Who We Are
Our church holds to these foundational values of who we are and who we would like to become. Our decisions, actions, and activities should remain true to these values even though the shape of our ministries may change. We are a church that:
- Proclaims the true meaning of the gospel
- Teaches our people to obey God’s Word
- Prays individually and corporately
- Equips our people to do ministry
- Reaches the lost locally and globally
- Disciples our people to maturity in Christ
- Values inter-generational and cultural diversity
- Makes sacrifices for God’s Kingdom
- Builds Christian community and Biblical fellowship
- Honors the work of the Holy Spirit
What We Believe
We believe that the original writings of the Bible are inspired by God without error of any kind. The sixty-six books of the Bible are the complete written revelation of God to man, given that believers may be adequately equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
We believe in the one living and true God, eternally existing in perfect unity as three equally and fully divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each member of the Godhead, while executing distinct but complementary roles in redemptive history, has precisely the same nature, attributes, and being, and is equally worthy of the same glory and honor and obedience (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19-20; Jn.1:1-4)
We believe that God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (Ps. 145:8-9; 1 Cor. 8:6). He is the creator of all things (Gen. 1:1-31; Eph. 3:9). As the only absolute and omnipotent ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (Ps. 103:19). His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind. As Creator He is Father to all men (Eph. 4:6), but He is spiritual Father only to believers (Rom. 8:14; 2 Cor. 6:18).
We believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Mary, a virgin. He is the eternal Son of God in the flesh, in all ways fully God, and fully human (Matt. 1:18-23; Jn. 1:1; Phil. 2:6-8). He lived a sinless life and died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice in the place of sinners (2 Cor. 5:21). He was buried and was raised from the dead (1 Cor. 15:4). He ascended in bodily form to the Father in heaven and will return again to receive those who have believed in Him (Jn. 14:2-3).
We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in each believer and effects a positive change of heart, mind and life. Every Christian has been baptized with the Holy Spirit upon conversion (1 Cor. 12:13). While there is only one baptism of the Spirit, there may be many fillings of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). The Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts to each believer according to His will for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7), sanctifies believers for obedience to Christ and glorifies the Father through them (Jn. 16:7-11; Gal. 5:22-23; 1 Pet. 1:2).
We believe that Adam, the ancestor of mankind, was originally created in the image of God, fell through sin, and as a consequence of his sin, lost relationship with God. We believe that this spiritual death has been transmitted to the entire human race of man, the Man Christ Jesus alone being excepted (Gen. 1:26; 3:6; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:23; Eph. 2:1–3; Heb. 4:15).
We believe that salvation for mankind is by God’s grace alone through faith. It is the free gift of God, neither merited nor secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom all true believers have the gift of eternal life, sonship in the family of God, deliverance and security from all condemnation, every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness. Apart from Christ, there is no possible salvation (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Jn. 1:12; Rom. 8:1; Acts 4:12).
We believe that the local church is an assembly of born-again believers coming together for the purpose of worship and mutual edification (Acts 2:42-47; 1 Cor. 12:12-27). The mission of the church is to carry out the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) and the Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37-38).
Baptism & the Communion/Lord’s Supper are the two ordinances to be observed in church life. Water baptism is an external sign of an accomplished internal reality (Rom. 6:3-4). All believers are to be baptized by immersion (Matt. 28:19-20; Mk. 1:10; Acts 2:38). The Lord’s Supper is the Christ-ordained means in which we remember His death for our salvation (1 Cor. 11:24-25).
We believe that those who have been born again will pass immediately into His presence at death (Lk. 23:40-43) and will be resurrected with a new body to an eternal life in God’s Kingdom when Jesus Christ returns physically (1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:13-17). Every person without Christ stands guilty as a sinner (Rom. 3:23), is judged before His Great White Throne, and throughout eternity exists in a state of conscious, unutterable, and endless torment (Rev. 20:11-15). Every believer will be judged before Christ’s Judgment Seat (2 Cor. 5:10) and enter into the presence of God in the eternal kingdom of the new heaven and the new earth (Rev. 21:1-5).
