Beliefs
We believe in one living God who has complete power and is wise, good and pure. We believe He is loving, forgiving and faithful. We believe God created all things. We believe this one God is three persons: The Father (God), The Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. (John 1:1-2; 4:24; 5:18;10:30)
We believe Jesus Christ is God’s only son born of the Virgin Mary. We believe Jesus is fully God and fully human. We believe He lived on Earth and was crucified as a sacrifice for the sins of all humans. We believe Jesus rose from the dead, went to Heaven and now intercedes for the body of believers to God the Father. (Matthew 28:5-9; Luke 24:1-50)
We believe the Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity who lives within us, giving us power to live a holy life and guiding us to truth. (Romans 8:9; Galatians 4:6
We believe the Bible is inspired and without error or failure of basic contents and meaning in the original manuscripts. We believe the Bible contains all the necessary truth to lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. (Psalm 19:7; John 17:17; Romans 15:4; II Tim. 3:16-17; I Thess. 2:13)
We believe men and women were created by God in his own image, (Genesis 1:27) but because of disobedience and a corrupt nature, they are inclined to do wrong. (Genesis 3:6; 6:5; Romans 5:12) Man is not capable of achieving a life without sin on his own. (Proverbs 20:9; Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16) Because men and women were created by God, they have a “God likeness” which includes knowledge between right and wrong, the ability to choose which course they will take, and the responsibility for their actions and choices. (Joshua 24:15; I Kings 20:40; John 7:17)
We believe that God ordained two sacraments: The Lord’s Supper and Baptism. The Lord’s Supper is received in remembrance of Christ’s death for our sins; the bread representing His body and the wine, His blood. It is in remembrance of God’s love and grace toward us, and the love we must share with one another. (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; I Corinthians 10:16) Baptism is an outward symbolic act signifying salvation and cleansing of sin. (Numbers 8:7; Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16) We baptize by immersion.
We believe when people confess their sin to God and ask Jesus to be Lord, they are forgiven and become members of God’s family. What about sin committed after salvation? We believe that after we have been forgiven it is still possible to sin, for in this life there is no level of holiness (purity) from which it is impossible to fall. By the grace of a loving God, one who has fallen into sin may, by confession and repentance, find forgiveness and restored fellowship with God. (Matthew 18:21-22; I John 1:9; 2:1,24-25)
We believe that even though we cannot earn God’s favor by good works, they are still pleasing to God and show evidence of true faith in God, and Jesus as Lord of your life. (Matthew 5:16; 7:16-20; Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; James 2:18,22)
We believe that the Holy Spirit has spiritual gifts for all believers for the purpose of building up the body of Christ and bringing glory to God. The gifts are to be exercised in love and emphasize our need for unity. (I Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:11-16)
We believe that after accepting Jesus Christ as Savior, there begins the process of God’s Spirit purifying our lives. This work begins at the point of salvation and continues throughout life. We reach a point when we understand that it is not enough to just to be “saved”, but we must be completely committed to Christ for all areas of our lives. This is the point when the believer determines not to live for selfish desires, but to live totally for God and His purposes. At this point, the believer is empowered by the Holy Spirit, making us able to live Christ-like lives. This does not mean perfection of the believer, but purity of heart, mind and will. (Deuteronomy 30:6; Luke 1:74-75; Acts 15:8-9; I Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 4:13,24; I Thessalonians 4:3,7; James 4:8)
We believe in the personal return of Jesus Christ to receive His believers into heaven and eternal life. The time of His return is unknown, but may be at any moment. This is the glorious hope of all God’s children. (John 14:1-3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; James 5:7-8; Revelation 22:12,20)
Core Values
- Every person, pre-Christian and Christian alike, is valuable to God and his Kingdom.
- Prayer must permeate everything we do.
- Doing church as a team is God’s design for effective ministry.
- The body of Christ is inclusive and we value every generation.
- Passionate public worship glorifies God and inspires us to glorify him in our private lives.
- God is worthy of our very best.
- Every Christ follower should commit to a lifestyle of consistent spiritual growth with honest accountability.
- The most effective evangelism happens as people invest their lives in other people.