Statement of faith

The Bible

The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that Scripture, in its entirety, was inspired by God and that it was given through the instrumentality of chosen men. Scripture thus at one and the same time speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and completely trustworthy. They are the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God.

God

We believe that there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning God created out of nothing the world and all the things therein, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness. By His sovereign power, He continues to sustain His creation. By His providence, He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the eternal second Person of the Trinity who became both fully God and fully man by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.

The Holy Spirit

The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, attained by Christ followers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them a recognition of their need of a Savior, and regenerates them. At the point of salvation, He permanently indwells every Christ follower to become the source of assurance, strength, and wisdom, and uniquely endows each Christ follower with gifts for the up-building of the body and the making of disciples throughout the earth. The Holy Spirit convicts Christ followers of sin and guides them in understanding and applying the Scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the Christ follower to lead a life of Christlike character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father.

Salvation

The central purpose of God's revelation in Scripture is to call all people into relationship with Himself, thus bringing Glory to His name. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God, choosing to go his independent way, and thus was alienated from God and suffered the corruption of his nature, rendering him unable to please God. The Fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered these consequences and are thus in need of the saving grace of God. The salvation of mankind is completely a work of God's free grace and is not the result of human works or goodness. This grace must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith. For those who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, eternal life is secure and cannot be removed or lost. Water baptism is an outward testimony of a person's salvation in Jesus Christ.

Human Destiny

Humans were created to exist forever and death in this life seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body into the spiritual world and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Those who reject God's gift of grace and relationship will be eternally separated from God into hell. God's judgment will reveal His justice in consigning them to perpetuate in eternal retribution their own rejection of God. Each Christ follower will be received into eternal communion with God in heaven and will be rewarded for works done in this life.

The Church

The corollary of union with Jesus Christ is that all Christ followers become members of His body, the Church. There is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scripture commands Christ followers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, the teaching of the Word, the observance of Baptism and Communion, fellowship, service to the body, and mission to the world. Wherever God's people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church. Under the watchful care of pastors, elders, and other supportive leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.

Church Leadership

The head of our Church is Jesus Christ. As an organization, we seek to reflect His priorities in all we do and how we do it. No decision is ever made that would knowingly contradict any teaching of the scriptures. In addition, through the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we endeavor to discern God's vision for us as a Church. On a human level, the phrase we use to describe the leadership structure and governance of the Church is that we are guarded by the Elders, guided by the staff, and gifted through the membership. 

Marriage and Family

In the beginning, God created man and woman in His own image and each gender uniquely represents His divine character and nature. When men and women look to God’s design they thrive as unique image bearers and complement one another as co-heirs over creation. As a gift to humanity, God ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant relationship between a man, a woman, and Himself. Both husbands and wives are called to yield in love to one another out of respect for Christ. Children are God’s gift to parents and are inherently precious to God, endowed at conception with worth by their Creator, and deserving of love and protection.

Faith and Practice

Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. This Church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, each Christ follower is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible. We believe this Statement of Faith to be an accurate summary of what Scripture teaches. All members shall refrain from advocating doctrines that are not included in the Statement of Faith in such a way as to cause dissension.