God

We believe in one God, creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing and the creator of everything. God is sovereign over all the universe and He is eternal in that there has never been a time when He did not exist nor will there be a time when He does not exist. God is perfect and holy in all His attributes and He never changes. God inspired men to write the Bible and God came to earth in human form as Jesus Christ. We also believe God is compassionate, loving, and wise. That He hears and answers prayer and that He offers eternal hope that goes beyond anything this world can offer. God is Great and can do more than we can ever ask or imagine.

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin birth. We believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Son of God, the Head of the church, the only way to God and eternal life. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. We believe He was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now acts as the only mediator between God and people.

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit lives within and empowers every Christian. The ministry of the Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Trinity, is to apply to people the saving work of Christ. He does this by bringing conviction of a person’s need for the forgiveness of Christ. He regenerates their heart and then permanently indwells them when they believe. His ongoing work is to guide, instruct, and empower the believer for Godly living and service.

The Bible

We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are given by God’s inspiration, and in their original writings they are without error. We believe the Scriptures originated with God but were written by the instrumentality of people and thus speak with the authority of God while reflecting the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. The Scriptures are the unique and final authority on all matters of Christian faith and practice. They are our only infallible source of truth, and the only thing that can bind our consciences. In them, God has given us what we need to know for salvation, Godly living, and a proper, though limited, understanding of Him. We also believe that all Scripture and the Bible are still relevant today.

Humanity / Man

We believe that people were created in the image of God for a loving relationship with God. People, however, have rebelled against God, actively or passively choosing to go their own independent way. Ever since man was tested in the Garden of Eden, and failed the test, he has been born with a sin nature that erects a barrier of natural animosity between man and God that man is not capable of overcoming. Thus man is alienated from God because of his sin. The effects of this fall from our intended relationship with God can only be reversed through faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. We also believe that people, even with their sinful nature, matter very much to God and that He is interested in each one of them. He already knows everything about every human including the exact number of hairs on their heads. We believe God wants to have a personal relationship with every individual and that we are born for this relationship. The essence of Christianity, in fact, is to experience God’s love and to express God’s love.

The Church

We believe that there is only one true Church. It is universal and composed of all people who have asked Jesus Christ for forgiveness and made Him leader of their lives. The diversity of all believers working together, using their gifts to build up one another, form the parts of the body of Christ and thus the Church. God created the church, designed it, and empowers it to do His will. God created His Church to reach people, to love people, to empower people to serve, and to delight in God in all we do. The scripture commands believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, the teaching of God’s Word, using our gifts to build up one another, outreach, communion, and baptism. Wherever God’s people meet in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church. We also believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of the Church, and that every local church has the right under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs.

Death

We believe that physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body. When a believer dies, his spirit goes directly to be with the Lord. When an unbeliever dies, his spirit goes to a place awaiting the final judgment when he will be consigned to eternal punishment in the form of unending separation from God. We also believe that although our physical bodies may experience death, when the Lord returns all believers will receive glorified bodies and live forever with the Lord.

Salvation

Every human has made bad choices at some time or another and has sinned. Big or small, these sins separate us from God, who is perfect. We believe that all sin is deserving of punishment and that penalty is unfortunately death. We also believe that Jesus Christ died as the substitution for this death penalty we all owe. No amount of good works or human effort can restore us from our state of alienation from God. It is only by God’s free grace that we are saved from this state of alienation, and this grace is obtained by a change of heart toward God’s leadership in our lives and by faith in Jesus to forgive our sins. The Bible says that by voluntarily dying on the cross, Jesus Christ already paid the penalty for our sins. Anyone who accepts His free gift of salvation can be totally forgiven and united with God forever. Yes, Salvation is totally free, and it’s available right now. Receiving grace comes from accepting that Jesus is the Son of God, that he lived a perfect life, that he died in your place for the penalty of your sins, and that he rose from the dead. You can receive grace today by simply believing that Jesus is Savior and Lord (Mark 16:16), and surrendering your life through confession (Romans 10:9), repentance and baptism/immersion (Acts 2:38). As a result of connecting with Christ, He produces fruit in the life of the follower (John 15:1-8, Galatians 5:22, 23)

The Return of the Lord

We believe the Lord’s return will be personal, visible, and universal. We will not know the time of His coming, therefore it is our duty to make preparation for and live in readiness of His coming by following his commands, obeying his teachings, and seeking his will for our lives. We also believe that when He does come, he will bring an end to history as we know it, and usher in the “eternal state”.