What We Believe

The Bible: The Bible is the word of God and bears witness to God’s redemptive acts, culminating in the sending of God’s own son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is without error in its original manuscripts, contains the sixty-six books of the old and New Testaments, and contains everything we need to know to have a right relationship with God and our fellow human beings. It is the foundation of all our essential beliefs and is our guide for honoring God in all areas of life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

God: We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things. God is one, yet exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is to be loved, honored, and surrendered to. To Him be all honor, glory and praise forever! (Mark 12:29, Matthew 22:27-40)

Jesus Christ: Jesus is fully God and fully human. He is the living word and took on flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and his birth. He died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins and rose bodily from the dead on the third day, according to the Scriptures. He is the sole mediator, able to restore the broken relationship, and alienation, between God and people. (1 Timothy 2:5, Acts 4:12, John 14:6)

The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the trinity. He has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. The Holy Spirit gives us new life and empowers us to walk as new creations in Christ and those equipped for service. (John 16:7-14, Romans 8:14-17)

Humanity: Man and woman were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Therefore, there is honor, dignity, and respect due to all people. Yet, while there is beauty in all people, in their quest for self-exaltation and supreme independence, all people have sinned against God and others and are alienated from God (Romans 3:23). In this condition, all of us are under judgment and without hope, a condition that can only be remedied through the miraculous, loving, and gracious intervention of God. Salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace (Romans 6:23). God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ and declares them “righteous” in His sight (2 Corinthians 5:21). Only those who trust in Jesus and have a new heart given by the Holy Spirit can be called “children of God” and inherit eternal life. Being made in the image of God and made for relationship with him, we are most alive and most ourselves when our love and devotion is centered on him.

Church: The true Church is the family of God! It is composed of all persons who put their faith in Jesus and through the work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ (Matthew 12:50). The Church is an institution made up of believers from all different tongues and tribes that are scattered around the world but together worship Jesus as Lord. God desires all of the members of his universal church to be active in a local church where an imperfect group of believers meet to hear the word of God preached, administer the sacraments, practice loving discipline, enjoy fellowship with one another, and be a life-giving presence to their community. (Acts 2:42-47, Revelation 7:9-10)

Jesus’ Second Coming: Jesus Christ will come again to the earth personally, visibly, and bodily to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” (Rev. 22:20).

The Call of Believers: The Lord Jesus Christ commands all who call upon his name to proclaim the good news of the Gospel in both word and deed. He calls us to share the good news of who Jesus is and to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:16-20). He also calls those who follow him to a life of self-denying love and service (Ephesians 2:10). We are not saved by the works that we do, but they bear witness to our transformed lives and spread hope and healing to our communities.

Our beliefs are set forth in greater detail in the Westminster Confession of Faith.