What We Believe:

 

About God

God is our faithful and loving Creator who designed us to do good for others (Ephesians 2:10; I Peter 4:19). He is our Father (Matthew 7:11) who wants all people to be saved (II Peter 3:9). God exists as three-in-one: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:13).

 

The Holy Spirit has inspired the Bible (II Peter 1:21) and now lives in the heart of the Christian to renew us (Titus 3:5), sanctify us (Romans 15:16), give us the power to live (Romans 15:13), and give us our abilities to be the body of Christ and to serve that body and unite it (I Corinthians 12:7-31). He intercedes for us in prayer (Romans 8:26-27).

 

Jesus Christ is the head of his church (Ephesians 1:22). He is God come to earth to be a servant and to die, so that every barrier that stands between God and us might be torn down. We worship him and confess him as the one we trust and follow (Philippians 2:5-11). There is no one else who can give people eternal life (Acts 4:12). Everything we do is in gratitude for Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17).

 

About Humanity

We are all sinners, that is to say, we have not always loved or done what is good and right and we find that we need God’s forgiveness, which he freely offers in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26). We will never reach perfection on this earth (I John 1:8-10) but we have found a win in that we can not only be forgiven but can grow in our ability to love ourselves, others, and God (Ephesians 4:11-16). This means that though the church freely welcomes sinners, which is what we all are, the church also calls people to change their lives and commit to giving up sin (I John 5:18; I Peter 3:9).

 

The Bible is our guide. We are thrilled to discover that God is not silent. He has chosen to speak to all of mankind in the Bible, in scripture. It was written by man but it did not spring from man’s imagination; it is the Word of God himself (II Peter 1:19-21). It gives us our hope (Romans 15:4) and teaches us to put our trust in Jesus (II Timothy 3:15). It is what gives us our definition of what it means to love and to live a good life and do good deeds (II Timothy 3:16-17).

 

About the Means of God's Grace

Baptism is an essential part of our saving faith. It is a participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:1-8). It is how a person calls on the name of the Lord to be saved and results in a person receiving forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:21-41). Baptism is not done to enter a local congregation but to be a part of the body of Christ worldwide (I Corinthians 12:13). Churches that baptize are following the command of Jesus (Matthew 28:19) and his example (Luke 3:21-22).

 

The Lord’s Supper or Communion is a vital part of our Christian life together. We take it every Sunday and on other occasions as seems appropriate. It is a part of our being united together as family and a part of our proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to others (I Corinthians 11:23-33). Bread is taken as Jesus’ body and grape juice as the blood of his new covenant with us (Matthew 26:26-28). Jesus does not say if he means that description of his body and blood to be taken literally or symbolically. Therefore we do not argue the matter among ourselves or with others. Every Christian who joins us for worship is welcome to share our table.