STATEMENT OF FAITH

THE BIBLE

The Bible is God’s word given to us. It is a true story of love and redemption. It is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths, instruction, correction, and reproof needed for a life of godliness. Written by human authors, and inspired by God, the Bible is infallible and inerrant. Because it is inspired by God, it is the ultimate source of truth and it is relevant to our everyday life.

It cannot be added to, subtracted from, or superseded in any way. Any prompting from the Holy Spirit must be measured against the standard of God’s Word. God’s Word and His Spirit will never contradict.

THE TRINITY

God is and has always been. He exists as three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Although the word Trinity is not in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation we serve a trinitarian God as He has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all coeternal and coequal in power and authority, serving one divine purpose.

THE FATHER

God is the creator of the universe and author of life. He is all powerful, all knowing, ever present and He never changes. He is Holy and He deserves all of our trust because He is faithful to His promises. He is a loving, compassionate Father and wants a relationship with His children.

THE SON

God loved people so much that He sent Jesus, His son, to earth to give us a visible picture of God. Jesus Christ is completely human and completely God. Born of a virgin, He lived a perfect life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sin of all people by dying on the cross. But He didn’t stay dead! He resurrected—rose up— from death to demonstrate His power over sin and death. Because of this death, burial and resurrection atoning for our sin, we can have a relationship with God and we can live our lives with destiny and purpose.

One day Jesus will return.  As believers we sit with great anticipation while obediently pursuing the mandate of the Great Commission.

HOLY SPIRIT

Soon after Jesus rose from the dead, as promised by God the Father, Jesus sent His Holy Spirit as our helper to empower the Church to be witnesses of the good news of Jesus and to guide us into truth, comfort us, and convict us of sin when we get off course. 

The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force. The Spirit has a mind, emotions, and a will. He teaches, testifies, leads, and intercedes. He directs, prompts, sends, and gives spiritual gifts to the people of God. He regenerates hearts and lives in every believer from the moment of salvation, and assures us of our relationship with God. The Holy Spirit lives in every believer and works to change us so that we conform to the image of Christ. He provides the believer with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.  A believer seeks to be filled with the Spirit and live under His control daily.

SALVATION

Salvation is God’s free gift to us, giving us forgiveness of sin, freedom from death, and eternal life with Him. We are saved by grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ: His life, death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is not a result of our good works or any human efforts.

The Bible teaches that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved! Because God gives eternal life through Jesus Christ, believers are secure in their salvation for eternity.

ETERNITY

We were created to live forever, not just a few short years on earth. Our forever can be spent in Heaven with God when we choose to have a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus, or we can choose to reject Him and be separated from Him forever. Heaven and Hell are real places, and it is up to each person in this life to decide their eternal destination.

HUMANITY

We were created in God’s image and we exist to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. As the masterpiece of all His creation, every person in humanity has dignity and value and is worthy of love and respect. God created us for a relationship with Him, but we became alienated from Him through disobedience. Each of us is born with this tendency, which is referred to as a ‘sinful nature.’ No matter how good we try to be, we can’t regain our relationship with God on our own.

CHRISTIAN LIFE

The Christian life is the ongoing process of submitting to and obeying God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us.  This includes repentance (turning away from sin), sanctification (becoming Christ-like), community (connecting with Christ followers), worship (praying and giving thanks), and discipleship (sharing Christ and His ways with new believers). It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

CHURCH

The Church is a community of diverse people—from different races, cultures, and backgrounds—unified through faith in Jesus Christ. The Church is committed to the worship of God, the loving and care of all people, teaching and equipping believers, and evangelism of unbelievers.  Jesus is the hope of the world, and the Church is His body bringing His hope to the ends of the earth. The Church is not a building to walk into, but it’s a family to belong to.