OUR CORE VALUES
What We Believe.
DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
The Bible
We believe the Bible, including the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, is the written Word of God. The Bible is God’s unique revelation to humankind. It is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and the Supreme and final authority on all matters upon which it teaches (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 12:20-21; Matthew 5:18 and John 16:12-13).
God
We believe there is only one God, creator of heaven and earth, who exists eternally as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each fully God yet each personally distinct from the other. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless human life, willingly took upon Himself all our sins, died and rose again bodily, and is at the right hand of the Father as our advocate and mediator. (Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7).
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. At the moment of regeneration, He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism and service.
The Gospel
We believe that Jesus Christ is the gospel. The good news is revealed in His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Christ’s crucifixion is the heart of the gospel, his resurrection is the power of the gospel, and his ascension is the glory of the gospel. Christ’s death is substitutionary and a propitiatory sacrifice to God for our sins. The Gospel is the only way to be saved.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless human life, willingly took upon Himself all our sins, died and rose again bodily, and is at the right hand of the Father as our advocate and mediator. (Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7).
Salvation by Grace
We believe that salvation is a free gift of God and is provided by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Anyone turning from sin in repentance and looking to Christ and his substitutionary death receives the gift of eternal life and is declared righteous by God as a free gift. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Church
We believe the local church is a congregation of believers who gather for worship, prayer, teaching, encouragement and community with each other. Through it, believers invest time, energy, money and gifts to fulfill the Great Commission (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2). We recognize baptism and the Lord’s Supper are two ordinances of the church (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Mission
We believe that the ultimate mission of the Church is to make disciples through the preaching of the gospel and missional living (Matthew 28:19-20). Mission is the responsibility of every believer, and it is the church’s role to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
Return of Jesus
We believe in the bodily return of Jesus, and the bodily resurrection of the dead – of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord in heaven, and of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment in hell.
Men, Women and Marriage
We believe that God created mankind in His image and assigned sex to humanity, male (man) and female (woman), creating them sexually and biologically different, but with equal personal dignity and value (Genesis 1:26-28). We believe that God ordained marriage as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:18; Matthew 19:4-9; Ephesians 5:31-33). Those who accept and love within God’s design for sex, biological gender and marriage experience the blessing of His good design (Psalm 1:1-3; 128:1-4) and decisions to change, alter, or modify God’s will in marriage, sex or gender are part of man’s brokenness and lead to despair (Romans 1:21-22; James 1:13-15).
The Bible
We believe the Bible, including the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, is the written Word of God. The Bible is God’s unique revelation to humankind. It is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and the Supreme and final authority on all matters upon which it teaches (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 12:20-21; Matthew 5:18 and John 16:12-13).
God
We believe there is only one God, creator of heaven and earth, who exists eternally as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each fully God yet each personally distinct from the other. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless human life, willingly took upon Himself all our sins, died and rose again bodily, and is at the right hand of the Father as our advocate and mediator. (Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7).
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. At the moment of regeneration, He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism and service.
The Gospel
We believe that Jesus Christ is the gospel. The good news is revealed in His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Christ’s crucifixion is the heart of the gospel, his resurrection is the power of the gospel, and his ascension is the glory of the gospel. Christ’s death is substitutionary and a propitiatory sacrifice to God for our sins. The Gospel is the only way to be saved.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless human life, willingly took upon Himself all our sins, died and rose again bodily, and is at the right hand of the Father as our advocate and mediator. (Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7).
Salvation by Grace
We believe that salvation is a free gift of God and is provided by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Anyone turning from sin in repentance and looking to Christ and his substitutionary death receives the gift of eternal life and is declared righteous by God as a free gift. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Church
We believe the local church is a congregation of believers who gather for worship, prayer, teaching, encouragement and community with each other. Through it, believers invest time, energy, money and gifts to fulfill the Great Commission (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2). We recognize baptism and the Lord’s Supper are two ordinances of the church (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Mission
We believe that the ultimate mission of the Church is to make disciples through the preaching of the gospel and missional living (Matthew 28:19-20). Mission is the responsibility of every believer, and it is the church’s role to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
Return of Jesus
We believe in the bodily return of Jesus, and the bodily resurrection of the dead – of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord in heaven, and of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment in hell.
Men, Women and Marriage
We believe that God created mankind in His image and assigned sex to humanity, male (man) and female (woman), creating them sexually and biologically different, but with equal personal dignity and value (Genesis 1:26-28). We believe that God ordained marriage as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:18; Matthew 19:4-9; Ephesians 5:31-33). Those who accept and love within God’s design for sex, biological gender and marriage experience the blessing of His good design (Psalm 1:1-3; 128:1-4) and decisions to change, alter, or modify God’s will in marriage, sex or gender are part of man’s brokenness and lead to despair (Romans 1:21-22; James 1:13-15).
