Our Beliefs
Authority of Scripture
We believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God. Therefore, it serves as the final authority in all matters of belief and behavior (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). We value Bible-centered preaching and teaching as the foundation for all that we do.
God
God exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three have distinct personalities and yet are of the same substance, one God. (Gen. 1:1; John 10:30; John 4:24; Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14) All things were created by Him and for Him. (1 Cor. 8:6, Col 1:16, Rom. 11:36)
Man
Man is created in the image and likeness of God. In Adam, all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners. We are all justly condemned to eternal judgment without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as revealed in His Gospel. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ and God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty- eternal separation from God. (Gen 1:27, 9:6, Rom. 5:12, 3:23, Ephes. 2:1; Acts 4:12; 2 This. 1:9)
Jesus Christ
We believe that God sent the eternal Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem all of mankind. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life on this earth, was crucified for our sins, buried, and was raised from the dead on the third day. We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. Through Jesus Christ and by Him only can mankind be saved, Jesus Christ sits at the Right Hand of the Father and will return someday to receive His Church unto Himself. (John 1:1, 14, 18; 5:18, Heb. 1:1-9; 5:8; Heb. 1:1-9, 5:8 1 John 5:20; 1 Tim 2:5; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 15:1-5)
Salvation
Salvation can only be received through personal faith in Christ’s substitutionary death and resurrection. Faith is the essential human response to God’s grace in Christ Jesus. Jesus accomplished our forgiveness and redemption on the cross, but man must receive it by faith. (Acts 4:12; 13:38,39; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; Roman. 4:4-5; 5:1; John 3:16; Ephes. 2:8,9; Acts 16:31; Rom. 8:29, 30)
Assurance
All who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ can have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ. (Rom. 5:1; 1 John 5:13; John 10:27-29; 17:12; 11 Tim. 1:12; Ephes. 4:30; John 6:37)
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. We believe the work of the Holy Spirit is to bring conviction of sin, and revelation of God’s Word. He regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all of believers in Christ and empowers those yielded to God. (Matt. 28:19; John 3:3-7, 16:7-11; Titus 3:5; 1 Cor. 6:19; Rom: 8:9; 1 Cor. 2:12; 12:13; Ephes. 4:30; Col. 3:14)
Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are God-given abilities for services, i.e., “for equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ.” (Ephes. 4:1-16; 1 For. 12:7, 11; 1 Pet. 4:10; Rom. 12:1-6)
The Church
The New Testament Church as the Body of Christ, includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation. Its mission is to witness to its head, Jesus Christ, preaching the gospel among all nations.
The local church is a group of believers voluntarily joined together in love to worship God with praise and thanksgiving, and to glorify Jesus Christ through an aggressive effort to disciple others by the preaching of the gospel, and the exercise of the spiritual gifts. (Ephes. 1:22,23; 5:24-30; 1 Cor. 12:4-13, 27)
There are two offices of the local church; pastors and deacons. While both men and woman are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. (1 Tim. 3:1-15, Titus 1:5-9; Phil. 1:1) There are two ordinances of the local church, the Lord’s Supper, and water Baptism. The Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated regularly in remembrance of Christ’s death on the cross, and in expectation of His return. Water baptism is an outward testimony of a person’s belief in Christ. Immersion is the ideal means set forth in Scripture. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15,16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 9:18; 10:47; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)