Beliefs
THE BIBLE
We believe that the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testament comprise the full, word-for-word, truthful, inerrant word of God which is the supreme and final authority in doctrine and practice.
Isaiah 40:8; Hebrews 4:12
THE TRINITY
We believe in one God eternally existing in three equal persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who have the same nature and attributes, but who are distinct in office and activity.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 48:16; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8
THE FATHER
We believe that as eternal Father, He is the Father of all men in the non-salvation, Creator sense, the Father of the nation of Israel, the father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the disciplinarian of His children.
Exodus 4:22; Psalms 2:7-9; John 5:37; Acts 17:29; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:3-6; Hebrews 12:9; I Peter 1:3
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit regenerates, indwells, baptizes, seals, and bestows spiritual gifts upon all believers at the time of their conversion. Experientially, He fills, teaches, leads, assures, and prays for believers.
John 14:26; John 16:6-15; Acts 1:5; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 11:1-18; Romans 8:14-16, 26-27; I Corinthians 6:19; 12:7-11,13; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 5:18; II Thessalonians 2:1-10; Titus 3:5
THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe Jesus Christ is God incarnate, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, completely God and completely man. We believe in His pre-existence, His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the grave, His ascension into heaven, and His bodily return from heaven.
Luke 1:35; John 1:1,14,18; Romans 3:24-26; Ephesians 4:11-16; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 7:23-25; I Peter 2:3-5; I John 2:1-2
HUMANITY AND SIN
We believe that humans are created in the image of God as male and female, biological sex and gender being one and the same. All humans are intrinsically equal in dignity and value. We were created for communion with God and others. Heterosexual marriage, the only appropriate context for sexual intimacy, serves as the foundation for the family. We believe that, in Adam, all of humanity rebelled against God, introducing sin and brokenness into the world, and incurring both physical and spiritual death (separation from God). Thus, all humans are now sinners by nature and by choice; and in need of salvation from the God who loves them.
Genesis 1:1, 27; Genesis 2:17; Genesis 2:24; Genesis 3:1-19; Isaiah 14:12-14; Matthew 19:3-9; Luke 20:36; John 1:1-3; 8:44; 12:31; Romans 1:24-27; Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:13-14; Hebrews 2:5-8,14; I Peter 2:4; Revelation 20:10
SALVATION
We believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ's substitutionary payment for our sins, not based on human merit, works, or religious ceremony. We believe that anyone who has placed their faith in Christ is eternally secure, has everlasting life, will not come into condemnation, and shall never perish. We believe that assurance comes to the believer from three primary sources: trusting the Word of God's promises, the witness of the Holy Spirit, and a persevering walk with the Lord.
Daniel 12:1-2; Matthew 25:31-46; John 1:12; John 3:16,36; John 5:24; John 10:28-29; John 11:25-26; Romans 8:28-39; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7; I John 4:11-13; Revelation 20:12-15
THE CHURCH
We believe in the church, both universally and locally, as the spiritual body of which Christ is the Head, and in the practices of water baptism of believers and the Lord's Supper as the ordinances of the local church.
Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:15; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:11-16; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 1:18
THE GREAT COMMISSION
We believe that those whom God has saved are sent into the world by Christ as He was by the Father. Those so sent are ambassadors, commissioned to go make disciples and make Christ known to the whole world. We also believe that everyone should have an opportunity to carefully examine the facts about Christ and have a chance to make an intelligent decision about Him.
Matthew 28:18-20; John 18:8; John 17:18; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:14-15; II Corinthians 5:18-20; Colossians 4:2-6; II Timothy 2:14-26
ETERNITY
We believe in the physical resurrection of the human body (at the second coming of Christ); in the eternal conscious existence of all individuals in either heaven or hell; and in the rewards of the saved and the punishment of the lost for eternity.
Luke 16:19-31; I Corinthians 3:11-15; 15:1-58; II Corinthians 5:8-10
Position Papers
In order to make our Statement of Position Papers easier to digest, we have condensed the core principles of each paper into a single document. If you’d like to understand why we believe what we believe, the full papers linked beneath each topic are the best place to go. If you’re simply looking for what we believe on each topic, our Statements of Position Summaries is an excellent place to start.
Abortion
In this paper, we discuss the Bible’s teaching about the value of all human life, including preborn children. To encourage compassion, we strive to put this controversial issue in its appropriate historical and cultural context. Click here to read our position paper.
Biblical Marriage
In this paper, we outline a Biblical worldview on gender, sexuality and marriage, and addressing the interrelated topics of homosexuality, transgenderism, adultery, pornography, divorce, remarriage and more. Click here to read our position paper.
The Gift of Healing
In this paper, we clarify our church’s understanding of physical sickness and miraculous healing in the life of believers. Click here to read our position paper.
The Gift of Tongues
In this paper, we outline our church’s position regarding the supernatural gift of tongues and its usage in the life of a believer or a local church. Click here to read our position paper.
The New Testament Gift of Prophecy
This paper clarifies the various types of prophecy described in the Scriptures and provides our church’s beliefs about the role of this gift in the local church today. Click here to read our position paper.
Water Baptism
In this paper, we outline our church’s understanding of the Bible’s teaching on the nature, purpose, timing and method of water baptism. Click here to read our position paper.
Spiritual Warfare
This paper is designed to walk through the Bible’s teaching about the place of spiritual warfare in the life of the believer, including a description of our enemy’s activities and our weapons of defense against his attacks. Click here to read our position paper.
The Role of Men and Women in Church Leadership
This paper expresses our commitment to honoring the unique design and role of men and women in local church leadership by tracing the theme of “equality in value, diversity in role” through the Scriptures. Click here to read our position paper.
Responding to Cultural Tensions
We've laid out some guiding biblical principles for navigating current cultural issues as well as our guide to biblical justice. In other words, this is how our decisions about responding to our current culture are informed. Click the link below to learn more!