Beliefs

Values

  • We believe in the centrality of the gospel, the good news of Jesus—His perfect life, His sacrificial death on the cross for sinners, His bodily resurrection, and His glorious ascension. We believe it is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, that we are forgiven and saved. We will devote ourselves to sharing this good news and calling people to faith in Christ.

    John 5v24, Romans 3v23, Ephesians 2v8-9, Galatians 3v11, 1 Timothy 2v5, Titus 3v5

  • We believe the church on earth is to be an expression of the Kingdom of God in heaven—people from every nation, tribe, people, and language reconciled and united in Christ; therefore, to one another. Because the gospel changes our hearts and identities, it makes us into people who can conduct far more transparent, honest, intimate, and loving relationships. The Gospel creates a new kind of community: A body of many members called to be a family of brothers and sisters living in unity under the banner of Christ. Now, we live out our unity by loving one another tangibly, forgiving one another quickly, forbearing one another patiently, serving one another selflessly, committed to being racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse.

    Revelation 7v9, Ephesians 2v18-19; 4v1- 6, 1 Corinthians 1v10, Galatians 3v28, John 17v20-21

  • We believe the Holy Spirit marks God’s people by tangibly manifesting Himself in the life of the church. We will invite the presence and power of God to move in us and in our city for the glory of God.

    Exodus 33v16, Acts 1v8, John 16v13-15, 1 Corinthians 12v1-12

  • We believe that Christians are to give their primary allegiance to King Jesus and His Kingdom. Therefore, we aim to be a people of holy ambition who move away from the selfish ambitions of power, reputation, and status, and toward an active and urgent desire for God and His Kingdom.

    Matthew 6:33, Acts 17:7, 1 Timothy 1:17

  • We believe that worship is a full life response to the goodness and greatness of God. Worship encompasses every moment of our lives. We will develop a culture of prayer and worship that expresses our love for Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

    Romans 12v1, 1 Peter 2v9-10,
    1 Corinthians 10v31, Matthew 22v37, Deuteronomy 6v5

  • We believe that the Word of God is the steadfast source of truth that sustains believers and is a powerful catalyst for personal and cultural transformation. God’s word is the basis for everything we believe and do. We are committed to the teaching and application of the whole Bible because it is through learning and putting the Bible into practice, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that we will see Christ formed in our lives.

    Matthew 4:4, 2 Timothy 3:16, Psalm 119:89

  • We believe that joy is both a gift from God and is considered a hallmark of the Christian life. Our joy in Christ is not tied to our circumstances but instead comes as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. We aim to be a people of defiant joy, who resist a spirit of bitterness, criticism, and disparity, and live and respond out of the deep joy offered in the Lord.

    Psalm 67v14, Philippians 4v4-8, John 15v11, 1 Thessalonians 1v6-7, Romans 15v13

  • We believe that the Holy Spirit brings the permanent indwelling presence of God to us for spiritual worship, personal sanctification, building up the Church, gifting us for ministry, and driving back the kingdom of Satan by the evangelization of the world through proclaiming the word of Jesus and doing the works of Jesus. We therefore live reliant upon the Spirit and His indwelling and empowering presence for the performance of miracles, the preaching of the kingdom of God, and all other dimensions of His earthly ministry.

    Acts 2v14-21; 4v29-30, Romans 8v9, 1 Corinthians 12v7-13; 12v28-31; 14v1-33, Ephesians 5v18-20; 6v10-20, Luke 4v1; 5v17, John 14v12; 15v26-27; 16v7-15

  • We believe that the Gospel humbles people with means and power, showing them that they are no better than anyone else before God. The Gospel also lifts up the poor and broken, giving them a new identity and confidence in Christ. We are transformed by the generosity of Jesus, who gave up the glories of Heaven and His very life for us. Therefore, we do not fearfully hoard, but faithfully steward. We see our resources as an opportunity to actively love God and our neighbor. We seek continual contentment in Jesus as
    we generously sow our time, talents, and treasure that we may reap a harvest of eternally enduring gospel stories.

    James 1v27, Luke 10v25-37, Ephesians 2v4-5, James 2v1-16, 2 Corinthians 8v9, 1 John 3v16-18, Galatians 2v10

  • We believe that Jesus, the ultimate missionary, left Heaven to reach a world enslaved by sin and death. As recipients of the gospel, we participate with Him in pushing back death and darkness, wherever they are found. We are responsible neither to retreat from our culture nor to conform to it, but with humility, through the Spirit and the truth of the gospel, to engage it boldly as we seek its transformation. We proclaim Jesus with our words and demonstrate Jesus with our actions such as providing for those in need, defending the weak, and working for justice

    Isaiah 52v7, Matthew 28v18-20,
    Luke 4v18-19, Romans 10v14-15,
    2 Corinthians 10v4-5, 2 Timothy 4v1-5, Hebrews 10v23-25

Theological Distinctives

  • These biblical teachings emphasize that salvation is entirely the work of God’s grace, rather than dependent on human effort or decision. No effort or act of humankind can add to the grace of God to bring about the redemption of the soul. For this reason, there is only one point to the doctrines of grace, namely, that God saves sinners by His grace and for His glory. When we see the power of God’s grace, our hearts cannot help but worship, “To God alone be the glory!”

    John 5v24, Romans 3v23, Ephesians 2v8-9, Galatians 3v11, 1 Timothy 2v5, Titus 3v5

  • Expository preaching is simply talking about reading, explaining, and applying the whole Bible, verse by verse,

    book by book, week after week. This enable us to mine the riches of God’s Word at a deep, meaningful level,

    but it also prevents us from taking verses out of context, skipping over the difficult passages, or coming up with our own unique interpretations that God never intended.

    Revelation 7v9, Ephesians 2v18-19; 4v1- 6, 1 Corinthians 1v10, Galatians 3v28, John 17v20-21

  • We believe in the present ministry of the Spirit and in the exercise of all of the biblical gifts of the Spirit. We welcome the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, believing that as followers of Jesus, we are empowered to share in the life of Jesus through partnership with the Holy Spirit.

  • To be an elder-led church refers to how we practice church leadership. Leadership in the church is not a one- man show. Jesus’ plan for the church was for it to be led by a team of biblically qualified elders who provide vision and direction, guard doctrine, and lead in preaching and teaching.

    Matthew 6:33, Acts 17:7, 1 Timothy 1:17

  • We believe that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church at Pentecost in power, baptizing believers into the Body of Christ and enabling them to serve God and love others. The Church is not made up of spiritually elite people and we believe that anyone can do the work of the Kingdom – we are all commissioned.

    Romans 12v1, 1 Peter 2v9-10,
    1 Corinthians 10v31, Matthew 22v37, Deuteronomy 6v5

  • When Jesus came to earth, He brought the Kingdom of God with Him. We recognize that God’s kingdom is here now, but it is also not fully here. The already and not yet of the Kingdom of God means we have a theology both for signs and wonders, and for suffering.

    Matthew 4:4, 2 Timothy 3:16, Psalm 119:89