What We Believe

The Bible
The sole basis of our belief is the Bible – the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe Scripture, in its entirety, originated with God and He revealed its truth to men He chose as authors. The Bible speaks the authority of God, while simultaneously reflecting the backgrounds, styles and words of these human authors. We believe that the Scriptures, in their original manuscripts, are infallible and inerrant. They are the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice and are completely relevant to our daily lives. There are no other writings similarly inspired by God.

(Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Psalm 119:11, 89, 105; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 22:29; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 3:16)

God - Three-in-One

We believe there is one true, Holy God, eternally existing in three equal persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Although each member of the Trinity serves different functions, they each possess equal power and authority. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 1:35; John 5:21-23; 14:10, 16; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8-10; James 2:19)

The Father - God is great, God is good

God is great: He is all powerful, all knowing, ever present, unchanging, completely worthy of our trust, and above all, holy. It is in Him that we live, move and exist. God is good: He is our Father. He is loving, compassionate, and faithful to His people and His promises. (Exodus 3:14; Numbers 23:19; Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; Psalm 11:4-6; Malachi 3:6 John 3:16; 4:24; 5:26; 14:1; Acts 17:28; Romans 3:3-4)

The Son - God became man
Jesus Christ is completely human, but at the same time completely God. He is the only plan for bringing people back into a right relationship with God. He came to earth by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a perfect life, so that He could be a substitution for us in satisfying God’s demands for perfection. He defeated death in His resurrection so that we could have life. He is coming again!

(Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 14:33; 16:16; 28:5-6; Luke 22:70; 24:46-47; John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 11:25-27; 17:1-5; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 8:1-3; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Gal 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15; 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16)

The Holy Spirit - God is always present
He comes to dwell within every believer at the point of salvation. His presence assures us of our relationship with Christ. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and application of the truth found in the Bible. He convicts people of sin, comforts us, gives us spiritual gifts, and makes us more like Christ.

(Genesis 1:2; Psalm 51:11; 139:7 ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Mark 1:10; Lk 1:35; 4:1; 11:13; 12:12; John 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 13:2; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Peter 1:21; Revelation 22:17)

Eternity - I'm somewhere forever
Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life in Heaven. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.

(John 3:16, 36; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:25; 5:11-13;Revelation 20:15)

Man - God's image bearers
Man is made in the image of God and is the supreme object of His creation. Man was created to have a relationship with God, but became separated in that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, man cannot attain a right relationship with God through his own effort. Every human personality is uniquely created, possesses dignity, and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

(Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7, 18-22; 3; Psalm 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6; 6:6; 7:14-25; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Ephesians 2; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11)

Salvation - God's only way
The blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the only way of salvation through the forgiveness of sin. Salvation occurs when people place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin. Salvation is a gift from God and it cannot be earned through our own efforts. Because it is not based on our own merit, it cannot be “lost” by our deeds either. Each person can receive salvation by repentance and faith. God’s Word assures us that He will continue His saving work in us forever.

(Isaiah 1:18; 53:5-6; 55:7; Matthew 1:21; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:12; 3:16, 36; 5:24;Acts 2:21; 4:12; 16:30-31; Romans 1:16-18; 3:23-25; 5:8-10; 6; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 9:24-28; Revelation 3:20)

The Church - God's design for community
The Church is a local community of baptized believers unified through faith in Christ. It is committed to the teachings of Christ, to obeying all of His commands, and it seeks to bring the gospel to the world. Scripture commands believers to gather for worship, prayer, fellowship and the teaching of the Word. The local expression of the Church is to work together in love and unity with intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.

(Matthew 16:18-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-47; 5:11-14; 13:1-3; 14:23; 16:5; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:10-12; 5:22-32; Colossians 1:18; 3:15; 1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 21:2-3)

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper - Following Christ’s example

Baptism is an outward expression of the inward commitment to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe the decision to be baptized is up to the individual and that he or she must completely understand what it means to be a follower of Christ. The immersion of a believer in water symbolizes the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. As it is a testimony of faith, we believe baptism is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and the taking of the Lord’s Supper. Following Christ’s example, when He brought His disciples together and asked them to take the bread and cup “in remembrance” of Him, we regularly observe the act of the Lord’s Supper to remember the death of our Savior and anticipate His second coming. (Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12)

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