WHAT WE BELIEVE

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GOD

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all things. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:8 and 48:16; Matthew 28:19-20; John 10:30; Hebrews 1:3).


JESUS CHRIST

We believe in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings, his substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and personal, visible return to earth. (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23; Mark 16:19; Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-2, 8:58 and 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 1:2; Revelation 1:8).


SCRIPTURE

We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired without error and the infallible rule of faith and practice. The Word of God is the foundation upon which the church is established and is sufficient for all man’s needs. We believe that the Word of God supersedes any earthly law that is contrary to the Holy Scriptures.


SALVATION

We believe that all people are sinners by nature and, therefore, are under condemnation; that God saves, and regenerates based upon faith by the Holy Spirit, those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. (Acts 8:15-17; Ephesians 2:1-3 and 8-9; Romans 3:23 and 5:8; Titus 3:5).


WORSHIP

We believe that the worship of God should be:
SPIRITUAL — we remain flexible and yielded to the Holy Spirit as He directs our worship.
INSPIRATIONAL — we give a meaningful place to music as an expression of praise.
INTELLIGENT — our services emphasize the teaching of God’s Word, so we may understand how He desires to be worshiped.
FRUITFUL — we look for His love in our lives as the evidence of genuine worship.


AFTERLIFE

We believe in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell and that all those who place their faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord, while those who reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation will spend eternity separated from the Lord. (Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:3, 5:22, 18:9 and 25:31-34; Mark 9:42-49; Luke 12:5; John 3:18; Hebrews 12:23; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 14:10-11 and 20:11-15).


OUR CORE VALUES

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The Centrality of Christ
We worship God for what He has done for us through His Son’s death and resurrection, and because of Jesus’ headship over the church, so our ministry is focused on Him.

How we Promote the Centrality of Christ:
We desire to make Jesus famous, so we strive to have the worship of God among us be spiritual and inspirational with Christ as the main focus, remaining flexible and yielded to the Holy Spirit to direct our worship to Him (Colossians 1:18).
Balanced Approach to Ministry
We have strong convictions but pursue balanced teaching and ministry emphasis to ensure that we do not unnecessarily divide God’s people over non-essential issues.

How we promote a Balanced Approach to Ministry:
We do not make current headlines or political hot topics the emphasis of our ministry but trust the scriptures to speak the truth about what is happening in our world. Nor do we take sides or lean too far on any issue when the Bible does not.
Authority of God’s Word
We teach through the entire Bible because we believe in the importance of giving God’s people the whole counsel of God’s word and that the Spirit of God works through the Word in the hearts of His people.

How we promote the Authority of God’s Word:
We value the Word of God as inspired and profitable and place high regard both on its teaching in our ministry and living out of it in our lives. We make it a priority to provide expository teaching through the entire Bible (2 Timothy 3:16). Our aim is to simply teach the Bible in a loving and relaxed way helping people learn how to apply it in context. We proclaim what God has said without preconceived ideas.
Supremacy of Love
Our desire is to love God and our neighbors, both pleasing the Lord and providing a loving atmosphere where everyone in the church can flourish. Jesus said that we will be known by our love for one another.

How we promote the Supremacy of Love:
We desire unity that is marked by love (John 13:35). We express this by making people more important than things through caring for them and directing them toward God who is able to transform them (Romans 15:57). We do this by an informal and relational style of ministry that is not filled with judgment or suspicion, desiring everyone have intimate fellowship with Christ.
Community Emphasis
We emphasize small groups because we trust the Lord to deepen our fellowship and strengthen our community as we share the highs and lows of life together.

How we promote Community Emphasis:
We value a community of God’s people that is filled with grace toward one another, believing discipleship happens best in the fellowship that is available in small groups ministry. Therefore, we place a high regard on creating supportive fellowships focused on the application of the scriptures (Acts 2:42-46).
Grace & Truth
We emphasize the grace of God by focusing on what He has already done for us, without forsaking the truth when it challenges our attitudes and behaviors.

How we promote Grace & Truth:
We expect the grace of God to create a church culture that will change us and our community as we hold fast to the truth of His word (John 1:14).
Led and Empowered by the Spirit
Our desire is to seek the Lord, relying upon the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, so that we might obey Him more.

How we promote being Led & Empowered by the Holy Spirit:
We expect to be Spirit-led in our lives and ministry (Zechariah 4:6). We acknowledge the need for the directed service that the filling of the Holy Spirit provides for every believer, expecting God to give spiritual gifts and power as He sees fit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
Outreach Focused
We believe it is both the responsibility and privilege of the church to share the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection.

How we promote being Outreach Focused:
The great commission is a command that is to be taken seriously (Mark 16:15). The gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who hear and believe (Romans 1:16). Therefore, we attempt ventures of faith to win people to Christ.
Reaching the Next Generation
We have strong, biblically based ministries that are relevant to young people.

How we promote Reaching the Next Generation:
God has a special place in His heart for young people, therefore we work to have strong, biblically based ministries that are relevant to various age groups. We structure our church so they are encouraged to know, love, and serve Jesus (Mark 10:14).
Leadership Integrity
Our responsibility is to be trustworthy stewards of what God provides, which includes His people and resources.

How we promote Leadership Integrity
We should live with integrity and moral purity. It is our desire to keep Jesus first, to honor His name, and to live above worldly standards (James. 1:27). We do this by living out the gospel before the world, our family, and those whom God has entrusted to our care.
Servanthood
We are motivated by God’s love for us to serve Him and other people.

How we promote servanthood:
We believe a primary response to God’s grace is to serve others (Matthew 23:11). We are compelled by the abundant love of Christ, and so we never outgrow serving others.
The Imminent Return of Christ
Because we expect God to literally fulfill His prophecies prior to the second coming of Jesus, which are at hand, we serve Him and minister with urgency.

How we promote the Imminent Return of Christ: 
We anticipate a literal fulfillment of yet unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible (Matthew5:17-18). We comfort the saints through the doctrines of the rapture of the church and the literal reign of Christ at the time of His second coming (Luke 21:36, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelation 3:10, Revelation 19:11-16).