Our Beliefs

The Essentials We Believe

The Authority of the Bible

The Bible is God's unique revelation to all people. Under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, human authors wrote it. As originally given, it is the infallible Word of God, and the supreme and final authority on all matters upon which it teaches.  No other writings are vested with such divine authority. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5

Theology

God:  There is only one God, creator and ruler of the universe. He exists eternally as three distinct persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.  Genesis 1:1,26,27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14

People:  We believe that, without exception, every human being is a valuable person created by God in His image and thus possesses inherent dignity, and we are called to love and treat every person with genuine respect.  Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life.  Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2

Salvation:  Because of sin, all people deserve the judgment of God.  However, God freely offers salvation and eternal life to anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ and in His sacrifice on his or her behalf.  Salvation cannot be earned through personal goodness or human effort.  It is a gift that must be received by humble repentance and faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross. Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1 

Jesus Christ:  Jesus Christ, second Person of the Trinity, was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless human life, willingly took upon Himself all of our sins, died, and rose again bodily and is at the right hand of the Father as our advocate and mediator.  Some day, He will return to earth to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15;  1 Corinthians 15:3,4;  Romans 1:3,4;  Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15;  Titus 2:13 

The Holy Spirit:  The Holy Spirit, third Person of the Trinity, convicts the world of sin and draws people to Christ.  He also indwells all believers.  He is available to empower them to lead Christ-like lives, to understand spiritual truth, and to give them guidance in their daily lives. He gives all believers spiritual gifts with which to serve the church and reach out to a lost world. 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18

Eternity:  People were created to exist forever.  At the final judgment, we will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation.  To be eternally separated from God is Hell.  To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life.  Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.  John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9

The Church

The Universal Church:  All believers are members of the body of Christ, the one true church universal.  Spiritual unity is to be expressed among Christians by acceptance and love of one another across ethnic, cultural, socio-economic, national, generational, gender, and denominational lines.  Matthew 16:18; Acts 2; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Ephesians 2:14-22; 4:4-6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30

The Local Church:  The local church is a congregation of believers who gather for worship, prayer, instruction, encouragement, mutual accountability, and community with each other.  Through it, believers invest time, energy, and resources to fulfil the Great Commission - reaching lost people and growing them into fully devoted followers of Christ.  Acts 2:41-47; 12:5; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 14:26-33; Galatians 2:2; 1 Timothy 5:16; Hebrews 10:25