What We Believe

In essential beliefs, we have unity.

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4–6 (ESV)

In non-essential beliefs, we have liberty.

“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters…Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls…So then each of us will give an account of himself to God…So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.” Romans 14:1, 4, 12, 22 (NIV)

In all our beliefs, we show charity.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2 (ESV)

Four Essential Truths

1. The Bible is the Word of God.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NLT)

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (ESV)

God’s Word is inspired and trustworthy to show us how to know God and become like Jesus Christ. It is meant to be a faithful guide for disciples of Jesus to wrestles with timeless and divine truths that lead us to become the people that God created us to be; people who love well and partner with God to bring restoration to a hurting and broken world.

2. Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” which means, God with us. Matthew 1:23 (ESV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (ESV)

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11–12 (ESV)

Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, is fully God and man, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life on earth, and voluntarily paid for our sin by dying on the cross as our substitute. This accomplished salvation for all who receive grace by trusting in Him alone. He rose from the dead and is the only mediator between God, the first person of the Trinity, and us. He baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the the Trinity, and will return again to create a new heaven and a new earth. It is the goal of every Christian to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did while he walked this earth with us.

3. You must be born again.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16:25 (ESV)

All people were created in God’s image and have been influenced by the breaking influence of sin. God desires for us to be restored to a type of humanity that is governed by peace and love with God and for others as it was demonstrated through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. This inner transformation is described in the scriptures as being “born again”. It is a transformation into a new creation that can experience eternal life now and forevermore.

4. Believers can be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (ESV)

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16–17 (ESV)

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26–27 (ESV)

We believe the only way possible to live the Christian life is by God’s power within us. Every believer can be filled with the Holy Spirit by simply asking. We seek to practice a daily dependence on God’s Spirit to enable us to do what is right and have daily fellowship with God.

Statement of Beliefs

Bible

We believe the Bible to be the only inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. It is God’s written method for revealing His thoughts and good character to us.
2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:21; 1 Cor. 2:13; Mark 12:26,36; 13:11; Acts 1:16; 2:4

God

We believe God is eternally existing in three persons – God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. He created everything and wants to have an intimate relationship with everyone. The point of life is to be connected with God and with others in authentic relationships to restore God’s intended purpose for humanity. Deuteronomy 6:4 ; 2 Corinthians 13:14

Jesus

We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ; in His Virgin Birth; in His sinless humanity; in His miracles; in His perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people through the shedding of His blood and death on the cross; in His bodily resurrection; in His ascension to the right hand of the Father; and in His personal return in power and glory.
Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14, 8:40,58, 11:33; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 5:8-10; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:8

Humanity

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam’s sin all of mankind has fallen and inherited a sin nature, thus man in his natural state is lost, alienated from God and incapable of attaining salvation by any personal effort or merit.
Genesis 1:26; Romans 3, 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:18-19

Salvation

We believe that salvation is the gift of God given to man by grace and received by repentance and faith in Jesus. Grace is God giving us a way to know Him even when we do not deserve it. Faith is trusting that God is who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He will do. Ephesians 2:8-10 ; John 1:12 ; Ephesians 1:7 ; 1 Peter 1:18-19

Holy Spirit

We believe in the promise of the Holy Spirit, not as an influence, but as a Divine Person, who was sent at Pentecost to unify all believers into one body, the Church, whose indwelling is the source and power of all acceptable worship and service. He is our abiding Comforter and Helper, and is ever present to testify of Christ.
John 7:38-39; 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:9; Phil. 3:3

Church

We believe in the Church which is the body and bride of Christ, that we are a spiritual family united by the Holy Spirit, and thus being members one of another we are responsible in good conscience to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, loving one another with a pure heart. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Head over all the church, commanded His people to hold to the practice of water baptism and the regular taking of Communion. We do not believe that either of these practices is essential for salvation, but that they serve as a demonstration of our living faith in Him.

Sexual Formation

We believe that living in the way of Jesus means embracing His vision of faithfulness in life, marriage and sexuality. This practically looks like abstaining from all sexual relationships outside of the historic vision of Christian marriage expressed in whole life covenant union between a man and woman, avoiding pornography, inappropriate relationships that compromise our witness, and pursuing life giving holiness by the grace of God.

LGBTQIA+

We are committed to seek to understand and address the deep heart issues of identity and experience which draw some people into the LGBTQI+ practice; to reach out with love, compassion, and justice of Christ, and to reject and condemn all forms of hatred, verbal or physical abuse and victimization of LGBTQI+ people.