STATEMENT OF FAITH
Please click on any of the headings to read more about that specific belief.




                      
1. The Word of God

                     
We believe that the Bible is the word of God (2 Tim. 3:16) written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:20, 21), and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (Matt 5:17, 18).



                  

                      
2. The Trinity

                     
We believe that there is one living and true God (Dt. 6:4-9), who exists in three distinct and equal persons.  (Isa. 9:6; Matt. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:2; Jn. 1:1).



                  

                      
   2 a. God the Father

                     
We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love (Isa. 43:1-7).  We believe that he loves all people, and in mercy wants to be a part of their lives. (Ps. 139; Luke 15:11-32) He hears and answers prayer (Matt. 6:5-14), and He saves all who come to Him through Jesus Christ from sin and death. (Acts 17:23-32).



                  

                      
   2 b. Jesus Christ (God the Son)

                     
We believe in Jesus Christ, God who came in human form (Jn. 1:14), was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Lk. 1:31-35; Matt. 1:20, 21), God’s gift to all people, to be our prophet, priest and king.


Prophet: Christ is the complete revelation of the character of God faithfully declaring the Father’s will in word and in deed. (Heb. 10:5-7; Mk. 9:1-7; Luke 1:35; Heb. 1:3; 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:19)


Priest: Christ offered His perfect life as a complete sacrifice for each person’s sin. After He rose from the dead, He ascended into heaven where he intercedes for His people. (Rom. 3:21-26; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Heb. 7:23-28; Heb. 10:10)


King: Jesus Christ is our Lord and we submit to Him in all things, according to His Word, and the leading of His Spirit. (Phil. 2:5-11; Matt. 7:21-23; Luke 8:23-37; Rev. 7:14)


 



                  

                      
   2 c. The Holy Spirit

                     
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, (Jn. 16:8-12); to mark a new birth (Jn. 3:3-8; Rom. 8:9-26); to make people holy (Jn. 7:37-39); and to empower all who believe in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:13,14).  We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ and that he is an abiding helper, teacher and guide (Jn. 14:26) who would have us all to be filled with all the fullness of Christ that we might walk in freedom (2 Cor. 3:17, 18).



                  

                      
3. Salvation

                     
We believe that all (people) are sinners by nature (Mk. 7:23; Rom. 5:12-19) and by choice (Rom. 1:22-32; Rom. 3:23) and are, deserving of God’s punishment. (Rom. 1:18-21).  We believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the sole basis for the forgiveness of sin. (Rom. 3:23, 24; Rom. 4:22-25).  We are saved by grace through faith alone. Therefore, God freely offers salvation to those who place their complete trust in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin. This gift frees us from the guilt, penalty, and power of sin in our lives. And so we are given new life, we are made new by Him. (Rom. 8:11-16; 2 Cor. 5:17).


Therefore, Christians should in response, live for Christ and not for themselves. By obedience to the Word of God and daily submission to the Spirit of God, every believer should mature and be conformed to the image of their Savior.



                  

                      
4. Spiritual Reality

                     
We believe that what we can see with our eyes is not all there is. We live in a world deeply impacted by a greater spiritual reality. As we seek to live for Christ, we battle a real but unseen enemy who is opposed to the Kingdom of God (Eph. 6:10-12).  The Devil and his demons seek to tempt and deceive humanity into sin, inviting them to worship things other than the Creator (1 Pet.5:8-9, Math.4:1-13, 2 Cor. 11:13-15).  Through prayer and reliance upon God, the believer can overcome sin, and false accusations, finding hope and strength to live for Christ (1 John 4:4).



                  

                      
5. Creation and Humanity

                     
We believe human beings alone, both male and female, are created in the image of God. (Gen. 1:26, 1 Cor. 11:7) All people are made to enjoy relationship with God, with one another, and with the good creation of which we are stewards. (Ge. 1:28). We believe that God created our universe and everything in it, according to His perfect plan. Furthermore, God continues to sustain all things and holds creation together (Col.1:17, Ps. 147:8-9, Acts 17:25, 28).



                  

                      
6. The Church

                     
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and all saved people are members (Eph. 4:4-16; 1 Cor. 12:12,13).


We believe in the local church (2 Cor. 11:28). The Body of Christ,  joined together for worship, fellowship, work, and witness, bringing the Kingdom of God to bear in our world (Acts 2:37-47).  We believe that God has given the church the primary task of bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world (Matt. 28:18-20).



                  

                      
7. The Ordinances

                     
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church; Baptism (Matt 28:19) and the Lord’s Supper (Lk. 22:14-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).  We believe these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.


We believe that believer’s baptism in water, into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit was commissioned by Jesus Christ as part of making disciples (Matt. 28:18-20).  It is a public declaration of what has already been experienced on the inside, the miracle of one’s death to sin and resurrection to a new life (Rom. 6:3-5).


We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ as an act of communion and thanksgiving in commemoration of His death for us (Mk. 14:22-26).  Communion serves to remind us of His great sacrifice for us, His promise to return, our essential unity as members of One Body, and of the need for clean relationships in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 11:23-30).  It is the Lord’s Table and is therefore open to all believers regardless of age or denominational allegiance.



                  

                      
8.  Religious Liberty

                     
We believe in the freedom of individual conscience, subject to the Word of God (Rom. 14).  Members of the body of Christ are to live humbly together as an expression of their unity making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-4).



                  

                      
9. The Last Things

                     
We believe in the personal visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth and the establishment of His Kingdom (2 Thess. 4:13-17).  We believe in the resurrection of the body (1 Cor. 15), the final judgment (2 Tim. 4:1, 6-10), the eternal happiness of the righteous (2 Pet. 1:10,11), and the endless suffering of the wicked (2 Thess. 1:8,9).