Our Statement of Faith

We believe:

GOD
We believe in the unity of the Godhead, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. They are identical in nature – omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and unchangeable; infinitely perfect in love, truth, justice, goodness, and grace.

God the Father, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, and all that is in them. He is the supreme authority, sustainer, provider, protector, and the one who draws men to Himself.

God the Son in the person of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Both fully God and fully Man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, and living a perfectly sinless life. In his ministry on earth, he ushered in God’s Kingdom, authenticated through miraculous works. We believe Jesus died on a cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the world, was buried, and was raised physically from the dead on the third day, guaranteeing the resurrection of all who put their faith in him. We believe he ascended to the right hand of God the Father in Heaven to reign over creation and to intercede on the behalf of all believers. We believe he will one day return to earth to take His church to be with Him in Heaven forever.

God the Holy Spirit, who indwells and guarantees every believer at the moment of faith. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus, to convict man of sin, to re-create the believer into the image of Jesus, and to act as our spiritual counselor, teacher, and guide, empowering every believer to do His service until the Lord returns.

THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is divine revelation and the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original manuscripts. Its teaching is the sole and final authority for Christian life in matters of both faith and practice.

HUMANITY
We believe that man was created in the image of God, but fell into disobedience, resulting in separation from God, and is now dead in his sins. We believe that man’s sinful nature has taken every good thing designed by God and has perverted it to suit his own evil desires, and to pursue all sorts of ungodly aims. This perversion has manifested itself in …

• The design of dependence upon God being exchanged for pride, self-reliance, and greed;
• The design for the dominion over creation being surrendered as men now worship the creation rather than the Creator;
• The design for our sexuality as a unique and purposeful gift from God being profaned and twisted;
• The design of the relationship of one man and one woman in holy marriage with the sacred purpose of reflecting God’s relationship with His people being altered to satisfy our own lusts;
• The design of interdependence within the context of loving our neighbor being largely ignored;
• The design of respect for and obedience to the divinely established authorities being replaced by a rebellious and contentious spirit;

We believe that the sinful nature has been transmitted to all humanity, and that all people stand guilty before a holy God, unable to save themselves and in need of both forgiveness and transformation.

We believe in the eternal destiny of all humanity: some to eternal life through Jesus in Heaven, enjoying perfect fellowship with the Godhead; and some to eternal separation from God as a just consequence of being dead in their sinful nature.

SALVATION
We believe in the substitutionary atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross, serving as a perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind. By Jesus’ spilled blood, the offer for redemption (being bought back) was given by God. We believe that those who come to faith in Jesus and profess him as Lord and Savior are offered forgiveness by the grace of God. We believe that the redeemed are born again through the Holy Spirit and are adopted as God’s children, and that salvation comes by grace through faith for the purpose (rather than as the result) of good works, which God prepared in advance for His people to do.

THE CHURCH
We believe that God has called people into relationship with Himself within the structure of His family, also known as “the Church.” The Church is comprised of all who come to faith in Jesus, and are united together into one body of which Jesus Christ is the Head. As members of His Body, it is our privilege and responsibility to keep the unity of the Spirit in peace, supporting the local church, and loving one another.

We also believe that it is the Holy Spirit that endows the Church with spiritual gifts and empowers the Church with spiritual power and strength to fulfill God’s purposes for the expansion of His Kingdom. And so, we believe that the purpose and goal of both the unity and empowering of the Holy Spirit is to fulfill God’s Great Commission to His Church to go into all the world and make disciples of all people, demonstrating the way of faith that leads to eternal life.

WORSHIP SERVICES
As is modeled by the early Church in the Book of Acts, and as commanded in God’s Word, we have established regular weekly worship services to meet together to worship God, to honor Jesus, to be taught by the Holy Spirit through God’s Word, to edify the Church, and to reaffirm the Faith.

COMMUNION
We believe that the Lord’s supper, also known as Communion (and in some fellowships “The Eucharist”) is the holiest time in our worship service where we are called to remember the sacrificial death of Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. This remembrance is illustrated by the symbols of Jesus’ body and blood, namely the bread and the juice of the fruit of the vine.

Though Christ did not instruct the Church how often to observe the Lord’s Supper, we choose to observe it each time we gather in our worship in the presence of Christ.

BAPTISM
By definition in the original language of Scripture, baptism (Greek “baptizo”) is the immersion in water as an act of obedience to the commission of Christ. We understand that baptism symbolizes the washing away of our sin through the death of Christ, and the willing act of dying to one’s sin and being born again into a new life through the power of the Holy Spirit. We also understand it be the way Jesus commands us to identify with his own death, burial, and resurrection.

We believe that the Bible teaches that, as the God-appointed entrance into the New Covenant of Salvation, baptism is an essential part of the decision to place our faith in Jesus Christ as both our Savior and our Lord. To that end we practice baptism, by immersion, for all who come to faith in Him.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS
We believe Scripture teaches that every believer, as a manager of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him or her, is obligated to joyfully, faithfully, and willingly contribute financially to the local congregation.

Though God has established the tithe (10%) as a basis of giving, we believe that God has also called us to other offerings in support of church ministries and missions, of relief for those in need, and of investment in the expansion of His Kingdom.

In keeping with our understanding of the God-appointed leadership of the local congregation, we acknowledge that the believer trustingly relinquishes the right to dictate and/or direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been given.

 GOVERNANCE
As an independent, Bible-believing, non-denominational Christian Church, we endeavor to find our structure solely in the teachings of Scripture. To that end, we are governed by the biblical office of elder, specifically a plurality of elders. The Bible teaches that these men are to meet standards of spiritual maturity and are thus qualified through the Holy Spirit to lead as shepherds over the local congregation. It is the group of elders that seek God’s leading, and preside over the spiritual health of the congregants.

By the authority of Scripture, and in keeping true to the Biblical prohibition of civil lawsuits between believers, the elders of our congregation are spiritually qualified to hear and prayerfully resolve all personal disputes between congregants, as instructed by God’s Word.

IDENTITY
We have no creed but Christ, no book (of authority) but the Bible, no law but love, and no name but the divine. We are not the only Christians, but desire to be Christians only.