STATEMENT OF FAITH

Our Statement of Faith represents the basic doctrines we believe to be the core elements of biblical teaching.

THE WORD OF GOD

We believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God. We believe the Bible is the final authority in every area it addresses for every individual Christian, as well as for the church collectively.

2 Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26

THE TRINITY

We believe in one God eternally existing as one essence and three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, each of whom is fully God, yet there is one God.

1 John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35

GOD THE FATHER

God the Father is the infinite, eternal and almighty personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love, and is the first Person of the Trinity. He is merciful, He hears and answers prayers, and He saves from sin and death all who come to Him in repentance and faith through Jesus Christ.

John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1-2; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6

JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was fully God and fully man. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory.

John 1:1,14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 2:5

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the Holy Spirit who is sent by the Father and Son to give new life. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is our abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide. We believe in the filling and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, often a conscious experience, for ministry today.

John 14:16,17,26 & 15:26,27; John 16:8–14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; Galatians 5:22–26

REDEMPTION

Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21

SALVATION

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ: His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts.

Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22

REPENTANCE

Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:21,3:19; 1 John 1:9

SANCTIFICATION

Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ's character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a Godly life.

1 Thessalonians 4:3,5:23; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the present ministry of the Spirit and in the exercise of the biblical gifts of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should not be used in violation of Biblical parameters.

Hebrews 2:4; Romans 12:4-8; 1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; 1 Peter 4:10

THE CHURCH

The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus' Great Commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23

ORDINANCES

Water Baptism
Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48

The Lord's Supper
This ordinance is a unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and wine (symbolizes the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross. It is to be observed repeatedly throughout the Christian life as a sign of continued participation of faith in Christ.

Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25

HUMANITY & MARRIAGE

We believe that God created human beings, male and female, in His own image. Therefore, we believe in the sanctity of human life. God created them sinless, equal in value, dignity, and worth. According to His purpose and design, God created them to fulfill distinct but complementary roles in the contexts of marriage, family, and the local church. We believe marriage is defined in the Bible as a covenant, a sacred bond between one man and one woman, instituted by and publicly entered into before God.

Genesis 1:26-28; Ephesians 5:22-6:4; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Matthew 19:4-6

THE LAST THINGS

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgement, the eternal joy of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.

Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Philippians 3:20; 1 Corinthians 15; Revelation 20:11–15