what we believe

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He is truly God and truly Man, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant, being perfectly obedient and sinless, in both life and death. He died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose bodily on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He then appeared to many witnesses. He ascended into Heaven, sits at the right hand of God, and is our great High Priest and Advocate. The return of Jesus Christ is a “Blessed Hope” to be eagerly anticipated by Christians. He alone is our saving King who restores humanity's relationship with God.

(Isaiah 53; Matthew 1:18-25, 16:13-16; John 1:1-14, 14:6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-20; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 1:1-4)

The Lord is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He has revealed Himself in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each has the same nature, is co-equal, and co-existent. The Lord describes Himself as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loyal love and truth, forgiving, and just. He declares His name as ‘I AM,’ the eternal, self-existent One, and promises, ‘I will be with you,’ revealing His glory, faithfulness, and abiding presence with His people in every moment.

(Genesis 1 & 2; Exodus 3, 34:6-7; John 14:15-21; Colossians 1:15-20)

The Scriptures were written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit. They are the Word of God for salvation and life. Reliable, trustworthy, and authoritative in their entirety, they are without error in all they teach. We are meant to read and study the Scriptures as individuals and in community so that we can know them and submit our lives to all that God calls us to within their pages. 

(Psalm 1, 119:9-16, John 12:44-50, Acts 2:42, II Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12-13)

God sent Jesus Christ to save humanity from sins and restore man’s relationship with God so that we can live with Him forever. Jesus was sacrificed on the cross, died, was resurrected, and paid for the sins of all. Humans can do nothing to earn their salvation. Salvation is by grace–a free gift of God accepted through a personal faith and belief in Jesus Christ alone.

(John 3:16-17, 36; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:10-24; 6:23, 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:1-10; Revelation 3:20)

The Holy Spirit is fully God, the Third Person of the Trinity, the Spirit of God and of Christ. The Spirit hovered over the waters at creation and has worked throughout history to accomplish God’s purposes. The Spirit descended on Jesus at His baptism, affirming His mission, and anointed Him to proclaim good news to the poor and set the oppressed free. The Spirit was poured out after Jesus ascended bringing new life to God’s people. The Spirit convicts humanity of sin drawing us to salvation through Christ. Upon salvation, He dwells within believers as their Helper, Comforter, Counselor, and Guide. He empowers Christians to bear witness to Christ, speak boldly in the face of persecution, and live obediently. As believers continue to grow in spiritual maturity, the Spirit produces good fruit in them, equips them for ministry, and intercedes for them in their weaknesses.

(Genesis 1:2; Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 4:1, 18-19; John 14:15-21, 26; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:26-27; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:13-14; Colossians 1:9-12)

Each human being is created as God’s image to represent Him to the rest of creation. The first human, Adam, rebelled against God by deciding for himself what was right and wrong. In his rebellion, sin and death entered into the world and corrupted all of creation. We sin each time we choose our own way over God’s. Because the world is corrupt we not only suffer the consequences of our own sin, but also those who sin against us, and sin done in the world around us. Through God’s grace and forgiveness, when we repent we can also overcome sin by joining in the victory of Christ. 

(Genesis 1:26-17, 3:13-17; Romans 3:21-26, 5:12-17; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23)

We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus. Jesus calls all people to salvation and discipleship. Faith is more than an intellectual belief about God’s existence. Faith is active obedience,  trust in Christ’s reign, and hope that God will fulfill His promises. Faith includes allegiance, loyalty and fidelity to Him in every aspect of our lives. 

(Matthew 28.19-20; Luke 14:25-35; Romans 1:5; Ephesians 2:8-10; Hebrew 11.1; James 2:14-26) 

The Church is the Body and Bride of Christ, made up of all who believe in and follow Jesus. Its purpose is to glorify God through worship, the teaching of Scripture, discipleship, service, fellowship, prayer, and sharing the gospel. As God’s household, the Church is built on the foundation of Christ, growing together as a spiritual temple filled by the Holy Spirit. The Church gathers regularly to worship, strengthen one another, and grow in unity, maturity, and knowledge of God. Each member has been given gifts to serve the body, so that together they can fulfill God’s mission in the world and shine as His light.

(Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:4-8; I Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 2:19-22, 4:11-16, 5:18-21: Hebrews 10:25; I Peter 2:1-6, Revelation 19:7-8)