Statement of Faith

As Christians, we stand on a few unchanging truths that lay the foundation for the whole of our lives. There is one God, YHWH, eternally existent as one God made of three persons: The Father, The Word/Son & The Holy Spirit. Humanity was created by God, the Creator of all things, to worship, serve and live in joyful harmony with Him, but our first parents willfully chose sin through pride and fell to death, wrath and sorrow. But God, Who is rich in mercy and steadfast in love, through Himself, in Jesus Christ, provided a way for us to be restored to Him. This is a message of undeserved favor, mercy and love for God’s glory alone.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Ephesians 2:8-10

Core Teachings: Non-negotiables

God as Holy Trinity

There is but one true and living God, the creator and sustainer of all things. He is holy, sovereign, infinite, eternal, all-knowing, all-wise, almighty, good, just, omnipresent, loving, gracious, merciful, longsuffering and unchangeable. He is revealed to us in three persons as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
(Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19–20; John 1:1-4; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelations 1:4-6)

God the Father

The Father is the head of the Godhead, and into His hands the Kingdom shall be delivered. We believe that God the Father orders and arranges all things according to His one purpose and grace. As the absolute and highest Ruler in the universe He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption. He created the universe ex nihilo. He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass and continually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and events. From all eternity He has graciously chosen those whom He would have as His own; He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ; and He relates Himself to His own as their Father.
(1 Chron. 29:11; Ps. 103:19; 145:8-9; Jn. 1:18; Rom. 11:33; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 1:3-6; Heb. 4:13; 1 Pet. 1:17)

God the Logos/Son

We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and the virgin-born Son of Man who was incarnated as the God-Man to reveal God, redeem people, and rule over God’s kingdom. He became and remained a perfect man yet retained His absolute deity, being at the same time very God and very Man. Therefore, He was without sin in His nature, unable to sin in principle, and did not sin in fact. He accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a propitiatory and substitutionary sacrifice. Our redemption is made sure by His resurrection from the dead. Throughout this age, Christ is seated at the Father’s side performing the intercessory aspect of His High Priestly work for believers. We believe in the physical, visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ and in His kingdom reign on the earth and in a glorious new heaven and earth where redeemed humanity will dwell forever with God.
(Zech. 14:4-11: Lk. 1:35; Jn. 1:1-2; Rom. 3:24-25; 8:34; Phil. 2:5-11; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Heb. 4:15; 7:25; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; 2:21-25; 1 Jn. 2:1-2; Rev. 20:6)

God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the one sent from God to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, of judgment as well as regenerate and cleanse believers from sin. He is the resident guide, teacher, and strengthener of the believer. We believe it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will with relation to mankind. This work involves that of regenerating, baptizing into the body of Christ, indwelling, sanctifying, instructing, empowering for service, administering spiritual gifts, and preserving to the day of Christ. We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and places the believer into the Body of Christ. In His sovereignty, the Lord bestows spiritual gifts upon His children for His glory and for the empowerment of His Kingdom work and people.
(Jn. 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-9; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:4-13; 13:8-10; 2 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:13-14; 2:22; 4:7-12; Heb. 2:1-4)

Man, Created & Fallen

We believe that man and woman were created, fully formed and complete, in the image of God & free from sin. But through Adam we became alienated from God by a voluntary act of personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, acquired a sin nature and came under the judicial sentence of death.

Our Created State, Value & Purpose

We believe that human life is precious and should be protected from beginning, at fertilization, until death. All people everywhere are of equal worth, and share the same purpose which is to glorify God according to His good purpose and will. (Gen. 1:25-27; 3:1-19; Rom. 1:24-27; 3:22-23; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-10; 5:22-33)

Our Fall & Sin

In the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted mankind whereby he transgressed the revealed will of God, thus plunging the world into sin. Consequently, all who have since been born, save the Lord Jesus Christ, are by nature the children of wrath. We live daily in sin, and cannot in ourselves or of ourselves seek or know God from this place of shame and unrighteousness. We are separated by our sin and cannot overcome it by any human means.

The Gospel

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a
representative of substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the
ground of His shed blood. (Leviticus 17:11; John 1:1-2; Romans 3:24-25, 4:25, 5:6-9; II Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:4-9; I Peter 1:3-5, 18, 19, 23)

We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into the heavens, and in His present life there for us as High Priest and Advocate. (Romans 8:34; I Corinthians 15:1-8; Hebrews 7:24–25; 9:24; I John 2:1, 2)

We believe in that blessed hope, the personal, visible return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (Zachariah 14:4–11; John 14:1-3; I Corinthians 15:51; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14)

We believe that all who received by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God. (John 5:24; 17:23; Acts 13:39; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; II Timothy 1:12)

We believe in eternal preservation and everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the eternal
conscious punishment of the lost. (Mark 9:43-48; John 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; Revelations 20:15; 22:3-5, 11)

We believe that the grace of God that saves, teaches believers to deny ungodliness and worldly
lust, that we are to live soberly, righteously and godly in the present world, and to be careful to
maintain good works. (Romans 6:11-13, 8:2, 12, 13; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 4:22-24; Titus 2:11-14; I Peter)

The Scriptures

Holy men of old were inspired of God, through His Holy Spirit, to record Scripture. The Bible is wholly without error as initially given by God in the original manuscripts and has been faithfully preserved through the ages so that man can be assured the Bible he has today is the verbally inspired, written Word of God. It is infallible in all it teaches whether historical, scientific, geographical, doctrinal or the miraculous. The Bible is our only infallible authority of faith and practice. God’s Word is preserved in the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament and in no others. God has not and does not inspire other books in the same way He did the 66 books of the Bible. (II Timothy 3:15-17, II Peter 1:21)

The Church

We believe that all who have placed their faith in Christ are united together immediately by the Holy Spirit in one spiritual body, the Church, of which Christ is the Head. The local assembly is composed of believers who gather in Christ’s name for worship, prayer, and edification. Government and discipline are divinely outlined as being the responsibility of the local church elders. This group of redeemed and restored people are called to gather weekly, even daily as needed, to worship, serve, support, care and encourage one another. The “bride of Christ” is made up of all true Christians everywhere. We are one people in Him.

There is no allowance for solitude or withdrawal from the body. No one can “do church” on their own. Isolation breeds idleness, and tends toward false teaching, and leaves one open to deception, depression, and sin. This is why we visit the sick, care for the shut-in, and reach out to those who are not present. We need each other and are strengthened when the body is whole. (Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 4:8-13; Col. 1:18; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-9; Heb. 10:25)

Secondary Teachings: Steady & Secure

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