Doctrinal Statement
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself
and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:16 (ESV)
Anyone familiar with historic Christian doctrine will
find that the statements below fall in the center of evangelical theology
("evangelical" means theology derived from the 'evangel,' or the
Gospel; in other words, it's biblical theology rather than speculative theology
rooted in man-made tradition). For the sake of unity, we try hard not to be
hard-nosed about matters on which Scripture is not clear, and we're not
dogmatic about matters where honest, Bible-based believers have held divergent
views.
- In ESSENTIAL beliefs, we have UNITY.
- In NON-ESSENTIAL beliefs, we have DIVERSITY.
- In ALL of our beliefs, we promote LOVE.
As a church we have no written doctrine or creed except for the Bible itself. However, in order to help people get to know us better, here's a summary of what we believe. . .
- Orthodoxy: Right belief
- Orthopathy: Right Passion
- Orthopraxy: Right Practice
The Scriptures
The Bible is God’s Word to all mankind in all places and
times. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the
Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and
living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of
error. (Joh5:39;10:35; II Tim. 3:16-17; I Pet. 1:23-25; II Pet.1:20-21; 119:105, 160;Prov. 30:5).
The word is Trustworthy, reliable, and transformational.
God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He exists
eternally in trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal
and are one God. (Matt. 3:16-17, 28:19-20; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:18, 14:8-20; II Cor. 13:14; I Pet. 1:1-2; Jude 21).
He is a person, Real, transcendent, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, eternal, loving, judge, Holy, present, and active.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the
Father. Born of a virgin. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered
Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross.
He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and
death. He ascended to Heaven's glory and is present and active and will return
again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is prophet, priest, and king.
(Matt. 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; I Cor. 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts
1:9-11; I Tim. 6:14-15; Titus 2:13).
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God.
He is the supernatural agent in salvation, baptizing all Christians into the
universal church at conversion, indwelling and sealing them until the day of
Christ's return. He gives gifts and empowers the church to edify Christ and believers.
(John 16:7-13; 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; II Cor.3:6; I Cor. 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Eph. 1:13-14;5:18).
Man
God created us to be relational and marked us with an
identity as his image bearers and a missional calling to serve, care for, and
cultivate the earth. God created humans in his image to live in fellowship with
him, one another, our inner self, and creation. The enemy tempted the
first humans, and darkness and evil entered the story through human sin and are
now a part of the world. This devastating event resulted in our relationships
with God, others, ourselves, and creation being fractured and in desperate need
of redeeming. Gen. 3
Personal Salvation
All humans are sinful and in need of salvation. Man can
never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works. Salvation is a
free gift of God received through repentance from sin and faith in the person
and work of Jesus Christ. This salvation is expressed in a public confession,
baptism and participation in the church, the Body of Christ. (John 1:12, 3:16-18,
10:28; Rom. 10:9-13; Acts 2:41; Eph. 1:13-14; I Pet. 1:3-5).
Baptism and the Lord's Supper
We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper were initiated
by Christ and are intended for our participation in this age. They are,
however, not to be regarded as means of salvation. We encourage all members to
participate regularly at the Lord’s Table. Baptism signifies one’s
repentance from a life of sin (Acts 2:38). Baptism signifies one’s obedience to Christ (Matt. 28:19.20). Baptism
recognizes one’s union with Christ (Rom. 6:1-6). Baptism confesses the presence and need of God’s Spirit in one’s life (Acts 2:38; Acts 19:1-7). Baptism signifies one’s membership in the
church (I Cor. 12:13). Baptism is one’s public confession of faith (Acts 2:41). (Matt. 26:26-30, 28:19-20; Acts
2:37-41; 10:47-48; 20:7; I Cor. 11:23-32)
Church Government
We believe the government of the local church is carried out
by a plural eldership which is committed to serving the congregation. Their
primary function is the ministry of the Word and prayer. One of Jesus’ favorite
metaphors for spiritual leadership, one He often used to describe Himself, was
that of a shepherd—a person who tends God’s flock. A shepherd leads, feeds,
nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects—responsibilities that belong to
every church leader. In fact, the word pastor means shepherd (Acts 20:28-30; Eph. 4:11-13; I Tim. 3:1-13; 5:17; Tit. 1:5-9; Acts 6:1-7; Hebrews13:17; I Pet. 5:1-4).
Church as Community
We believe in actively loving and caring for one another and,
as a church, we seek to channel our time, money, personal resources, and energy
into people. Consequently, before programs and facilities, we are interested in
a substantial ministry to people. In order to accomplish this, our church life
is simple and not highly structured. The Sunday morning meeting is informal
with emphasis on worship, prayer, teaching, and fellowship. Small groups meet
during the week to promote care, encouragement, and growth among believers (Acts 2:41-47, 4:32-35; Rom. 12:5;
Gal. 6:2; Eph.2:14-22; 4:1-2, 32; Col. 3:12-17; I Pet. 2:4-12)
Non Denominational
Our church does not belong to any conference or denomination, and does not prescribe to any one denomination’s doctrinal statement, covenant, or constitution. Seeking the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, we wish to have association or fellowship with other groups of Christians or churches. We are open to opportunities for expressing our unity with the worldwide Body of Christ and working for His Kingdom (John 13:34-35; Eph. 4:1-6).
Creational and Salvational Mandate
The Creation Mandate (Gen. 1:27-30),
sometimes called the Cultural Mandate, means we are called to have dominion
over the earth as expressed in our civic responsibilities like earth keeping and
engineering. The Great Commission (Mt. 28:19-20), sometimes called the New Creation Mandate, means that Christians are called to witness for Christ to the ends of the earth.
Hope
We believe in the hope that has always characterized the
church of Jesus Christ. All true Christians will be kept by God's power
forever. We look forward to the second coming of Christ, when He will judge all
people, and rule and reign with His saints forever. (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11;I Cor. 15:51-58; I Thess. 4:13-18; Tit. 2:13; Heb.9:27-28; I Pet.1:3-5; I John 2:19).