Statements of Belief

  • We believe that the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of  God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of his will for the salvation of  mankind, and the final authority for all Christian faith and life.

    (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; 17:17;  2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

  • We believe that the one true God exists eternally in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy  Spirit, and that these, being one God, are equal in deity, power, and glory. We believe that God  not only created the world but also now upholds, sustains, governs, and providentially directs all  that exists and that he will bring all things to their proper consummation in Christ Jesus to the  glory of his name. We believe that God has exhaustive foreknowledge of all future events,  including the free choices of all moral agents, both angelic and human, that he hears and answers  prayer, and that he saves from sin and death all who come to him through Jesus Christ.

    (Isaiah 40- 48; Psalm 104; Psalm 139; Matthew 10:29-31; 28:19; Acts 17:24-28; 2 Corinthians 13:14;  Ephesians 1:9-12; 4:4-6; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:4-6)

  • We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and offered himself as a  substitutionary sacrifice for sinners. By the blood of his cross he satisfied the wrath of God, obtained for us eternal redemption, the forgiveness of sins, spiritual adoption as sons and daughters, life everlasting, and defeated the powers of darkness. He was raised bodily on the third  day and ascended to the right hand of the Father, there to make intercession for the saints.

    (Isaiah  53:1-12; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1-18; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28; 2 Corinthians 5:21;  Galatians 3:10-14; Ephesians 1:7; Philippians 2:6-11; Colossians 1:15-23; 2:15; Hebrews 7:25;  9:13-15; 10:19; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 1 John 2:1-2; 3:8)

  • We believe that the Holy Spirit is fully God, equal with the Father and Son. The primary  ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit also convicts  unbelievers of their need for Christ and imparts spiritual life through regeneration (the new birth). The Spirit indwells, sanctifies, leads, illumines, and graciously empowers for godly living and  service all who come to faith in Christ. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ baptizes believers in  the Holy Spirit, in whom also we are sealed for the day of redemption. Subsequent to conversion  the Spirit desires to fill, empower, and anoint believers for ministry and witness.

    (Matthew 3:11;  John 1:12-13; 3:1-15; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; 2 Corinthians  1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18)

  • We believe that the gospel is the good news of what God has accomplished for sinners through the life, death, and resurrection of his Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. The gospel is centered in Christ and is not proclaimed if his death and resurrection are not the focus of our  message. The church is responsible for the declaration of this good news and the defense of it  against all who would seek to distort or re-define its core truths. The gospel is the foundation for the life of the Church and our only hope for eternal life. The Gospel is not only the means by  which people are saved, but also the means by which people are sanctified. The truth of the Gospel enables us to genuinely and joyfully do that which is pleasing to God and to grow in  progressive conformity to the image of Christ (Mark 1:1; Luke 24:46-47; John 3:16-18; Romans  1:16-17; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2:2; 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; 9:13; Galatians 1:6-9; 2  Timothy 1:8-14; Jude 3-4)

  • We believe that the ministry of the Spirit in signs and wonders continues to be as broad, tangible, and powerful among believers today as it was in the early church. We also believe that 

    all the biblical gifts of the Spirit continue to be distributed by the Spirit today; that these gifts are  divine provisions central to spiritual growth and effective ministry; and that these gifts are to be eagerly desired, faithfully developed, and lovingly exercised according to biblical guidelines.

    (John 14:12; Acts 2:14-21; 4:29-30; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; 12:28-31; 14:1-33;  Galatians 3:1-5)

  • We believe that Adam was created in the image of God, righteous and without sin. In  consequence of his disobedience, Adam's posterity are born subject to sin and moral corruption,  and are therefore by nature and choice the children of wrath, justly condemned in the sight of  God, wholly unable to save themselves or to contribute in any way to their acceptance with God.

    (Genesis 1-3; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:9-18; 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-3)

  • We believe that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world and will,  through the work of the Holy Spirit, draw the elect to faith in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We are therefore justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. No ordinance, ritual, work, or any other activity on the part of man is required in order to be saved. This saving grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, also sanctifies us by enabling us to do what is  pleasing in God's sight in order that we might be progressively conformed to the image of Christ. All who have genuinely been saved by faith in Christ Jesus are preserved and protected by God  and therefore can neither lose nor forfeit their salvation. All of the elect are eternally secure.

    (John  1:12-13; 6:37-44; 10:25-30; Acts 13:48; 16:30-31; Romans 3-4; 5:6-11; 8:1-17,31-39; 9:1-23;  10:8-10; 1 Corinthians 1:7-9; Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:8-10; Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 1:12;  2:19; Titus 3:3-7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 1:7,9; Jude 1; Revelation 13:8)

  • We believe that Satan, originally a great and good angel, rebelled against God, taking a  multitude of angels with him. He was cast out of God's presence and is at work with his demonic  hosts to establish his counter-kingdom of darkness and evil on the earth. Satan was judged and  defeated at the cross of Christ and will, at the end of the age, be cast forever into the lake of fire  which has been prepared for him and his angels.

    (Matthew 12:25-29; 25:41; John 12:31; 16:11;  Ephesians 6:10-20; Colossians 2:15; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Revelation 12:7-9; 20:10)

  • We believe that the Church is the Bride of Christ and is comprised of all believers in  every age. The Church is also God's primary instrument through which he is fulfilling his  redemptive purposes in the earth. We believe that God has called the Church to preach the gospel  to all nations, and especially to remember the poor and to minister to their needs through  sacrificial giving and practical service. We also affirm the priesthood of all believers and the  importance of every Christian being joined with and actively involved in a local community of  the saints.

     (Isaiah 58:6-12; 61:1; Matthew 16:17-19; 28:18-20; Luke 4:18; 21:1-4; Acts 2:17- 18,42; Galatians 2:10; Ephesians 3:14-21; 4:11-16; 1 Timothy 6:8; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Peter  2:4-5,9-10). 

  • We believe that water baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two ordinances of the church  to be observed until the time of Christ's return. They are not a means of salvation but are  sacramental channels of God's sanctifying grace and blessing to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Only  those who have personally and consciously placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior  are qualified to receive the sacraments.

    (Matthew 26:26-29; 28:19; Romans 6:3-11; 1 Corinthians  11:23-34; 1 Peter 3:21). 

  • We believe that both men and women are together created in the divine image and are therefore equal before God as persons, possessing the same moral dignity and value, and have equal access to God through faith in Christ. We also believe that men and women are together the recipients of spiritual gifts designed to equip and empower them for ministry in the local church  and beyond. We also believe that God has ordained the principle of male headship in both the home and in the local church and that certain governing and teaching roles are restricted to men  (primarily the office of Elder).

    (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 3:1-7; 1 Peter 3:1-7)

  • We believe that God’s original creative design, as set forth in Scripture, is for complete  fidelity (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) within heterosexual and monogamous marriage.  Regardless of one’s marital status, we believe the Christian should pursue purity and abstain from  sexually immoral practices such as adultery, premarital sex, and pornography.

    (Matthew 19:4-6; Romans  1:18-32; 13:13-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20, 10:8; Ephesians 5:3-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; 1 Timothy 1:8-10; Hebrews 13:4).

  • We believe that God has created all of humanity in his image as male and female, and  that they are, therefore, of equal moral and spiritual value and must be treated with the utmost  dignity and respect. We believe that life begins at the moment of conception in the womb and that the willful termination of a pregnancy for any reason other than an unavoidable threat to the life  of the mother is prohibited by Scripture. We should remember that the sin of abortion is not  unique, but, as is the case with all sin, can be forgiven because of Christ’s saving work on the  cross. We also believe that all ethnicities/races of mankind equally bear the image of God and  should be treated with the same dignity and love, regardless of national identity, language, skin  pigmentation, or gender. Any expression of systemic racism, racial supremacy, or hatred of a  person of a different ethnicity is forbidden by Scripture. Abortion and racism, therefore, are  denials of the creative design of God and must be regarded as heretical deviations from the truth  of Scripture regarding the nature and value of all human life

  • We believe that when Christians die they pass immediately into the blessed presence of Christ, there to enjoy conscious fellowship with the Savior until the day of the resurrection and  glorious transformation of the body. The saved will then forever dwell in blissful fellowship with their great Triune God. We also believe that when unbelievers die they are consigned to hell,  there to await the day of judgment when they shall be punished with eternal separation from the  presence of God.

    (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:19-31; John 5:25-29; 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 2  Corinthians 5:1-10; Philippians 1:19-26; 3:20-21; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Revelation 20:11-15;  21:1-22:15). 

  • We believe that the Kingdom of God came in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, that it  continues to expand by the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the Church, and that it will be  consummated in the glorious, visible, and triumphant appearing of Christ when he returns to the  earth as King. We believe that after Christ returns, he will bring about the ultimate defeat of  Satan, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the eternal blessing of the righteous.  At that time, the Kingdom of God will be completely fulfilled in the new heavens and the new  earth, in which righteousness dwells and in which he will be worshiped forever.

    (1 Corinthians 15:20-28,50-58; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12;  Revelation 19:1-21).

Our Values

  • We believe the Gospel is the heart of Christianity. The Gospel is not good advice about what we should do for God but rather it’s Good News about what God has done for us. Jesus is the son of God who came to rescue the people of God and bring the kingdom of God. Jesus’ perfect life, His sacrificial death on the cross for sinners, His bodily resurrection, and His glorious ascension were a work of renewal that means the captives will be set free, the wounded will be healed, and our guilt and shame will be removed. By surrendering our lives and clinging to God’s grace through faith, we are made new. We will devote ourselves to sharing this good news and calling people to faith in Christ.

  • As a community rooted and submitted to the Scriptures, we take the call of discipleship to Jesus seriously. It is in discipleship to Jesus where we become more like Jesus. Discipleship involves a wholehearted response of surrender to Jesus, shaping our lives around His example and teachings. To become more like Jesus, we must draw near to Him and embody His way of life both in community and as individuals

  • The Holy Spirit marks and sustains our church by tangibly manifesting Himself in the life of the church. We seek to live a life in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. We worship, listen, obey, and live empowered by God and His presence with us. We live “naturally supernatural” lives that are full of expectancy, risk, and audacious faith. God is actively working here and now through the Holy Spirit, just as it was in the early church. We understand that we are people designed to do the impossible, and that there are no ‘superstars’ among us - everyone gets to play.

  • 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. We leave old boundaries of family for the new multicultural, interracial, and multigenerational family of God. Jesus came to establish the new family of God marked by love, honor, self-control, responsibility, truth and faith.

  • We hold firmly to the reality that God’s Kingdom is extending from heaven to earth through everything that we do. As recipients of the Gospel, we participate with Jesus in pushing back death and darkness, wherever they are found. As such, our everyday and ordinary lives are marked by risk, boldness, and love. We are to give King Jesus and His kingdom our primary allegiance by proclaiming and demonstrating Jesus to the lost in word and deed with the goal of seeing renewal in our city and the nations.

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