Our Beliefs
About the Scriptures
We believe all sixty-six books of the Bible are Holy Scripture. We believe all scripture is inspired by God and is God’s authoritative Word for the Christian life. We believe the Bible provides the guidance to live healthy, transformed lives that reflect Kingdom values. 2 Timothy 3:14-16
About God
We believe in one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who created all things visible and invisible and out of chaos created order. We believe God is fully revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born to Mary, who was a virgin, and lived a sinless life on earth as both fully human and fully divine. We believe the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, convicts us of sin, and empowers us for Christian witness. Genesis 1, John 1:1-14, John 16:5-16
About Humanity
We believe all have sinned, fallen short of the glory of God and are in need of a Savior. We believe through his life, death, and resurrection Jesus Christ is the only sufficient atonement for our sins. Therefore, it is only through Jesus Christ that we can experience eternal life. Romans 3:23, John 14:6, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8
About Salvation
We believe God’s work of salvation is by grace and not by our merits. We believe we receive this salvation when, by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, we respond in faith, by repenting of our sin and believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We believe that God has given every person the capacity to respond in faith, but not every person will choose to respond in faith. We believe that faith in Christ is not a momentary event but an ongoing reality that allows us to walk securely in our salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 2:36-39, Romans 10:9-10, 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, Colossians 1:21-23, Romans 11:17-21
About the Christian Life
We believe God calls us to present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, for the sake of God’s mission in the world. We believe the life of holiness is a wholehearted love for God and neighbor and not a legalistic list of “do’s and don’ts.” We believe it is only through the power of God and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit that we can love God and neighbor in this way. We believe when we fail, God is always willing to forgive and restore. Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 5:22-26
About the Church
We believe God calls all people to respond in faith to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whereby they become members of God’s one church. We believe each local congregation is a visible expression of this one body of Christ and that it is God’s will for each believer to be a committed member of a local congregation. Acts 2:47, John 17:20-23
About Ministry
We believe God calls every Christian to minister within the Body of Christ according to the spiritual gifts He has given them. We believe God distributes the gifts within the Body as He determines, and He does so without regard to race or gender. Therefore, no limitations are placed on leadership and ministry in the church based on race or gender. 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 4:10-11
About Giving
We believe that “growing in the grace of giving” is not the product of guilt or coercion. It flows from a heart that has truly been transformed by the gospel. By giving, we become a part of God’s mission to redeem and restore the world. God wants His people to give generously with hearts that are filled with gratitude and joy. 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9:6-15
About the Ordinances
We believe baptism is for believers who have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We baptize believers by immersion, as an outward sign of death to sin and resurrection to a new life in Christ. We participate in the Lord’s Supper, as a proclamation of the death and resurrection of our Lord until He comes. Anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ is invited to participate.
While we do not believe that foot washing is given equal status to baptism and the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament, we believe it is a beautiful reminder of the servant lifestyle to which Christ has called His followers, and we practice it as the Spirit leads us. Acts 16:25-34, Romans 6, I Corinthians 11:23, John 13:1-17
About the Kingdom of God
We believe the Kingdom of God is both a present reality, as well as a future hope. We believe Jesus lived and proclaimed the present reign of God. We believe God comes alongside the vulnerable and oppressed. He stands against every form of evil and calls us, as citizens of His Kingdom, to justice, to kindness, and to humbly walk with God. We anticipate the reign of God at the return of our Lord.
Luke 17:20-21, Matthew 25:34-46
About the Return of Christ
We believe Christ will come again at a time of God’s appointing, and He will come in judgment. Those who are in Christ will dwell with God forever in heaven, and those who are not in Christ will be separated from God forever in hell. We believe the period, between Christ’s first coming and His second coming, will constitute the “last days”. Therefore, we are living in the last days, just as the first century Christians were. Just as they lived in the expectation of the imminent return of Christ, so should we.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 25:31-46, Hebrews 1:2, 1 Peter 1:20