What We Believe

God

We believe in one true, holy and living God—Eternal Spirit, who is Sovereign, Preserver, and Creator of all things invisible and visible. He is infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness and love, and beyond our ability to fully comprehend Him. We trust in the mystery of the Trinity, which is to say he is one God who exists in three equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus 

We believe Jesus Christ is God who, in His grace, came to earth as a human being in an actual time and place in history. He is both fully God and fully human. We believe that a woman named Mary, who was a virgin, gave birth to Him, and He lived a sinless life. He died on a cross as a sacrifice to cover the sin of the world, and He rose from the dead (physically) and ascended into heaven where He continues His ministry to us. He is our mediator and intercessor with the Father, and we await His return at the end of this age.

Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God at work in the world today. He reveals the goodness and truth of Jesus, convicts us of our sin, and transforms us into new creations. For followers of Jesus, he provides us his Holy Spirit as a gift to live in us, to guide us, to teach us, and to empower us to live in the power and humility of Jesus. We believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are available and operative today. 

The Scriptures

We believe the Scriptures (the entire Old and New Testaments) are the inspired word of God. He speaks to us through them as He reveals to us His character and His will for the salvation of the world. We believe they are without error, as God has preserved them throughout the ages to be His final authority for all faith and life.

Humanity

We believe human beings were created by God in His image and likeness. From conception, every human being, of every ethnicity, is of sacred worth. We were made to be in relationship with God and to partner with Him for the blessing of creation. Our sin and brokenness has resulted in both physical and spiritual death, and corrupted that image, and we cannot restore ourselves. We desperately need to be made completely new by His saving grace.

Salvation

We believe that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection provide the only possible way for our salvation. We are completely and forever saved only by God’s grace. Only as one receives this good and perfect gift from God—by repentance and faith in Jesus—is someone born of the Holy Spirit and made a child of God.

Enemy

We believe that evil is a personal, not impersonal, force. Satan is a created being who sinned through pride, and, along with his fallen angels, has become the enemy of God and God’s people. They seek only to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus’ life and death and resurrection gives His people authority over these dark powers. 

Church 

We believe that God’s Church is made up of all of his people who have been born again through a saving faith in Jesus. We are different parts of one body—the Body of Christ—and Jesus is the head.

Furthermore, we believe that a local church is a local body of believers who join together for worship, to serve one another with gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit, and to bless the world. We believe the local church is the tangible, present expression of God’s universal Church.

Men & Women 

Men and women are equally created in the image of God, and equally called and gifted for ministry. God’s design is for men and women to partner together to bless the world. We believe that God’s intent for marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman; marriage is a living illustration of Jesus’ love for His Church. We believe that some are called to singleness; such a person is a living illustration of what it is to have a life of utter dependence on God and radical availability for His Kingdom. 

Baptism & Communion 

Baptism and communion provide us with ways to experience God’s grace and to encounter the risen Christ, who makes His presence known in these sacraments. We believe baptism is the means Jesus has given us to proclaim our decision to offer our life to Him and to receive His life in return. We believe that Jesus invites all who trust Him for forgiveness and eternal life to His table, to meet Him and find grace there. 

Our Hope 

We believe that Jesus himself—the same Jesus who lived and walked in the first century—will return soon, and that this great anticipation should encourage his followers to live a godly and fruitful life. Jesus described his followers as the “salt” and “light” of the earth, and our faith and hope in him should impact every part of our lives and bless our society.

Heaven 

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all who die. We believe those who have received God’s gift of salvation experience blessings forever in the wonderful presence of God, and those whose hearts reject him receive the tragedy of eternal separation from Him.