BELIEFS

We believe in one eternal and uncreated God who exists in Trinity and unity as three distinct but equal persons, each of the same substance and nature—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 4:4-6) God is the creator of everything in heaven and on earth—seen and unseen—and is good, holy, and all powerful. (Ex 34:6-7 | Eph. 3:1-11 | Col. 1:15-16 | Jam. 1:17) The Father orchestrates and directs history, and is worthy of worship, service, and obedience from all creation. (Rom. 11:33-36 | Eph. 3:1-11 | Rev. 4:11)

We believe the eternal Son took on human flesh as Jesus Christ, who was both fully God and fully man. The Son came to earth for us and our salvation as the fulfillment of God’s promises. (Jn. 1:14 | Rom. 1:2-5 | Rom. 3:21-22) Through His death and physical resurrection, Jesus defeated the powers of sin, evil, and death, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father where He advocates for His followers and rules as King over all creation. (Col. 2:13-15 | Phil. 2:6-11 | Heb. 4:14-5:10)

We believe the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son to proclaim Jesus and empower His followers to share the good news of His death and resurrection with the world. (Jn. 14:16-17 | Jn. 15:26) The Holy Spirit lives within each follower of Jesus, and He teaches, guides, comforts, and empowers them to build God’s Kingdom, and His presence is proof that the individual believes and follows Jesus. (Rom. 6:10-11 | 1 Cor. 6:19 | Eph. 1:13)

We believe God has revealed His will and purpose for humanity through the Bible, a book inspired by the Holy Spirit but written by human hands. (2 Pt. 2:20-21) In the Bible, God reveals His character, His plan to rescue creation from sin, evil, and death, and teaches His followers how to live in His design for humanity. (Eph. 3:8-11, 2 Ti. 3:16-17 | Heb. 4:12-13) Because the Bible is inspired by God, it doesn’t contain any lies or untrue statements and should be the basis for how His people live and act. (Mt. 5:17-19 | Jn. 17:17)

We believe God created humanity as male and female in His image, designed us to live in a relationship with Him, and commanded us to rule over and care for His good creation. (Gen. 1:27-28) However, the first humans rejected God’s authority and as a result of their disobedience humanity and all creation is twisted and corrupted by sin, evil, and death. (Rom. 3:10-12 | Rom. 8:21-22)

We believe God has made a way to rescue humanity and creation from the power of sin, evil, and death through the sacrificial death and physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:6-11 | 1 Cor. 15:20-28) When a person decides to believe that only the life, sacrificial death, and physical resurrection of Jesus can defeat the power of sin, evil, and death, and stops believing other individuals, actions, or institutions can rescue and restore all of creation, and then follows the commands and instructions of Jesus as a demonstration of their allegiance to Him, they become a member of God’s people. (Mt. 7:21-23 | Rom. 1:16-17 | Rom. 3:21-25 | Rom. 4:1-8 | Rom. 4:23-25 | Rom. 10:9-10 | Col. 1:19-22 | Phil. 3:20-21 | 1 Ti. 6:11-12) As members of God’s people, Jesus’ followers receive eternal and abundant life that can never be taken away, a new mission and purpose, and the Holy Spirit. (Mt. 28:18-20 | Jn. 14:16-18 | Jn. 16:5-15 | Rom. 8:31-39 | Col. 1:11-14)

We believe followers of Jesus Christ are called to love God and love people. (Mk. 12:29-31 | Jn. 13:34-35 | Jn. 15:17) Followers of Jesus love God by obeying His commands for human life as revealed in the Bible. (Mt. 7:12-14 | Jn. 14:15 | Rom. 12:1-2) In addition, followers of Jesus love people by proclaiming the good news of Jesus’ defeat of sin, evil, and death, and demonstrating God’s design for humanity through their relationships and actions. (Mt 5:43-48 | Acts 1:8 | 2 Cor. 2:14-16 | 2 Cor. 5:11-15 | 1 Pt. 3:13-17 | Jam. 2:14-17) By loving God and loving people, followers of Jesus participate in God’s plan to rescue and restore all creation through building His Kingdom. (1 Cor. 15:58 | 2 Cor. 5:6-10 | 2 Cor. 5:18-21 | Eph. 1:10-14 | Eph. 2:4-10)

We believe the church is the family of people who have decided to believe in and follow Jesus Christ. (Eph. 2:19-22) Jesus exists as the head and leader of this family but calls His followers to lead and serve in different roles in the church. (Eph. 1:22-23 | Eph. 4:11-16) These roles are not restricted by a person’s race, gender, or nationality (Acts 6:1-6 | Acts 16:13-15 | Rom. 16:1-5 | Ga. 3:26-29 | Eph. 2:19-22 | 1 Ti. 3:8-11 | Ti. 2:1-4).

We believe the church is called to proclaim the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection with the entire world. (Mt. 28:18-20 | Acts 1:8 | Acts 2:42-47) To enable the church to fulfill this mission, the Holy Spirit gives each individual follower of Jesus unique spiritual gifts. (Find documents with more details on our beliefs about miracles and spiritual gifts at the bottom of this page.)

We believe the church has two specific symbols and pictures of Jesus’ defeat of sin, evil, and death: baptism and communion. (Mt. 26:26-28 | Rom. 6:1-11) Baptism is a public declaration that a person believes in and follows Jesus and is an outward symbol of an inward decision. (Col. 2:11-13 | 1Pt. 3:18-21) Communion is a reminder of the death and resurrection of Jesus that points followers of Jesus to God’s coming new creation. (1 Cor. 11:23-26) While communion and baptism visibly remind the church of Jesus’ death and resurrection and grow the faith of followers of Jesus, they don’t provide salvation. (Eph. 2:8-9 | Ti. 3:4-7)

We believe the Holy Spirit empowers followers of Jesus Christ to apply His commands to situations and conflicts in their everyday lives, and that wise and Holy Spirit filled followers of Jesus may interpret and apply God’s instructions differently. (Eph. 4:1-6 | Rom. 14:1-10) In what is essential to the faith there should be agreement and unity, but in what is not essential, there is freedom to disagree. In any disagreement the key concern is humility and love for the other person. (1 Cor. 8:7-13 | 1 Cor. 10:23-11–1 | 1 Cor. 13:1-7 | Gal. 1:6-9 | 1 Jn 2:18-25)

We believe one day God will complete His plan to restore and redeem humanity and all creation from the power of sin, evil, and death. (Rom. 8:18-25 | Rev. 22:1-6) When Jesus Christ returns to the earth, He will come in glory to judge the living and the dead; His followers will be raised to life and given new bodies, and anyone who has not decided to believe in and follow Jesus will not enter into the life of God’s new creation and will suffer the consequence of eternal separation from Him. (Jn. 5:22-30 | Rom. 8:9-11 | 1 Cor. 15:50-55 | 2 Cor. 5:1-5 | 1 Th. 4:13-18 | Rev. 20:11-20) At the return of Jesus, He will permanently remove the presence of sin, evil, and death from His followers and all creation—restoring them to God’s original design—and His kingdom will have no end. (1 Cor. 15:24-28 | Phil. 3:20-21 | Rev. 21:1-8)