…that God, who eternally exists in a perfect loving union of three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, created men and women in His image and likeness, to love and be loved by both God and one another. Tragically, we have turned away from God, cutting ourselves off from the very source of love, resulting in sin and separation, the failure to love God and others. The world’s brokenness is sourced in this failure to love.
… that God’s gracious response to our broken condition was to come to earth in the Person of Jesus, who entered the world humbly but miraculously, lived a sinless life, revealed the character of the Father through his life and teaching and finally died on the cross to bring forgiveness and the way back to God and Life. He rose from the dead and returned to the Father. But God remains with us by dwelling in us in the Person of the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Helper who draws us to Christ, leads us into truth and frees and empowers us to live as God intended.
… that God not only draws people back into a loving relationship with Himself, but He draws us together into a New Community called the Church, a spiritual family, a community of grace and truth where followers of Jesus journey together and help each other live and love like Jesus. This forgiveness, healing and restoration to the image of God is a free gift of God, offered to all humanity by grace and received through faith in Jesus Christ. The transformative work remains ongoing and is brought to completion when Christ returns to make all things new. Those who refuse God’s gift are choosing to be separated from the presence of God, the Source of love, goodness, truth and beauty.
All of this comes from the Word of God, in the Bible, a unified story written by men but divinely directed by God to lead people to Jesus and Life in His Name.
For those who prefer a more traditional statement of beliefs…
God
We believe that there is one God, who exists eternally in a loving union of three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and that these three, having the same good, true and beautiful nature and perfections, are worthy of our love, expressed as trust, obedience and worship. (Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Mat. 28:19,20; John 15:9-12; Acts 5:3,4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4-6)
Jesus
We believe in the deity and sinless humanity of Jesus Christ as demonstrated in His birth, life, miracles, and teaching. We believe in His perfect, loving sacrifice for the sins of all people through His death on the cross. We believe that He rose bodily from the dead, is Lord of all and will return to complete the work of New Creation that He began. (1 Cor 15:1-8; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14, 8:40,58, 11:33; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 5:8-10; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:8).
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, not as a mere influence, but as a Divine Person, our Comforter and Helper who has come to indwell and unify all believers into one body, the Church. He is ever present to testify of Christ, lead us into truth and free and empower us to live as God intended. (John 7:38-39; 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:9; Phil. 3:3; John 8:32; 2 Cor. 3:17).
Humanity
We believe that men and women were created in the image and likeness of God, made to love and be loved by both God and others and to care for creation. We have turned away from God and are separated from Him, one another and the rest of creation by sin, the failure to love God and others. We are in need of forgiveness, healing and the restoration of the image of God. . (Genesis 1:26; Romans 3, 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:18-19; Matt 22:37-40).
Salvation
We believe that salvation is a free gift of God, offered to all humanity by grace and received through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus’ death on the cross brought forgiveness and the way back to God and life. Salvation is an ongoing transformative work of God in a person’s life that is brought to completion when Christ returns to make all things new. Those who refuse God’s gift are choosing to be separated from the presence of God, the Source of love, goodness, truth and beauty. (John 3:16, 5:24, 14:6; Romans 3:28, 8:31-39; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:26-27,36-39; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 2 Thessalonians 1:9).
The Bible
We believe the Bible is the Word of God, a unified story written by men but divinely directed by God to lead people to Jesus and Life in His name. (John 20:30-31; Luke 1:1-4; John 5:39-40; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The Church
We believe the Church is the Body of Christ where belonging is based on forgiveness in Christ. The Church is a spiritual family, a community of grace and truth where people help each other live and love like Jesus. We believe that Baptism and Communion are public, visceral symbols of faith in Jesus practiced by the church. (Acts 2:41-47; Eph 1:22-23, 4:1-16; Matt 28:19; 1 Cor. 11:23-34).
There are additional subjects debated among Christians that have convincing arguments to biblically support either side of the issue. We will not allow these sometimes important but non-essential matters become our identity or grounds for disunity in the Body of Christ. We seek to keep the main thing the main thing, pointing people to Jesus as He is revealed in Scripture, and living lives that glorify God and bring life to others. We always welcome humble and loving discussions and questions about Christian beliefs and the Scriptures from which they come.
“In the Essentials, Unity… In the Non-Essentials, Liberty… In all things, Charity.”