternal, unchanging commitment of God who does not lie and is forever the same. Salvation should produce an active lifestyle of loving obedience and service to Jesus Christ our Savior.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
We believe that the Scriptures portray the life of the saint in this world to be one of balance between what is imputed to us as Christians and what is imparted to us according to our faith and maturity. Hence, God’s provision for His children is total, and the promises are final and forever. The shortcomings of the individual and of the Church are because of the still progressing sanctification of the saints. The Christian life is filled with trials, tests, and warfare against a spiritual enemy. For those abiding in Christ until their deaths or His return, the promises of eternal blessing in the presence of God are assured. To remain faithful through all circumstances of life requires dependence upon the Holy Spirit and a willingness to die to personal desires and passions.
FAMILY, MARRIAGE & SINGLENESS
We believe God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. [Genesis 1:27-28; Genesis 2:20-25, Matthew 19:4-6, Psalm 139:13-15]
We believe that singleness is sacred, and we are called to honor God with our bodies. We encourage and equip all those in dating relationships to walk in wisdom, discernment, kindness, and the love of God with how they treat others and experience their relationship (words and actions).
THE CHURCH
We believe the Church is both universal and local. All believers form the Church, in unity with all believers throughout history; and yet, the church is also local, with believers gathering in committed community and under the authority of Christ. [Ephesians 1:21]
Scripture describes the Church as:
the Body of Christ [Romans 12:5, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 1:9-10; Ephesians 1:22-23]
the household of God [Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 3:26-4:7; Ephesians 2:11]
the temple of God [1 Corinthians 3:9-17, Ephesians 2:21-22, 1 Peter 2:4-10]
God’s chosen people [Romans 11:17; Galatians 4:28-31; Ephesians 2:19]
This language is intimate and reveals Jesus’s commitment to and care for His people. Furthermore, the church is God’s instrument for revealing His purpose on the Earth and the fullness of Jesus on earth for His glory. [Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 1:23]
BAPTISM & THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe in the Lord’s Supper and believer’s baptism as acts of our obedience and a testimony of our faith. [Matthew 3:6; Mark 16:16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29]
We believe water baptism is necessary in obedient response to the command of Jesus. Baptism is to be performed only upon repentant believers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. [Matthew 28:18-20]
We believe in the baptism in the Holy Spirit. [Acts 2:4; Acts 10:46; Acts 19:6]
We hold that the real evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is one’s response to the Word of God (John 16:13), a Christ-like life, showing forth Christ’s character, and experiencing and manifesting the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit. [John 15:26; John 16:14; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11]