Statement of Faith

OUR GOAL

  • The purpose of the Church is to spread the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15).

Because of this, we believe the function of our local body is to provide an environment where each member can grow in his or her relationship with God and with each other through worship, praise, prayer, and the hearing of the Word, and where individual gifts can be identified, encouraged, and developed so each member can do his or her part in fulfilling the Great Commission.

WE BELIEVE

  • The Bible is the foundation of our faith. We believe it is inspired of God, the only infallible, authoritative word of God, and the standard for all Christian faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16); (Matt. 24:35); (Isa. 40:8). There is one God, manifested eternally in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; distinct, yet one always working together (Matt 3:16,17); (Luke 1:35); (Heb. 6:14); (1 Peter 1:2); (Eph. 2:18-22); (Matt. 28:19).
  • Jesus Christ is true God and true man. We believe in His virgin birth, in His substitutionary and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection and ascension (John 1:1,18); (Titus 2:13).
  • We believe the present supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit operates today as it did in the early New Testament Church. Every believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit for power to serve and to live a godly life. The Holy Spirit guides and instructs believers in their Christian life and gives various gifts to believers to edify the Body (Acts 5:3,4); (Acts 8:14-17); (Acts 10:46); (1 Cor. 12).
  • Man was created in God's image but fell into sin and is therefore lost. Salvation and reconciliation with God come only by grace through faith in the completed work of Christ. All men are thereby called to repent and believe the gospel. We believe that baptism by immersion is an important first step of obedience to God (Rom. 3:23, 24); (Rom. 6:3, 4, 23); (Acts 2:37, 38).
  • The one true church is the universal body of believers everywhere and for all time who have received salvation in Christ (Eph. 1:22, 23); (1 Cor. 12:12, 13).
  • There will be a personal second coming of Jesus Christ, which will be about the close of this age. There will be a bodily resurrection of the dead, the believer to everlasting reward and the unbeliever to everlasting, conscious, punishment (Job 19:25, 26); (1 Thess. 4:13-17); (Mark 9:43-48); (2 Thess. 1:6-9).
  • We affirm (as governing doctrine) what the scripture teaches concerning marriage, that God’s design for sexual intimacy places it only within the context of marriage between one man and one woman, and that sexual activity outside of marriage is incompatible with biblical teaching and Christian living (Gen. 2:21-25); (Matt. 19:4-6); (1 Cor. 7:2); (Heb. 13:4); (1 Tim. 1:10, 1 Cor. 7:2).