God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He exists eternally in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God in three persons. (Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended into heaven and will return to earth again to reign as our powerful King. (Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make us aware of our need for Jesus Christ. He lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation and provides Christians with power for living and guidance in doing what is right. We seek to live under His control daily. He gives each believer spiritual gifts to use in ministry. (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18)
The Bible is God’s Word to all people, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. It is our guide to understanding God and the meaning to life. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any error. Since God’s Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, our first question when faced with a decision is “What does the Bible say?” (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160, 12:6)
People are made in the spiritual image of God to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation and were created to live the adventure of following Jesus Christ. Although people have tremendous potential for good, they are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called sin. This attitude separates people from God. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2)
Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sins by self-improvement or good works. We are saved from sin’s penalty by trusting in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice as God’s offer of forgiveness. We are saved by grace through faith and those trusting in Christ as Savior and Lord should repent of their sins, confess their faith and be baptized into Him. (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; Romans 10:9-10; Romans 6:3-6; Acts 2:37-41; Matthew 28:19-20)
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be eternally in union with Him is heaven. Heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence. (John 3:16; 1 John 2:25, 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15)
The church is the body of Christ on earth. It exists to communicate the good news of new life in Jesus Christ to the world, to teach His followers to obey His teachings, and to equip His followers for ministry. The church exists to help each believer to grow to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:27; Matthew 28:19-20; John 10:10; Ephesians 4:11-14; Acts 2:42-47)
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Psalm 139)
The Bible says the institution of marriage was created by God, therefore we believe God’s Word should be our source of authority for defining marriage and setting the boundaries for the marriage relationship. The Bible says that God intends for marriage to be a monogamous, life-long, loving relationship between one man and one woman. Marriage is the highest of all human relationships, provided by God as the best environment for relational intimacy and child-rearing. The love between a husband and a wife is to be an illustration of the love and faithfulness between God and his people. (Genesis 1:27-28, Genesis 2:18, 21-25, Malachi 2:13-16, Matthew 19:6, Ephesians 5:22-33)
This Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe.
