What we believe

THE BIBLE

God has given us His written Word the Bible comprised of the Old and New Testaments. It is divinely inspired and stands as the final, reliable authority for faith and practice. Through Scripture, God reveals who He is and what He desires for our lives. Though written by human authors, it was composed under the supernatural direction of the Holy Spirit. Because it is inspired by God, the Bible is completely true and without error, preserved exactly as God intended. It is to be interpreted responsibly, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, within the community of faith. The Bible clearly presents what is necessary for salvation and provides foundational instruction for daily living. It serves as the supreme standard by which all human conduct, beliefs, and opinions are to be evaluated.
(Deut. 4:1-2; II Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21)

TRINITY

God: Three in One God has eternally existed in perfect relationship within Himself. He is one God revealed in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While each person of the Trinity fulfills distinct roles, all share equal power, authority, and divine nature.
(Gen. 1:1; Deut. 6:4; John 4:24, 14; Gal. 4:6; 2 Pet. 1:17; Psalm 2:7ff; Isaiah 7:14; John 1:1-18; Hebrews 1:8; Psalm 51:11; 1 John 4:13; Acts 5:3-4)

THE FATHER

God is Holy God is great in that He is all powerful, all knowing, ever present, unchanging, wholly trustworthy, and perfectly holy. Because He is righteous, He alone is the ultimate moral authority and is worthy of our reverence. In Him we live, move, and have our being. God is also good: He is our Father loving, compassionate, and faithful to His people and His promises. He genuinely cares for and is personally involved with all of His creation.
(Exodus 3:14; Numbers 23:19; Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; Psalm 11:4-6; Malachi 3:6; John 3:16, 4:24, 5:26, 14:1; Acts 17:28; Romans 3:3-4)

THE SON

God became human Jesus Christ is the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, fully God and fully human, the eternal and pre existent Word. Through His death, Christ made complete atonement for sin, and through His resurrection He demonstrated His lordship and granted life to all who believe. He alone provides the way for enemies of God to be restored to a right relationship with Him. Living a perfect life, Jesus became our substitute, bearing the punishment for our sins on the cross and satisfying God’s righteous wrath. By rising from the dead, He conquered sin, death, and evil, bringing life and restoring God’s created order. He inaugurated the Kingdom of God, present now and fulfilled forever.
(Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23, 3:17, 8:29, 14:33, 16:16, 28:5-6; Luke 1:34-35; 22:70; 24:46-47; John 1:1-3, 14; 10:30; 11:25-27; 17:1-5; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 8; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15; 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 12:2; 13:8; 1 John 4:14-15)

THE HOLY SPIRIT

God is always present The Holy Spirit assures believers of their relationship with Christ. He leads us into all truth and glorifies Christ. He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and coming judgment. The Spirit comforts believers, distributes spiritual gifts, and works within us to make us more like Christ.
(Genesis 1:2; Psalms 51:11, 139:7ff; Isaiah 6:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Mark 1:10; Luke 1:35, 4:1, 11:13, 12:12; John 15:26, 16:7-14; Acts 1:8, 2:1-4, 13:2; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Peter 1:21; Revelation 22:17)

ETERNITY

Somewhere forever Human beings were created for eternal existence. Each person will live forever either separated from God because of sin or united with God through forgiveness and salvation. Eternal separation from God, under the dominion of Satan, is Hell. Eternal union with God is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real and everlasting. Jesus Christ will return visibly to raise the dead and judge all people. Believers will experience eternal fellowship with God in the fullness of His reign, while unbelievers will endure eternal separation from Him in Hell.
(Matthew 24:29-31; Matthew 25:31-46; John 3:16, 36; Romans 6:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 John 2:25; 5:11-13; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15)

HUMANITY

God’s image bearers Humanity is created in the image of God and represents the pinnacle of His creation. Humans were designed for fellowship with God, but that relationship was broken through sinful disobedience. As a result, people are unable to restore themselves to a right relationship with God through their own efforts. Every person is uniquely created, possesses inherent dignity, and is deserving of respect and godly love.
(Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7, 18-19; 3; Psalms 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6, 12-21; 6:6; 7:14-25; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Ephesians 2; Colossians 1:21; 3:9-11)

SALVATION

God’s only way Salvation is made possible solely through the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. It is received when a person places faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus as full payment for sin and as God’s means of restoring His created order. Salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned by human effort. Through Christ, believers become new creations, transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit from loving sin to loving the Lord with all heart, soul, and mind, and loving others as themselves.
(Isaiah 1:18; 53:5-6; 55:7; Matthew 1:21; 22:37-38; 27:22-28:6; 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2:21; 4:12; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; Romans 1:16-18; 3:23-25; 5:8-10; 6; 8; 10:9-10; 13; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; Ephesians 2:8-22; Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 9:24-28; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20)

THE CHURCH

God’s design for community The Church is a local body of regenerated believers united by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. It is devoted to Christ’s teachings, obedience to His commands, and the mission of sharing the gospel with the world. The Church functions in love and unity with the ultimate goal of glorifying Christ. Believers profess a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, follow the Lord in believer’s baptism by immersion, participate in the Lord’s Supper, gather regularly for worship, and commit themselves to mutual encouragement and care. The Church is called to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and God’s reconciling grace through the power of the Holy Spirit, inviting all people to receive salvation and follow Christ as His disciples. As disciples, we pursue justice for all and work toward the renewal of society.
(Matthew 16:15-19; 28:18-20; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 1:8; 16:30-33; I Corinthians 6:19; 11:23-26; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 1:22-23; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 1:27; 2:8)