What We Believe

OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH

In addition to our Mission & Vision, we are guided by a set of orthodox Christian doctrines grounded in the Bible’s teachings. Our denominational affiliation is with Converge.

The Word of God

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the originalmanuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice.

The Trinity

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

God the Father

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer and provides salvation for all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

God the Son – Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary, atoning death; bodily resurrection; ascension into heaven; perpetual intercession for His people and personal visible return to earth.

God the Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Divine Comforter, who indwells every believer in Christ as an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. We believe that He is the divine agent in bringing individuals into relationship with Christ, and to that end He convinces the world of the reality of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, sanctifies, equips, and empowers all who believe in Jesus Christ.

Regeneration

We believe that mankind was created in the image of God, but fell from his position through disobedience, and as result of this, his moral nature was corrupted and spiritual and physical death ensued. This nature was transmitted through Adam resulting in the total depravity of all mankind. Restoration to fellowship with God is made possible only by the new birth. The new birth occurs when an individual, by faith, trusts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Christian Conduct

We believe that a Christian believer should endeavor to live with an awareness of the sovereignty and the grace of God. He will seek to bring glory to God, to sustain integrity in his personal conduct both publicly and privately, to exercise responsible stewardship of person and possessions, and to encourage a developing relationship with Christ both for himself and others.

Religious Liberty

We believe that every human being has direct relations with God and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other. I. The Church

The Church

We believe in the universal Church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on profession of faith and associated for the purposes set forth in Article II of this Constitution. We believe that God has entrusted to these believers the ministry of reconciliation with/to God through the sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. We declare that his local church is to be autonomous and self-governing, functioning within the framework of the biblical concept of religious liberty.

Gender, Marriage, and Sex

We believe that God created every person in His image. As part of God’s good design for humanity, He created us male and female and designed marriage to be between one man and one woman. It is within this bond of marriage that sexual activity is be pursued and enjoyed. Any sexual activity outside of this covenant relationship is sin as it is counter to His purposes and ultimately not best for human flourishing.

The Ordinances

We believe that Jesus Christ entrusted to His Church two ordinances, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Both are representative of the relationship believers have with Him, and both are to be observed until his return. We believe that Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water, expressing that believer’s identification and union with Jesus Christ in regeneration. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a proclamation of the communion provided for the believer by the death of Christ.

The Last Things

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the consummation of this body. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of the righteous and the endless separation of the wicked from the presence of God.