God
We believe in one God who eternally exists in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. There are no other gods. This “three-in-one” existence is known as the Trinity and is a mystery that even the Bible does not fully explain. All three persons of the trinity are divine and share in the fullness of the divine attributes and activity. They are eternal, holy, immutable, transcendent, loving, and righteous. They are omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. All three work together in perfect unity and loving community. All things that exist have been created by God and are sustained by his power.
The Bible
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God. As such, it is to be obeyed above all other teachings and is the final authority for every aspect of life. We believe that the Bible is inerrant in its original writings and that the Holy Spirit guides the faithful translation of the scriptures for the gospel to reach every race and tongue. We believe the scriptures we possess today are rightly translated for the modern reader to understand the truth of God’s Word and is trustworthy in its message. History and scholarship continue to attest to the unique nature of the Bible and that it can be trusted as an accurate reflection of the original writings.
Mankind’s Condition
We believe that Adam and Eve were perfectly created in God’s image and were designed for relationship with Him and for His glory. When Adam and Eve disobeyed the command of God and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sin entered the human world. Adam, Eve, and all their descendants are now sinful by nature and choice. Our sin makes us the object of God’s righteous wrath.
Jesus
We believe that Jesus (God the Son), gave up his rightful place in heaven to become fully human to save mankind from their sins. Although fully human, he retained his divine nature fully. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit. As a physical human he grew, celebrated, ate food, wept, suffered, and died. He lived the full life of a human yet did so without sin. As mankind’s full representative, Jesus allowed himself to be sacrificed and for his blood to be shed for the sins of the world. This paid the full penalty of mankind’s sin, appeased the wrath of God, and opened the way for mankind to be reconciled to God. We believe that Jesus rose from the grave on the third day and conquered death. His sufficient sacrifice and victorious resurrection secured the only means by which mankind can be forgiven from their sins and be restored to right relationship with God.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit works in all things to glorify the Son of God. The Spirit is at work in the world to convict people of their sin and draw them to God. When a person is drawn to faith in Jesus the Holy Spirit regenerates them, fills them, and seals them as an everlasting member of God’s family. The filling of the Holy spirit enables the believer to discern truth, grow spiritually, serve humbly, and live in a way that brings honor and glory to God.
The Church
We believe that there is one Church which is described in the Bible as the body and the bride of Christ. The Church is made up of all those who have been saved by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus, and have been baptized into God’s eternal family by the Holy Spirit. The body of Christ is made up of individual believers who form local churches which are uniquely positioned to accomplish the work of the Gospel in their region while sending out missionaries to the ends of the earth.
The Ordinances
We believe that the church is to observe two ordinances. The first is that of baptism. We believe that the preferred mode of baptism is submersion but that other modes may be used when appropriate. The point of baptism is to proclaim publicly that the person being baptized has been united with Christ in his death and resurrection. The second ordinance is that of the Lord’s supper. The church celebrates the Lord’s supper in obedience to the command given us by Jesus as an act of worshipful remembrance. The ordinances are not a means of salvation but an outward expression of the change that has taken place in the life of the believer and their commitment to follow Jesus.
Life as a Believer
We believe that the life of a believer begins when they are saved, continues to grow through the process of sanctification, and is complete when they are glorified with Jesus. Believers are called to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love their neighbor as themselves. God has provided the believer with the truth of His word, the empowering of the Holy Spirit, and the fellowship of the church to aid them in living such a life. Believers are to pray for, encourage, sharpen, admonish, correct, and help one another as they seek to stand against a sinful world, flee temptation, and oppose the enemy. In united obedience to Jesus, believers work to fulfill the great commission to proclaim the gospel to the lost and to make disciples of Jesus.
Jesus Return
We believe that Jesus appeared to at least 500 of his disciples during the forty days that followed his resurrection and that he then ascended into heaven. Jesus ascended to the right hand of God the Father. He went into heaven to prepare a place for believers and in order that he might send the Holy Spirit. Jesus will return, as he promised, in bodily form and in power. He will return at a time known only to the Father. The church should minister, evangelize, and serve in eager expectation of his return.
Eternal Judgement
We believe that God has made himself known to the world both through general and special revelation. Mankind is accountable to this knowledge and must come to saving faith in Jesus. At the appointed time, God will judge all mankind and send those who put their faith in Jesus to eternal blessing as they dwell with him for eternity. Those who reject God’s offer of salvation will be cast into hell where they will suffer for eternity.
