What We Believe

God The Father

God the Father is eternally God and is the all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present creator (Gen. 1:26-27; Ps. 104:24) and sustainer
of all things (Rev. 4:11). God is loving (Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 3:1, 4:7), who created man in His own image (Gen. 1:26-27; Ps. 8:6), to have fellowship with Him (Gen. 1:28, 2:18, 23; Lev. 26:11-12; Deut. 6:4-5) and to reflect Him (Eph. 5:1; I Jn. 3:2-3). He called man back to Himself through Christ after the rebellion and fall of man (Rom. 5:1; Col. 1:13-14). God is without a beginning or an end (Ps. 102:25-27) and does not change (Mal. 3:6; Ps. 102:25-27; Heb. 13:8).

God The Son

God the Son is the Second Person of the Trinity and the one and only Son of God. His incarnation is a mystery, but refers to a wholly unique event, at which time God entered the world, in the person of Jesus Christ, who is fully divine and fully human (Jn. 1:14; I Jn. 2:3-4). God the Son was with the Father and the Holy Spirit, without beginning. Through Him all things were made and are sustained (Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-17). He is fully God and fully man in one person, and will always be so (Lk. 3:22; Phil. 2:8; Col. 1:15-20, 22; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3). He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:26-38). He lived a sinless life and in willing submission to the Father while on earth (Is. 53:9; II Cor. 5:21; Phil. 2:5-8; Jn. 8:28-29). Jesus Christ is the only Way to salvation (Jn. 14:6; I Cor. 1:30-31; I Jn. 5:11-12), the only One who could rescue mankind from the penalty of sin through His physical and actual death on the cross (Rom. 5:6-10; Col. 1:13-14; Acts 4:10-12; I Cor. 1:18) which was the propitiation, or place of atonement for the sins of humanity (Rom. 3:22-26; Heb. 2:17; I Jn. 2:2, 4:10; Col. 1:20; I Pet. 1:18-19). He rose from the dead on the third day (Lk. 24:5-7) and ascended into heaven (Lk. 24:51, Mk. 16:19; Ac. 1:9) and is seated with the Heavenly Father (Acts 1:32-33). He is coming again (Ac. 1:11; Jn. 14:3; I Thess. 4:15-17) to judge the living and the dead (Matt. 25:31-32; Rev. 22:12) and to gather his people to be with him forever (Jn. 14:2-3; I Thess. 4:13-18).

God  The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity and is fully God ( Ac. 5:3-4; Matt. 12:31-32). He is pre-existent (Gen. 1:2b) and divine, equal to the Father and Son (Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14). He has intellect (Rom. 8:27; I Cor. 2:10-11), emotion (Eph. 4:30), and will (I Cor. 12:11). The Holy Spirit carries out the works of the Father (Jn. 16:13-15; Ps. 104:30). He is our Comforter and Counselor, and the Spirit of Truth (Jn. 14:16, 15:26, 16:13). He was given to the Church in fullness at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) and continues to empower all believers for service, ministry, and witness (Jn. 14:16-17; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-15). The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth and reveals the thoughts of God (I Cor 2:10-12), cleanses us from the old nature and conforms us to the image of Christ (II Cor. 3:17-18). He dwells within each believer, to empower and strengthen each one to witness, for ministry and a victorious Christian life (Acts 1:8; Eph. 5:15-18).

The Bible

The Bible is the written Word of God that contains the complete and only plan of salvation. It is without error in the autographs (original manuscripts) and wholly inspired by the Spirit of God (II Tim. 3:16-17) . It is our fixed source of authority for faith and conduct, and the authority of God’s Word is ultimate, final and eternal and cannot be added to, subtracted from or superseded in any manner (I Pet. 1:22-25; II Pet. 1:3-4, 20-21). The Bible is the only source for the definition of marriage: one man, one woman, for life, (Gen. 2:18, 21-25; I Cor. 7) . It is the truth, the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction and reproof, and it contains all that is needed for guidance in godliness and practical Christian conduct (Jn. 17:17; II Pet. 3:2-3) and is the standard by which we live and a source of great blessing (Ps. 119:25; Prov. 4:20-22; Is. 55:1-3, 10-11; Lk. 6:46-48; Jn. 6:63; Heb. 4:12).

Humanity

We believe that all people are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-28), and designed to have a relationship and fellowship with Him. We are all profoundly broken and severed from that relationship through sin (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 3:9-12). Human beings are unable to gain salvation or live in right relationship with God through their own efforts (Eph. 2:4-9; Rom. 5:6-10), and we are all in need of a Savior, Jesus Christ, who alone makes possible forgiveness, right-standing with God and an eternal future in His presence (I Thess. 4:13-18).

Salvation

Salvation is freely offered to those who place their faith in Jesus Christ alone (Acts 4:10-12), believing that His shed blood on the cross pays the debt of sin on their behalf (Rom. 5:1-2, 8-11). It is not earned by good works, but is through grace, the unmerited, undeserved favor of God and received through faith alone (Eph. 2:4-10; Heb. 11:6).

Christian Life & The Church

Through adoption, all believers become part of the global Church, the family of God, through the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28, Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 2:18-22). We live in the community of the Spirit with all believers around the world, to give God glory, to worship him, and to follow his ways (Eph. 3:20-4:6). It is our mission to share the love and message of Christ with the world around us through the power of the Holy Spirit (II Cor. 4:5-7, 5:17-21), to serve others (Mk. 9:35, Jn. 15:12-13), to help the hurting (II Cor. 1:3-4), and to make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are committed to live for God, and not for ourselves, following our Lord in obedience and holy living (Matt. 10:38-39; Lk. 9:23-24). Our journey of growth and discipleship in Christ includes becoming more like Him every day, transformed to reflect him and his nature, in our hearts and in the world through the power of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-17, 22-25; Eph. 5:1-2).