What We Believe
The Bible - We believe that the Bible is God’s Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is infallible and inerrant in whole and in part, and has supreme authority in all matters of faith and human life.
God - We believe that God exists eternally in as One God in Three separate Persons who each possess all the qualities of God, each participate in the eternal nature of God, and are each equally worthy of our worship and praise. God has revealed Himself to us through the Bible and in history as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Father - We believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of people, that He hears and answers prayer, that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
The Son - We believe in God the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He became fully human, while also remaining fully God. He lived on earth as a human being, lived a sinless life, performed signs and miracles, proclaimed the Kingdom of Heaven, and taught us to love one another. We believe he died for our sins. We believe He was resurrected in body for our redemption. We believe that He ascended to the right hand of the Father to provide for, and intercede for, His church. We believe that He will return to judge the living and the dead.
The Holy Spirit - We believe in God the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Counselor, sent by the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells everyone who believes in Jesus Christ.
Salvation - We believe that all people are sinners by nature and choice. Therefore, all people are under God’s righteous judgment. We believe in every person's need to be saved from sin. Salvation is offered freely to everyone who believes in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, and is offered only through the grace and mercy of God. As the Scripture says that this is: “the message of faith that we proclaim, that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:8-9)
Christian Conduct - Those who believed are not merely saved in the abstract. We are saved into the Body of Christ, both universally and locally. We are also saved into the process of discipleship—that is, the process of being a life-long apprentice of The Master, Jesus Christ. The first step in that process is to receive baptism from the Lord as His public affirmation of us as His children. We are thereby identified by Him as a member of the Body and as a Disciple. We believe that we should live for the glory of God and the well-being of others; that our lives should be marked by ongoing maturity and the joy of the Lord; that we should be faithful stewards of our abilities, our time, and our possessions; and that we should seek this not merely individually, but as a part of the family of God.
The Church – The church constitutes all people throughout all times and places who have genuine faith in Jesus Christ. We regularly devote ourselves to a corporate time of worship in song, of teaching from God’s Word, of seeking the Lord in corporate prayer, to share in communion, and to experience encouraging fellowship. This gathering is what most of us think of when we say: “church.” We also seek to engage our community and the world with God’s truth and God’s love as a corporate body as well as individuals.
Communion - We share the Lordʼs Supper (Communion) as a commemoration and proclamation that Jesus’ sacrifice is our hope until He comes again. We share in common (that’s what “communion” means) this symbolic meal and are spiritually fed. We take the Lordʼs Supper every Sunday.
Eternity - We believe and teach that all of human history is moving toward one climactic event: the certain return and final revelation of Jesus Christ. At Christ’s return all those opposed to God will be subject to His wrath, spending eternity separate from God in righteously imposed punishment. The redeemed, however, will receive eternal rewards and enter into an everlasting state of glory with Christ in a newly created home where they will experience unhindered worship of God, and enjoy everlasting fellowship with Christ and one another. We have a positive expectation that between the present and that Great Day, the Lord will use His People through the power of Holy Spirit to progressively answer the prayer that He taught us: “Your Name be Holy, Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
