What We Believe

Trinity

We describe God in three persons. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are commonly used to refer to the threefold nature of God. Sometimes we use other terms, such as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. (John 1:1-2, Matthew 28:19, Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 47:4, Psalms 54:4).

GOD

We believe in one God, who created the world and all that is in it (Deuteronomy 4:1). We believe that God is sovereign; that is, God is the ruler of the universe (Isaiah 41:10). We believe that God is loving. We can experience God’s love and grace (Romans 8:38-39).

Jesus

We believe that Jesus was fully human and fully divine (Romans 1:3-4). We believe that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary and, He is the Son of God (1John 4:15, Luke 1:35, Luke 1:30-31). We believe that He was crucified and raised from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today. (Christ and messiah mean the same thing—God’s anointed (Luke 24:7, Romans 6:4). We believe that Jesus is our Savior. In Christ we receive abundant life, forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life (Romans 10:9, 1 John 4:14, John 3:16, John 10:10). We believe that Jesus is our Lord and that we are called to pattern our lives after his.

THE HOLY SPIRIT 

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us (Romans 8:11). We believe that the Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray from God (Romans 15:13, 1 Thessalonians 1:5). We believe that the Holy Spirit awakens us to God’s will and empowers us to live obediently. (Luke 12:12, 1 Kings 8:58, Romans 1:5).

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God (Isaiah 40:8, 2 Timothy 3:16). We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice. We believe that Christians need to know and study the Old Testament and the New Testament. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

HUMAN BEINGS

We believe that humans can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God.

  1. Sanctity of Life: We believe that God created all human beings in God’s image. (Genesis 1:26). We believe that the unborn child is a living human being (Psalms 139:13-16). We seek to uphold and preserve the sanctity of all human life.

  2. Sanctity of Marriage: We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. We believe marriage is between one man and one woman (1 Thessalonians 4:3-6, Matthew. 19:4-6).

The Church

We believe that the church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:23). We believe that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19). We believe that the church is “the communion of saints,” a community made up of all past, present, and future disciples of Christ (John 17:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). We believe that the church is called to worship God and to support those who participate in its life as they grow in faith (Psalms 95:6, Hebrews 2:12, Ephesians 5:19-21).

The Kingdom of God

We believe that the kingdom of God is both a present reality and future hope (Luke 17:21, Romans 5:1-2). We believe that wherever God’s will is done, the kingdom of God is present. It was present in Jesus’ ministry, and it is also present in our world whenever persons and communities experience reconciliation, restoration, and healing (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). We believe that the fulfillment of God’s kingdom–the complete restoration of creation—is still to come (Isaiah 65:25, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). We believe that the church is called to be both witness to the vision of what God’s kingdom will be like and a participant in helping to bring it to completion (Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19-20). We believe that the kingdom of God is both personal and social. Personally, we display the kingdom of God as our hearts and minds are transformed and we become more Christ-like. Socially, God’s vision for the kingdom includes the restoration and transformation of all of creation (2 Corinthians. 5:17, John 3:17).

Sacraments

We recognize the two sacraments in which Christ himself participated: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 3:1, Mark 14:22-25)

  1. Baptism: We believe through baptism we are joined with the church and with Christians everywhere (Matthew 28:19). We believe baptism is a symbol of new life and a sign of God’s love and forgiveness of our sin. (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16). We believe in the dedication of our infants. We believe children are a gift from the Lord and desires to affirm the dedication of a child to the Lord, recognizing that dedication does not offer salvation but serves as a reminder that all good gifts from from the Father (Psalm 127:3, James 1:17). We believe there must be evident faith, and a profession of, and willingness to live as a Christian.

  2. Communion: We believe the Lord’s Supper is a holy meal of bread and wine that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ (Matthew 26:26-28). We believe the Lord’s Supper recalls the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all the members of God’s family (1 Corinthians 11:24-26). We believe by sharing this meal, we give thanks for Christ’s sacrifice and are nourished and empowered to go into the world in mission and ministry. We believe in “open Communion,” welcoming all who love Christ, repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another (Luke 22:19). We typically observe communion monthly.

Gifts of the Spirit

We believe God established the New Testament church on the government of the 5-fold ministry: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers (Ephesians 4:11-13). We believe God gave the 9 manifest charismata, special graces or gifts, for the building up and edification of the church: Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits, Words of Knowledge, Words of Wisdom, Special Faith, Gifts of Healings, and Gifts of Miracles (1 Corinthians 12:4-10). We believe these gifts are available to everyone who receives them by faith and full yielding, but are not necessary for salvation.

Tithing

We believe tithing, giving back 10% of what God has given us, is Biblically appropriate (Genesis 14:20, Malachi 3:8-10, Luke 11:42). We believe we are not under the mandate of Old Testament Levitical law but rather the new covenant based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). We believe tithing is not a requirement to written law but an opportunity to worship and express total surrender. We believe tithing is not just an Old Testament teaching as both Jesus and the apostles confirmed tithing and giving offerings (Matthew 23:23, Proverbs 11:24-26, Matthew 6:1, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2).