BELIEFS
STATEMENT OF FAITH
God
We believe that the God of Scripture is the one and only true God, who exists in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three Persons of the Godhead are of the same substance, power, and glory, equally deserving of our worship and praise. We believe that God is a spirit, eternal, perfect, and unchangeable in his wisdom, holiness, goodness, truth, and love. We believe God created all things according to his eternal purpose, for his own glory, and therefore, whatsoever comes to pass are foreordained according to his sovereign wisdom and providence.
Holy Scripture
We believe that the Scriptures, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, are God’s inspired, infallible, and inerrant revelation in the original manuscripts, given to man in order that we may know with clarity and sufficiency what we are to believe concerning God (i.e., faith) and what duty he requires of us (i.e., practice). We believe that Scripture alone is the final rule and authority over all matters of faith and practice. We believe that the Word of God is the unfolding drama of redemption, progressively revealed and executed through various covenants, planned by the Father, accomplished by the Son, and applied to us by the Holy Spirit.
Sin & Election
We believe that God created man, male and female, after his own image with knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, entering into a covenant of works with Adam as the representative, wherein life was promised upon his obedience and death upon his disobedience. Tragically, believing Satan’s lie instead of God’s truth, Adam broke the covenant in disobedience and brought mankind into an estate of sin, misery, and death, utterly corrupting his and his posterity’s nature so that no man can do any good unto salvation. However, we believe that God did not leave all mankind under condemnation, but in love, he chose his elect even before the foundation of the world, entering into a covenant of grace through the Son.
Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternally begotten Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary, is the only Redeemer of his elect. We believe that he became fully human while remaining fully God, in order that he may faithfully represent mankind and yet without sin, becoming the perfect sacrifice on the cross in place of his elect, satisfying the debt of sin once and for all, delivering his elect from the curse of the covenant of works. We believe that Jesus was raised from the dead in order that he may be vindicated, all his promises sealed, granting his elect victory over sin’s curse and power, and allowing them to look forward to the day of the resurrection to share in his eternal glory. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will bodily return to usher in his eternal kingdom, and judge both the living and the dead, condemn the unjust to eternal punishment in hell, but wipe away every tear of his elect so that we may dwell with him for all eternity in perfect joy.
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit breathes life into our dead souls, regenerating our hearts and working faith in us in order that we may be convicted of sin, and believe and trust that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We believe that the Spirit comforts and helps us in times of trial, sanctifies us to be more like Jesus, and equips and empowers us to die unto sin and live unto righteousness until he completes the good work he began in us. We believe that the Spirit will lead and protect us so that his elect may persevere to the end, and never be separated from the love of God in Christ.
STATEMENT OF VISION
We believe that the faith stated above manifests itself in the life of Christ’s church in at least three ways.
First, living faith produces a community of believers that is deeply committed to Christ-centered worship and living. Worship is driven by gratitude to the One who forsook the glories heaven, humbled himself to the point of death on a cross for us, but now exalted as King over all creation. Therefore, from the call to worship to benediction, every element of worship must be saturated with the gospel that proclaims God’s amazing and enduring love in the Son. However, worship is not to be limited to weekly public gatherings, but it overflows to every day of the week as we seek to offer up our lives as a living sacrifice. Having been not only rescued from the realm of sin and death but also brought into the realm of life and righteousness, we strive to be holy as our Father in heaven is holy by the power of the Spirit who works in and through us. In so doing, we bring glory to the Triune God and also find supreme joy in him.
Second, living faith produces a body of believers that deeply loves one another. As we worship the One who sacrificially served us, we count other members of the body more significant than ourselves and consider their needs before our own. We are to forgive the undeserving and love the unlovable because God first loved us when we were unlovable and forgave us when we were unworthy. In this way, we are to see a glimpse of our Redeemer in and through one another.
Third, living faith produces a community of witnesses that shinesthe love of Christ in the world. As the Lord Jesus taught us, when we love one another sacrificially, the world will know that we belong to him. That is, our shared love of Christ must go beyond the walls of the church and impact our neighborhoods and also the world. In so doing, we share in Christ’s heart for the lost and become his instruments to expand his kingdom. Therefore, we are to participate in the work of the great commission to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Triune God, and teaching everyone to observe all that our Great King has commanded.
CORE VALUES
Gospel-Centered
We are committed to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ for he alone is the way, the truth, and the life.
Scripture-Adoring
We are committed to studying Scripture as God promised to feed our souls and strengthen our faith through his Word.
People-Loving
We are committed to becoming a local body of Christ that loves and serves one another as Christ served and loved us.
Missional
We are committed to sharing in Christ's heart for the lost by engaging in evangelism and missions.
Praying
We are committed to becoming a praying community because we are convinced that it is only by the power of the Spirit that we can believe, obey, and persevere.