Statement of Faith
Our mission is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus, and we strongly believe that we cannot do that unless we stand on scriptural truth. Our core beliefs are listed below in order to illustrate our doctrine and the basis for our teachings.
BIBLE
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, the written record of His supernatural revelation of Himself to man, absolute in its authority, complete in its revelation, final in its content, and without any error in its teaching, and is “living and active” ever speaking to our present circumstances. Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21
SIN AND SALVATION
We believe that all people are guilty of sin because all people are born with a sin nature, which leads all people to sin.
Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:23
We believe the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross is the sole basis of atonement for the sins of mankind. Isaiah 53:3-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:8
We believe that the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life are promised to those who trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. John 3:16-17, Ephesians 2:8-9
We believe the New Testament teaches that the pattern for following and receiving Jesus as Savior is to believe in Jesus as God’s Son and Savior of the world, to repent of personal sin, to confess Jesus as Lord and to be immersed in baptism.
Romans 10:9, Acts 2:38-39, Romans 6:3-4
GOD'S JUDGEMENT
We believe in the universal guilt and sinfulness of all men since the fall, rendering them subject to God's wrath and condemnation without respect of persons and without discrimination on account of race, nation, color, social position or otherwise, Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:22-23.
We believe in the assignment of all people to heaven or hell at their time of death or at the time of Christ’s return.
Hebrews 9:27, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, Revelation 20:1, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10
EVANGELISM
We believe in the evangelism of the whole world and its discipleship in accordance with the great commission, with signs, wonders, and miracles following. Mark 16:14-20
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the imminent and personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 24:42, 44
DIVINE HEALING
We believe in divine healing through faith in Jesus Christ and that Jesus died for the total redemption of man, spirit, soul, and body. 1 Peter 2:24; James 5:13-15
HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that those who receive Christ also receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit: He marks them as the possession of God, manifests the fruit of righteousness in their character, and endows them with spiritual gifts for ministry. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
We believe that a spiritual gift is a special ability, given by the Holy Spirit to every believer, to be used to minister to others and thereby build up the Body of Christ. 1 Peter 4:10, Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
We believe every believer (Christian) can and should be baptized with the Holy Spirit for endowment with power from above. Luke 24:49, Matthew 3:16, Acts 1:4-8
WATER BAPTISM
We believe baptism, after and not before repentance and belief in Jesus Christ, is to be administered to all believers by immersion in water. Matthew 3:16, Acts 2:38-39, Romans. 6:4.
SERVICE
We believe in the nine (9) gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12 as now available to believers in the church for service and the fruit of the Spirit as in Galatians 5 for character.
HOLINESS
We believe holiness is necessary if one is to see God, and this is the work of the Holy Spirit in the surrendered life of a Christian, not a man-made holiness. Hebrews 12:14, Matthew 5:48, Romans 12:1
THE HUMANITY OF GOD
We believe that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, became incarnate, was conceived of the Holy Spirit, was born of the Virgin Mary, is true God, and true man.
GODHEAD
We believe in the Godhead and that in Jesus dwells the fullness of the Godhead body, according to Colossians 2:9.
THE LOCAL CHURCH
We believe the Church should seek unity with all believers in matters essential to the universal Christian faith and contend for liberty in all matters wherein the Lord has not spoken through His Word. Ephesians 4:2-6
We believe the local church is an autonomous body that cooperates with many Christian agencies but is regulated or dominated by none. Ephesians 5:23
We believe love is to be shown to all people as the central trait of the Christian faith. John 13:35, 1 Peter 4:8
We believe the mission of the Church is to reach the spiritually lost for Christ, to teach with the goal of “forming Christ in them” and to mobilize believers to accomplish God’s purposes in the world. Matthew 28:18-20
We believe that the pattern of the New Testament was to observe the Lord’s Supper each week. Acts 2:42
We believe that each believer should give a generous, intentional, regular, proportional gift of his or her income to God, through the local church, as a spiritual discipline. Scripture gives us the tithe (one tenth) as the normal beginning point of giving for a believer. Malachi 3:10, 1 Corinthians 16:2, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
FINAL AUTHORITY FOR MATTERS OF BELIEF AND CONDUCT
The statement of beliefs does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. 2 Timothy 3:16
SOCIAL ISSUES
We are frequently asked to bring clarity to our position on these issues. We are aware there are many sins GOD desires to protect us from — racism, prejudice, gluttony, sexual promiscuity, adultery, etc. This is our attempt to address the complex social issues that surface most often in our setting. As you consider these, remember that we are all equally in need of God’s grace.
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.
Psalm 139:13-16
We believe that God created marriage to be exclusively the union between one man and one woman, and that sexual intimacy is to occur exclusively within that union. Genesis 2:24, Jeremiah 29:6, Isaiah 62:5, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, and that these two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. We believe that gender is assigned by God at birth, and the Holy Scripture does not permit an individual to alter their sexual identity physically or otherwise. Genesis 1:27
BIBLE
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, the written record of His supernatural revelation of Himself to man, absolute in its authority, complete in its revelation, final in its content, and without any error in its teaching, and is “living and active” ever speaking to our present circumstances. Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21
SIN AND SALVATION
We believe that all people are guilty of sin because all people are born with a sin nature, which leads all people to sin.
Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:23
We believe the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross is the sole basis of atonement for the sins of mankind. Isaiah 53:3-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:8
We believe that the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life are promised to those who trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. John 3:16-17, Ephesians 2:8-9
We believe the New Testament teaches that the pattern for following and receiving Jesus as Savior is to believe in Jesus as God’s Son and Savior of the world, to repent of personal sin, to confess Jesus as Lord and to be immersed in baptism.
Romans 10:9, Acts 2:38-39, Romans 6:3-4
GOD'S JUDGEMENT
We believe in the universal guilt and sinfulness of all men since the fall, rendering them subject to God's wrath and condemnation without respect of persons and without discrimination on account of race, nation, color, social position or otherwise, Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:22-23.
We believe in the assignment of all people to heaven or hell at their time of death or at the time of Christ’s return.
Hebrews 9:27, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, Revelation 20:1, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10
EVANGELISM
We believe in the evangelism of the whole world and its discipleship in accordance with the great commission, with signs, wonders, and miracles following. Mark 16:14-20
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the imminent and personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 24:42, 44
DIVINE HEALING
We believe in divine healing through faith in Jesus Christ and that Jesus died for the total redemption of man, spirit, soul, and body. 1 Peter 2:24; James 5:13-15
HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that those who receive Christ also receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit: He marks them as the possession of God, manifests the fruit of righteousness in their character, and endows them with spiritual gifts for ministry. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
We believe that a spiritual gift is a special ability, given by the Holy Spirit to every believer, to be used to minister to others and thereby build up the Body of Christ. 1 Peter 4:10, Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
We believe every believer (Christian) can and should be baptized with the Holy Spirit for endowment with power from above. Luke 24:49, Matthew 3:16, Acts 1:4-8
WATER BAPTISM
We believe baptism, after and not before repentance and belief in Jesus Christ, is to be administered to all believers by immersion in water. Matthew 3:16, Acts 2:38-39, Romans. 6:4.
SERVICE
We believe in the nine (9) gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12 as now available to believers in the church for service and the fruit of the Spirit as in Galatians 5 for character.
HOLINESS
We believe holiness is necessary if one is to see God, and this is the work of the Holy Spirit in the surrendered life of a Christian, not a man-made holiness. Hebrews 12:14, Matthew 5:48, Romans 12:1
THE HUMANITY OF GOD
We believe that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, became incarnate, was conceived of the Holy Spirit, was born of the Virgin Mary, is true God, and true man.
GODHEAD
We believe in the Godhead and that in Jesus dwells the fullness of the Godhead body, according to Colossians 2:9.
THE LOCAL CHURCH
We believe the Church should seek unity with all believers in matters essential to the universal Christian faith and contend for liberty in all matters wherein the Lord has not spoken through His Word. Ephesians 4:2-6
We believe the local church is an autonomous body that cooperates with many Christian agencies but is regulated or dominated by none. Ephesians 5:23
We believe love is to be shown to all people as the central trait of the Christian faith. John 13:35, 1 Peter 4:8
We believe the mission of the Church is to reach the spiritually lost for Christ, to teach with the goal of “forming Christ in them” and to mobilize believers to accomplish God’s purposes in the world. Matthew 28:18-20
We believe that the pattern of the New Testament was to observe the Lord’s Supper each week. Acts 2:42
We believe that each believer should give a generous, intentional, regular, proportional gift of his or her income to God, through the local church, as a spiritual discipline. Scripture gives us the tithe (one tenth) as the normal beginning point of giving for a believer. Malachi 3:10, 1 Corinthians 16:2, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
FINAL AUTHORITY FOR MATTERS OF BELIEF AND CONDUCT
The statement of beliefs does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. 2 Timothy 3:16
SOCIAL ISSUES
We are frequently asked to bring clarity to our position on these issues. We are aware there are many sins GOD desires to protect us from — racism, prejudice, gluttony, sexual promiscuity, adultery, etc. This is our attempt to address the complex social issues that surface most often in our setting. As you consider these, remember that we are all equally in need of God’s grace.
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.
Psalm 139:13-16
We believe that God created marriage to be exclusively the union between one man and one woman, and that sexual intimacy is to occur exclusively within that union. Genesis 2:24, Jeremiah 29:6, Isaiah 62:5, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, and that these two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. We believe that gender is assigned by God at birth, and the Holy Scripture does not permit an individual to alter their sexual identity physically or otherwise. Genesis 1:27