What we believe

We believe all sixty-six books of the Bible are Holy Scripture. We  believe all scripture is inspired by God and is God’s authoritative Word  for the Christian life.   We believe the Bible provides the guidance to  live healthy, transformed lives that reflect Kingdom values.  II  Timothy 3:14

We believe God calls all people to respond in faith to the Gospel of  Jesus Christ whereby they become members of God’s one church.  We  believe each local congregation is a visible expression of this one body  of Christ and that it is God’s will for each believer to be a committed  member of a local congregation.  Acts 2:47, John 17:20-23

We believe in one God in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—who  created all things visible and invisible, and out of chaos created  order. We believe God is fully revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, the  incarnate Son of God, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born to the  virgin Mary and lived on earth as both fully human and fully divine. We  believe the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, convicts us of sin,  leads us to and incorporates us into Christ, and empowers us for  Christian witness. Gen. 1, John 1:1-14, John 16:5-16

We believe God calls every Christian to minister within the Body of  Christ according to the spiritual gifts He has given them. We believe  God distributes the gifts within the Body as He determines and He does  so without regard to race or gender.  1 Cor. 12, Eph. 4, 1 Peter 4:10-11

We believe all have sinned, fallen short of the glory of God and are in  need of a Savior. We believe through his life, death, and resurrection  Jesus Christ is the only sufficient atonement for our sins. Therefore,  it is only through Jesus Christ that we can experience eternal life.  Romans 3:23, John 14:6, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8

We believe baptism is for believers who have confessed Jesus Christ as  Lord and Savior. We baptize believers by immersion as an outward sign of  death to sin and resurrection to a new life in Christ.  We celebrate  the Lord’s Supper as participation in and proclamation of the death and  resurrection of our Lord until he comes. Anyone who is a follower of  Jesus Christ is invited to participate. We believe foot washing is a  beautiful reminder of the servant lifestyle to which Christ has called  His followers.  Acts 16:25-34, Rom. 6, I Corinthians 11:23, John 13:1-17

We believe God’s work of salvation is by grace and not by our merits. We  believe we receive this salvation when by the convicting power of the  Holy Spirit we respond in faith by repenting of our sin and believing in  Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We believe that God has given every  person the capacity to respond in faith, but not every person will  choose to respond in faith.  We believe that faith in Christ is not a  momentary event but an ongoing reality that allows us to walk securely  in our salvation. Eph. 2:8-9, Acts 2:36-39, Romans 10:9-10, 1 Cor.  15:1-2, Col. 1:21-23, Rom 11:17-21

We believe the Kingdom of God is both a present reality as well as a  future hope. We believe Jesus lived and proclaimed the present reign of  God. We believe God comes alongside the vulnerable and oppressed, and  stands against every form of evil and calls us as citizens of His  Kingdom to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. We  anticipate the future consummation of the reign of God, at the time of  the one and only return of our Lord.   Luke 17:20-21, Matthew 25:34-46

We believe God calls us to present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy  and acceptable to God for the sake of God’s mission in the world. We  believe the life of holiness is a wholehearted love for God and neighbor  and not a legalistic list of “do’s and don’ts.” We believe it is only  through the power of God and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit that we  can love God and neighbor in this way. We believe when we fail, God is  always willing to forgive and restore. Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 5:22-26

We believe Christ will come again at a time of God’s appointing and He  will come in judgment. Those who are in Christ will dwell with God  forever in heaven, and those who are not in Christ will be separated  from God forever in hell. We believe the period between Christ’s first  coming and His second coming constitute the “last days.”  Therefore, we  are living in the last days, just as the first century Christians were.  And just as they lived in the expectation of the imminent return of  Christ, so should we.  I Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 25:31-46,  Hebrews 1:2, 1 Peter 1:20

We believe that “growing in the grace of giving” is not the product of  guilt or coercion. Rather, it flows from a heart that has truly been  transformed by the gospel. By giving, we become a part of God’s mission  to redeem and restore the world. 2 Corinthians 8:7

Our beliefs are influenced by the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, which are general beliefs of Biblical faith formulated and agreed upon by early church fathers. Both creeds have been received and accepted across a broad range of churches for many hundreds of years.  Read the creeds below.