Who We Are

We believe the Bible is inspired by God, without error in the original manuscripts, and the final authority on all matters about which it speaks. We believe that the Scriptures were given for our inspiration, encouragement and practical instruction. They are the source of spiritual growth and the basis for personal and corporate conduct as the New Testament church. (Psalm 19:7-11; Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Acts 1:16; 17:2-3; 18:28; 26:22-23; 28:23; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)

We believe in one God who exists as three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and that these three are one God with the same nature, attributes, and perfection and are worthy of the same love, trust, and obedience. We believe that God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, rules supremely over it, desires the worship of His creation, and pursues personal relationships with mankind, the pinnacle of His creation. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Colossians 1:14-16; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:4-6)

‍Person of Christ — We believe that Jesus Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah. He came into this world to reveal the Father and save the lost from their sin. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born physically of the virgin Mary, but was sinless in nature and in His life on earth. Therefore, He was worthy to give His life as a ransom for all people and die for the sin of the world (Luke 1:30-35; John 1:1-2, 14, 18; 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Timothy 2:6; Hebrews 1:3). We believe that His unique nature was both fully God and fully man and He functioned in both the divine and human realms (Luke 2:40; John 1:11; Acts 2:22-24; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9-10; Hebrews 2:14; 4:15). We believe that He rose from the dead in a glorified body and that those who believe in Him will also have a resurrected body (John 20:20; Philippians 3:20-21).

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Work of Christ — We believe that Jesus Christ demonstrated the infinite love of God by becoming the sacrificial Lamb and, by dying, conquered the power of sin of the world. Through His death, He took the penalty for sin which God’s holy, righteous nature demanded. He died in man’s place and by His death He became the Savior of the lost. We believe that His death and resurrection were fully accepted by God the Father as sufficient payment for the sin of mankind (John 1:29; Romans 3:25–26; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Hebrews 10:5–14; 1 Peter 3:18). We believe in salvation by grace, through faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ through His life, death and resurrection (Ephesians 2:8-9). Presently Christ functions as Head over the church, which is His body, and in this ministry He intercedes for His people as their Great High Priest (Ephesians 1:22–23; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1).

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Return of Christ — We believe that the present Christian life both individually and corporately should be lived in light of Jesus’ promised return. His return is imminent—that is, He could descend from heaven at any moment, known only to God, to gather the Church together with Him for eternity. All Christians should live in a state of readiness as we live out our brief lives upon this earth. God’s future plan for His church provides hope and perspective as we serve the Lord in anticipation of His return and all that is to come. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58;   1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-13; Revelation 22:20).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. He is our advocate and leads us into all truth. He is a source of spiritual life, reminds us that we are God’s children, helps us in our weakness, and intercedes for us. He regenerates the unbeliever, seals and baptizes the believer, and sets apart the believer to a holy life. At regeneration, He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ and comes to indwell him fully and permanently. (John 14:16-17, 26; Romans 8:9-11, 16, 26; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11; 12:13; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30; Titus 3:5)

We believe that the first man and woman were created in God’s image; thus, all humans have great value in God’s sight. But when the first couple sinned, they brought both physical and spiritual death to the human race. As a result, all human beings are born with a sinful nature separated from God. They live in darkness, commit acts of sin in their lives, and need to be reconciled to God. The only exception is Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, who lived a sinless life and, in loving obedience to His loving Father, paid the ultimate price by dying on the cross to pay for all the sins of all mankind, thereby reconciling to God all those who believe in His Son. This is the work of God’s grace to save and restore men and women created in His image, to bring them to light and give spiritual life where there was only spiritual death. He has made a way for us not only to be restored to the right relationship as the sons and daughters of God but also to join Him in building His kingdom on earth. We have eternal life through Him, and that life begins here as we live out the purpose of God in our lives today. (Genesis 1:26; 2:17; 3; 6:5; Psalm 14:1-3; 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:6, 16; 5:40; 6:35; Romans 3:10-19, 23-26; 8:6-7; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 John 3:8

We believe that as followers of Christ, our calling is to walk worthy of the Gospel of Christ, which is a call to holy living. Though we desire to live a holy life for Christ, we feel a tension. We are opposed by the devil*, our own flesh, and a worldly culture that challenges and tempts us to live contrary to our calling. We believe that sinless perfection is impossible in this life, and that Christians still experience sin and suffering in this world. But, in His grace, God has made provision for us to live an abundant, God-honoring life through the Holy Spirit, who lives in our hearts and empowers us. As we resist the enemy and our fleshly desires and yield to the Holy Spirit, He gives us power that enables us to walk in Him and not give in to the opposition and temptations. (Romans 6:11-13; 8:1-17; 12:1-2; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 2:1-10; 3:1-10; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 1:4-7; 3:5-9)

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*We believe that Satan is a created angel and the author of sin. He incurred the judgment of God by rebelling against his Creator (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19), by taking numerous angels with him in his fall (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:1-14), and by introducing sin into the human race (Genesis 3:1-5). Satan is the open and declared enemy of God and man.  He has been defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 16:20).

We believe the Church, both worldwide and local, should be a witness to the love of God for all the world as manifested in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The ministry, worship, and teaching of each local church should creatively adapt to the particular culture it feels called to reach, but without compromising Biblical absolutes. We believe that every person who has believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and has accepted by faith His finished work on the cross as their gift of salvation is a member of the Universal Church, which began at Pentecost. As a Christian, each believer is a member of the Church regardless of their standing or membership in localized assembly of believers. We believe that the Holy Spirit places each person into this Church at the point of salvation without regard for gender, ethnicity, class, or culture (Matthew 16:16-18; 28:18-20; Acts 2:42-47; Galatians 3:27-28; Ephesians 1:13-14; Colossians 3:11).

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Among other titles, the Church is referred to as the body and bride of Christ. As the bride, the Church’s special relationship to Christ is presented and Christ’s care for His Church celebrated. As the body of Christ, Christ’s position as head emphasizes His authority and leadership over His Church. As the body, each member plays a key role in serving each other member. Within this relationship, each believer bears responsibility for promoting peace, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The love for one another that produces peace marks the body as true followers of Jesus (Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 3:11-17).

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We believe that within the Church the ordinances of baptism and communion should be consistent practices of worship to celebrate the work of Christ while waiting for His return. In order for these practices of worship to take place, Christ emphasizes consistent gathering together for prayer, fellowship, and teaching (Luke 22:19-20; Acts 10:47-48; 16:32-33; 18:7-8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Ephesians 1:4-14, 18-23; 4:3-10; Hebrews 10:24-25).