Our doctrinal statement.
The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed have been used for many centuries by Christian communities to summarize the basic core beliefs of orthodox Christianity. We join these communities in recognizing these two creeds as affirmations of essential Christian beliefs.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
* universal
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
* universal
There is one God manifested in three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While Jesus was on Earth, He was both fully God and fully man. The Holy Spirit immediately comes to dwell within the believer at the time of salvation.
Deuteronomy 6:4; John 10:30; Genesis 1:2; Acts 10:44Sin is missing the mark God has set for us. Sin separates us from God. Mankind is born into sin and all people sin and fall short of His glory. Because of our sin, we deserve death, but through faith in Jesus, we can have life.
Romans 3:23, 5:18, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8–9God desires a relationship with each one of us, so He, by His grace, provided His Son, Jesus, as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. For a person to receive this gift and be saved, he or she needs to "confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead."
John 3:16; Romans 10:9–10; Ephesians 2:8–9; II Peter 3:9The Bible is the authoritative word of God given to all mankind. It was written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme standard for the truths of the Christian faith. It is accurate, authoritative, and applicable to our everyday lives.
II Timothy 3:16–17; II Peter 1:20–21; Psalm 119:105, 160Heaven and hell are both literal places. Heaven is the eternal dwelling place of God and of believers who have died. Hell was created as a place of torment for the devil and his angels. All those who do not accept Jesus the Messiah as Lord and Savior will spend eternity there after death.
John 14:1–3; II Peter 2:4–9; Matthew 10:28Communion was instituted by Jesus so that we would constantly be reminded of His sacrifice for us. The bread and wine/juice represent, rather than physically become, the body and blood of the Messiah. There is no Biblical requirement for taking or serving communion other than faith in Jesus the Messiah as Lord and Savior.
I Corinthians 11:23–25At the point of salvation, the Holy Spirit gives each believer at least one spiritual gift, which is to be used for the edification of the body of believers.
I Corinthians 12When a person accepts the gift of salvation, they are making a commitment to allow God to be the leader of their life. In doing so, we commit to trying to live our lives based on the teachings put forth in the Bible. We cannot fully do this in our own strength, but God provides His Holy Spirit to help us follow Him. The goal of all believers should be to look more and more like Jesus each and every day.
John 14:15–18; Ephesians 2:10; I John 5:1–3All men and women are created in the image of God and are valued as His image bearers. We recognize practices such as racism and sexism to be sinful. We as a church commit to upholding the dignity of all people regardless of circumstance.
Genesis 1:27; Exodus 22:21, 23:9; Leviticus 19:34God values all people and makes provisions throughout Scripture to have His people care for the poor and vulnerable. The church, both universal as well as individual congregations, and all Christians should set aside both time and resources to provide for the needs of the poor and vulnerable.
Leviticus 19:9–10; James 2:1–5Sex is a gift from God intended to be shared by one man and one woman within the covenant relationship of marriage. All forms of sexual behavior outside of God's original design are considered sinful by God and should not be practiced.
Genesis 2:24; Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:22; Matthew 5:27–30, 15:19–20; Romans 1:26–27; I Corinthians 6:18Life is a gift from God. We agree to uphold the sanctity of human life from conception until death. Because of this, we recognize both euthanasia, and abortion (unless done because the mother's life is in danger) to be sinful practices. We as a church commit to coming alongside and helping those who find themselves in the midst of crisis pregnancies, those who have previously had abortions, and those who find themselves in situations where they no longer value their own lives. We will do all we can to support their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
Psalm 139:13–16; Luke 1:15