We believe that the good news of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection is the greatest and most powerful story ever told, and it is the power of God for salvation. Therefore, we will strive to make the gospel story the center of all we believe, teach, and do.
We want to be the answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21 that “They would be one as I and the Father are one.” We are eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace because our peace with God (vertical reconciliation), is what makes our peace with one another (horizontal reconciliation) a reality! The Church is not like a family, we are family.
We want the front door of the church, to be the front door of our homes! We desire to be a missional Family that not only invites non-Christians into our lives, but also seeks opportunities to step into theirs. We will leverage our gifts, resources, and TIME to seek the welfare of our city through deeds of Justice and Mercy, especially to the vulnerable, poor, and oppressed.
Jesus said, “Go, make disciples” (Matthew 28:19-20). This is the mission of the Church. Therefore, disciple-making is not a ministry of the local church but the ministry of the local church. It is essential that we do not get caught up in over-programming and under-discipling people. If we are to be faithful to the commission of Jesus, then disciple-making must be at the heart of all that we seek to do within our ministry context. We desire to help equip disciples to make disciples who become mature disciples who continue the mission of making more disciples.
The bible is clear that every human is made in the image of God. The distinctions that we have from ethnicity to gender, are not arbitrary or the result of sin, but the very intentional work of God for the purpose of his glory and the good of humanity. With this truth in mind, we will intentionally seek to be a diverse, multiethnic family that reflects the diversity of the community that we gather in. When Jesus returns in glory and the beautiful reality of Revelation 7:9-12 is fulfilled, it will be because of the Church’s faithful obedience to preach the Gospel to ALL NATIONS. The Gospel is an ALL NATIONS Gospel, and we consider it an incredible privilege that we as believers get to participate in seeing the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven until he returns.
Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort. We want to be a Spirit Led church that is committed to relying on God through consistent, scripture fed, Spirit led, worship based prayer. Prayer is not just a discipline but the lifeline of our relationship with God, guiding our decisions, empowering our mission, and transforming our lives. In every step we take, we seek to depend on Him, trusting His wisdom, power, and provision.
We believe that there is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
Jer 2:12-13; Matt 28:19; John 15:26; 1 Cor 12:4-6; 1 John 5:7; John 10:30; John 5:17; John 14:23; John 17:5, 10; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor 2:10-11; Phil 2:5-6; Eph 2:18; 2 Cor 13:14; Rev 1:4-5
We believe that the Holy Bible is God’s inspired word and is the revelation of Himself to humanity. It is perfect divine instruction. God is the author, and therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.
2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21
We believe that humans are the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation. In the beginning humans were innocent of sin and was created by God with freedom of choice. Through the temptation of Satan, humanity disobeyed the command of God and fell from their original holiness and righteousness. Now the entire human race inherits a corrupt nature that is opposed to God and His law. Therefore, all humans are under condemnation. This depravity extends to the mind, will, body and affections. Unregenerate humanity lives under the dominion of sin and Satan. They are at enmity with God, hostile toward and hateful of God and therefore are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring people into His holy fellowship and enable them to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created humans in His own image, and in that Christ died for humans; therefore, every person of every ethnicity possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Matthew 16:26; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22
We believe that Repentance and Faith are gifts from God that is brought about in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt and inability to please God, we turn from our sins, and turn to Jesus with genuine remorse, confessing our need for him, and gladly receiving him as our Lord and relying on Him alone as the only and all sufficient Savior.
John 16:8; Acts 2:37-38; Acts 16:30-31; Luke 18:13; Luke 15:18-21; Jas 4:7-10; 2 Cor 7:11; 1 Cor 10:12-13; Ps 51:1-19; Rom 10:9-11; Acts 3:22-23; Heb 4:14; Ps 2:6; Heb 1:8; Heb 7:25
We believe that salvation is the redemption of the whole person and is entirely the work of God’s grace, offered freely to all who hear the gospel and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Salvation is received through repentant faith and results in a restored relationship with God.
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, freely took upon Himself our human nature, yet without sin. He perfectly obeyed God’s law, offered Himself as a full and sufficient atonement for our sins through His death on the cross, rose bodily from the dead, and is now enthroned in heaven as the all-sufficient Savior of all who believe.
In its fullness, salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification.
Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace by which sinners are made new in Christ Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. In regeneration, the Spirit brings conviction of sin and grants new life, enabling the sinner to respond in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Justification is God’s gracious act by which He pardons the sins of all who repent and believe in Christ and declares them righteous in His sight on the basis of Christ’s righteousness alone. This declaration occurs at the moment of faith and brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God.
Sanctification is the ongoing work of God’s grace, beginning at regeneration, by which the believer is set apart for God’s purposes and enabled to grow in holiness through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. This growth in grace continues throughout the believer’s earthly life.
Glorification is the final and complete fulfillment of salvation, when believers are raised in glorified bodies, fully conformed to the image of Christ, brought into eternal fellowship with God in the new heavens and new earth, and forever freed from the presence and power of sin.
The blessings of salvation are made available to all through the gospel, and it is the responsibility of every person to respond in repentant and obedient faith. Salvation is not hindered by the greatness of one’s sin, but by humanity’s inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel. God’s grace excludes all boasting and produces humility.
Those whom God has accepted in Christ, regenerated by His Spirit, and justified by faith will be kept by the power of God and will persevere in grace to the end. Though believers may fall into sin and experience its consequences for a time, they will never finally fall away from salvation, but will be preserved by God’s faithful grace.
There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17;John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18
We believe that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local congregation of baptized believers who are joined together by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. Each local church exists under the lordship of Jesus Christ and is governed by His Word.
The church observes the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, is led by pastors/elders and served by deacons, and is empowered by the Holy Spirit to exercise spiritual gifts for mutual edification and faithful witness. Each member is personally responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord.
The church is also the Body of Christ in its universal sense, made up of all the redeemed of every age, believers from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, called together to glorify God and proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Matthew 16:18; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Ephesians 1:22–23; Acts 2:41–47; Hebrews 10:24–25; Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9; 1 Peter 5:1–5
We believe in the glorious, and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring the world to its appropriate end, in accordance with His promise. When He returns, He will exercise His role as final Judge, and His kingdom will be consummated. We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous—the unrighteous sentenced to eternal judgment and punishment, and the righteous to eternal blessedness in the presence of God, in the new heaven and the new earth. On that day the church will be presented faultless before God by the perfect obedience, suffering, and triumph of Christ. All sin and its effects will be eliminated and forever banished.
Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1!.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7!.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27- 28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7!.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1- 22:13
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.
Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.
The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.
Genesis 1:26–28; Genesis 2:18–24; Matthew 19:4–6; Malachi 2:14–15; Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:22–33; Psalm 127:3–5; Psalm 139:13–16; Exodus 20:12; Colossians 3:20
We believe that salvation is entirely the work of God’s grace from beginning to end.
Before the creation of the world, God lovingly chose to save a people for Himself (Ephesians 1:4–6). Because humanity is fallen and spiritually unable to seek God on its own, salvation does not begin with human effort or decision, but with God’s mercy and initiative (Romans 3:10–12; Ephesians 2:1–5).
God graciously calls sinners to Himself, gives them new life, and grants the faith by which they trust in Christ (John 6:44; Ephesians 2:8–9; Philippians 1:29). From God’s choosing, to Christ’s redeeming work, to the Spirit’s life-giving power, every aspect of salvation is the result of God’s sovereign grace.
This truth gives us humility, assurance, and hope—because our salvation rests not on our ability to hold onto God, but on God’s faithfulness to hold onto us (Romans 8:29–30; John 10:28–29).
Ephesians 1:4–6, 11; Romans 8:29–30; Romans 9:10–24; John 6:37, 44; John 10:27–29; Acts 13:48; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:4–7; Ephesians 2:1–10; Philippians 1:29; 1 Corinthians 1:26–31; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:1–5
We believe that all spiritual gifts described in the New Testament are given by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the Church and have not ceased with the close of the New Testament or the death of the apostles (1 Corinthians 12:1–11). Every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and is given gifts according to God’s grace and purpose for the good of the body of Christ (Romans 12:4–8; 1 Corinthians 12:7).
The exercise of spiritual gifts must always be guided by the authority of Scripture, centered on the lordship of Jesus Christ, and practiced in love, humility, and order (1 Corinthians 13; 14:26–40). Spiritual gifts are not given for personal status or self-promotion, but for service, edification, and the advancement of God’s mission in the world.
Romans 12:4–8; 1 Corinthians 12:1–11; 1 Corinthians 12:4–7; 1 Corinthians 12:12–31; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13; 1 Corinthians 14:1–5, 12, 26–33, 39–40; Ephesians 4:7–13; 1 Peter 4:10–11; Hebrews 2:3–4; Acts 2:17–18; Acts 10:44–46; Acts 19:6
We believe that men and women are created by God with equal dignity, value, and worth, bearing His image together (Genesis 1:27). God designed men and women to serve in distinct, yet complementary ways that reflect His good purposes and lead to human flourishing.
In the church, both men and women are called to actively serve, lead, teach, and use their spiritual gifts for the building up of the body of Christ. At the same time, we believe Scripture teaches that the pastoral office of elder is entrusted to biblically qualified men (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9).
We hold this conviction with gratitude for the vital and distinct contributions of men and women in ministry and with a commitment to honor, partnership, and brotherly and sisterly love within the church family.
Genesis 1:26–28; Genesis 2:18–25; Genesis 3:16–19; 1 Corinthians 11:3, 8–12; 1 Corinthians 14:33–35; Ephesians 5:22–33; Colossians 3:18–19; 1 Timothy 2:11–14; 1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9; 1 Peter 3:1–7; Galatians 3:28
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to our faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, every believer must be baptized and partake in the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby only those who have become genuine followers of Christ partake of the bread and the fruit of the vine, remembering the death of the Jesus and anticipating His second coming.
Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12
We believe, if necessary, Christ followers should consider building partnerships, organizing networks, associations, or conventions that will promote cooperation for the purpose of Kingdom expansion. Such organizations should have no authority over one another or over the churches. They are voluntary and advisory organizations designed to elicit, combine, and direct the efforts of believers in the most effective manner. Churches should partner with one another in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries of their churches for the extension of Christ’s Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ’s people. Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when our cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament.
Matthew 10:5-15; 20:1-16; 22:1-10; 28:19-20; Mark 2:3; Luke 10:1ff.; Acts 1:13-14; 2:1ff.; 4:31-37; 13:2-3; 15:1-35; 1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:5-15; 12; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Galatians 1:6-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Philippians 1:15-18
We believe that God is both the Creator and the Judge of all people. We therefore should share His concern for justice and reconciliation throughout human society and for the liberation of men and women from every kind of oppression. Since men and women are made in the image of God, every person, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, or age, has an intrinsic dignity which should be respected and served, not exploited. We believe the message of the Gospel implies also a message of judgment upon every form of alienation, oppression and discrimination, and we should not be afraid to denounce evil and injustice wherever they exist. When people receive Christ, they are born again into His kingdom and must seek not only to exhibit, but also to spread its righteousness in the midst of an unrighteous world. The salvation we claim should be transforming us in the totality of our personal and social responsibilities. Faith without works is dead.
Acts 17:26,31; Gen. 18:25; Isa. 1:17; Psa. 45:7; Gen. 1:26,27; Jas. 3:9; Lev. 19:18; Luke 6:27,35; Jas. 2:14-26; Joh. 3:3,5; Matt. 5:20; 6:33; II Cor. 3:18; Jas. 2:20
