About The Word of God - We believe the Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are God's inspired and authoritative Word, revealing His character, love, and will for the salvation of all men and the final authority for all Christian faith and life. (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Pet. 1:23-25; Heb. 4:12)
About The Trinity - We believe in one God, creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:29; Isa. 43:10, 11; Matt. 28:19)
About The Father - We believe in God the Father, an infinite personal Spirit, perfect in Holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe He actively and mercifully intervenes in the affairs of men, hears and answers prayer, seeks reconciliation with his creation, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Matt. 5:48, I John 5:14)
About The Son - We believe Jesus Christ is the true God and true man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life and died on a cross as a sacrifice for our sins. He rose bodily from the dead. He ascended into Heaven and is now our High Priest and Advocate at the right hand of the Father. (Luke 1:34 & 35, I Cor. 15:3 & 4, Rom. 8:34)
About The Holy Spirit - We believe the Holy Spirit is fully God, equal with the Father and Son. The primary ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Specifically, the Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers of their need for Christ; He gives new birth to believing sinners; He indwells, sanctifies, transforms, leads, teaches, and empowers believers for godly living and service. We believe that the ministry of the Spirit continues to be as broad, tangible, and powerful among believers today as it was in the early church. We believe the biblical gifts of the Holy Spirit continue to be distributed by the Spirit today; that these gifts are divine provisions central to spiritual growth and effective ministry; and that these gifts are to be eagerly desired, faithfully developed, and lovingly exercised according to biblical guidelines. (Luke 24:49; John 16:7 & 8; Acts 1:4-8; Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:1-31)
About Man - We believe God created man in the image of God. We further believe that man is a sinner by nature and action and is, therefore, spiritually dead. We also believe that those who repent of their sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are spiritually born again to new life by the Holy Spirit. (Gen. 1:26-31; Gen. 3:17; Rom. 5:12-21; Rom. 8:28)
About Christ’s Return - We believe that the personal and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ is our future hope and has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer. We also believe that while this return is our future hope, our current reality here on Earth is to be about ushering in the Kingdom of Heaven until it comes fully when Christ returns. (Heb. 9:28; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 1:7, 19:11)
About The Church - We believe the Church is composed of people who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, are united together in the Body of Christ, of which He is the head. (Acts 2:48, Rom. 12:5; Eph. 5:23)
About Salvation - We believe Salvation is a free gift of God and is received by man through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from any human merit, works, or ritual. We believe the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only grounds for forgiveness of sins for all who believe. Only those who receive Jesus Christ are born of the Spirit, become Children of God, and are given eternal life. (Rom. 3:23-24; 6:23; Gal. 2:16; 1 Thess. 4:7, 2 Tim.1:9)
About The Resurrection - We believe Jesus Christ did overcome death by being raised to life on the third day. Therefore, we believe in the bodily resurrection from the dead: of the believer to everlasting joy with the Lord; of the unbeliever to God’s eternal judgment. (1 Thess. 4:16; Rom. 6:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Cor. 15:51,52)
About The Kingdom of God - We believe the Kingdom of God came in the ministry of Jesus Christ and continues to come in the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the redeemed community of Christ, the Church. (1 Chron. 29:11; Zech. 14:9; Matt. 4:17; Col. 1:13-14; Rev 21:1)
About Christian Responsibility - We believe that the highest priority for every believer is the great commandment in Luke 10:27: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind…..love your neighbor as yourself.” These commandments are fulfilled by experiencing and spreading God’s love and hope with one another and the world in a way that reflects God’s holiness and bears much fruit. These pursuits require personal commitments to live by the truth of God’s Word, dependence on the power of His Spirit, and willingness to be challenged and helped by a local body of believers. (John 13:34, 14:15-17; Rom. 5:1-5; Gal. 6:2-5; Heb. 10:24; Jam. 5:16)
About Baptism - Baptism is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, baptism is a way for us to declare our new life in Christ publicly. It is also a step of obedience based on God’s commands and allows us to follow the example of Jesus, who submitted himself to baptism to “fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15; Rom. 6:1-6)
About Communion - In communion, we take time to remember, respond and thank Jesus for the loving self-sacrifice of his body and blood for us. If you’re still figuring out who Jesus is, you never need to fake it. We would ask you to wait until you’re comfortable with what these symbols mean. Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, broken for you. Do this to remember me." After supper, he did the same thing with the cup: "This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you. Each time you drink this cup, remember me." (Matt. 28:19; John 6:48,51,53-57; 1 Cor. 11:23-34)