What We Believe

WE BELIEVE the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired, infallible and inerrant Word of God, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of humankind, and the Divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:21; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 19:7-8; Matthew 5:17-18)

WE BELIEVE that there is one living and true God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and externally existing in three Persons…Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Genesis 1:26; 3:22; Jeremiah 10:10; Psalm 33:6-9; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 1:17)
WE BELIEVE in God the Father, an infinite, sovereign, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of humanity; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (John 3:16; 4:24; 1 John 4:8-9; Jeremiah 32:17-19; Romans 5:8; 11:33-36)

WE BELIEVE in God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary; that He lived a sinless life and died on the cross, shedding His blood as the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins; that He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where at the right hand of God He now sits as our High Priest and advocate; and that his literal and personal return to earth in power and glory is imminent. (John 1:1-3, 14; 20:28-29; Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 Timothy 3:16; Phil. 2:5-11; Matthew 1:18-23; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:9-10, 17; 4:14-16; 10:10-12; Colossians 1:15-20; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 1:8; 5:8-14)

WE BELIEVE in God the Holy Spirit, sent forth from the Father and Son, Whose ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ; convict humanity of their sin; effect spiritual rebirth in the repentant sinner; and indwell, sanctify, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living service. (John 14:16-17, 26; 16:7-15; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16; 3:16; Acts 1:8)

WE BELIEVE that humanity was created to exist forever.  He will exist either eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation.  To be eternally separated from God is Hell.  To be eternally in union with Him is Heaven.  Heaven and Hell are literal places of eternal existence. (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:25; 5:11-13; Revelation 20:15) Man is made in the image of God and is the supreme object of His creation.  Man was created to have fellowship with God but became separated in that relationship through sinful disobedience.  As a result, man cannot attain a right relationship with God through his own effort.  Every human personality is uniquely created, possesses dignity, and is worthy of respect and Christian love. (Genesis 1:26-30; 3; Psalm 8:3-6; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 3:10-18; 7:14-25; 1 Corinthians 15:19; 15:21-22; Ephesians 2)

WE BELIEVE the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the only way of salvation through the forgiveness of sin. Salvation requires that people place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin.  Salvation is a gift from God, and it cannot be earned through our own efforts.  A sinner is saved by grace through faith and obedience. (Isaiah 53:5-6; Matthew 1:21; 27:22-66; 28:1-6; John 3:16; 3:36; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 1:16-18; 3:23-25; 5:8-10; 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Ephesians 2:8-10; James 2:24)

WE BELIEVE the local church is a community of baptized believers unified through faith in Christ.  It is committed to the teachings of Christ and obeying all of His commands, and it seeks to bring the Gospel to the world.  The church works together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ. (Matthew 16:18-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-47; 5:11-14; 13:1-3; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 7:17; 9:13-14; 12:12-31; Ephesians 1:22-23; 3:10-12; Colossians 1:18; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 21:2-3

WE BELIEVE that water baptism, through immersion, is an ordinance for believers which is intended to be observed by the Church during this present age. The word “baptize” is from the Greek word "baptizo", which means to immerse for the forgiveness of sin and receiving the Holy Spirit. This belief leads us to teach, practice, and facilitate baptisms through the method of immersion.  (Mark 1:9, Acts 8:36-39, Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12, Matthew 28:19, Acts 8:36-39, Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, Acts 22:16)

WE BELIEVE in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper as observed in scripture.  (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 11:23-26; Acts 2:42)

WE BELIEVE that marriage is an ordinance of God. We believe in the Biblical definition of marriage between one biological man and one biological woman.  We believe the creation of marriage as recorded in Genesis 2:23-24: "The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called “woman,” for she was taken out of man.’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." God created man and then made woman to complement him. Marriage is God’s “fix” for the fact that “it is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18, 1 Corinthians 7:1-40; Ephesians 5:22-33; Proverbs 18:22; Hebrews 13:4)
WE BELIEVE that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image.  Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death.  We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.  (Psalm 139)