What We Believe

The TRINITY

There is only one true, living and eternal God. He has revealed Himself to mankind as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, each being a distinct person with a distinct function, but all of one essence and all possessing the same nature, perfection and attributes. (Matthew 3:13-17; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1: 17)

God the father

God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, is the Giver and Sustainer of life, the seen and unseen. He is Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the universe. He is all loving, all just, all wise and all-powerful. As Creator, He is Father to all men, but He is spiritual Father only to believers. He is the true God and the One who judges righteously and tests the heart and mind. He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ, His Son. (Genesis 1:1-31; Exodus 3:14-15; Ephesians 3:9; 4:6)

god the son

God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, is the perfect representation for the Father in human form. He was and is fully human and fully divine. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He is equal with God the Father, but humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant and became obedient to a death on the cross. He knew that only through the shedding of His blood would the sinless Lamb of God be able to secure forgiveness and remission of sins. He arose on the third day following His death (as He declared He would) and now lives and reigns with the Father in glory awaiting His final triumphant return. He lives in all believers as the living, ever-present Lord. (Matthew 1:18-23; John 1:1-18; Galatians 4:4-5; Hebrews 1:1-4)


god the holy spirit

God the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, exalts Christ, convicts the world of sin and unrighteousness and works in the life of each believer to produce godly character qualities. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth and through Him the Scriptures were written by men, but inspired by God’s Spirit and contain no error. He is Comforter, Teacher, Wisdom and Counselor. (John 14:16-17; 26; 16:7-14; I Corinthians 2: 10-14)


salvation

Salvation is the free gift of eternal life, obtained through grace and kept by grace. It is offered to all who accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It involves the redemption of the whole man, and was made possible by the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross. He shed His own blood for our sin that we might be made right with God. It includes regeneration, justification, sanctification and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. (Romans 10:9-10; Romans 3:23-24, Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Peter 1:3-5)

man

Man was created by God in His image and is the finest of His creation. Man was created innocent but with a free choice. Because man chose to be disobedient and sinned against God, he fell from his original state of innocence into a sinful state. Man is, therefore, sinful by nature and is in need of a Savior in order to be reconciled back to God. (Genesis 1:26-27)

baptism

Baptism by immersion in water is an ordinance of the Church and is an outward expression of an inward change that has occurred in the life of a believer. It identifies the believer with Christ and pictures His death, burial and resurrection. It also symbolizes the new believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life and the resurrection to walk in a new life in Christ. It is the first commandment a new Christian is given from the Lord and is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper. (Matthew 3:6; Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:4; Acts 2:38, Romans 6:1-4; Colossians 2:12)

the lord's supper

The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the Church and is a symbolic act of obedience that is to be observed until He returns. It is an opportunity for personal examination and reflection as the Church memorializes the death of Christ. The bread and the cup are symbols of His body that was broken and His blood that was shed for our salvation. (Matthew 26:26-30; Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-29)

Section Title

the church

The Church is a local body of baptized believers who meet, worship and minister in the name of Jesus Christ. It is the body of Christ and the family of God whose purpose is to glorify God through worship that is God-focused and biblical. Its further purpose is to carry out the Great Commission by extending the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes and each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. (Matthew 16:15-19; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 47)

the beginning

We believe that God created both the world and everything in it, out of nothing, and made man in His own image. He created the earth in an orderly fashion and created man and woman as unique beings capable of communication with Him.  (Genesis 1:1-31)

the future

We believe that at God’s appointed time, He will bring the world to its appropriate end. As Christ has promised, He will return to earth to rapture the church, His bride. The dead will be raised and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. Those who have rejected Christ will be consigned to Hell, eternally separated from God, where they will suffer everlasting punishment; those who have accepted Christ as Savior, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will live eternally in Heaven with the Lord. (John 14:28; Acts 1:10-11; I Thessalonians 4:16)

heaven & hell

Heaven is a literal place without sin or suffering where God lives. Life in Heaven operates according to God’s principals and values, and is eternal and unshakable. The Heavenly City is the eternal home for all believers, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and with one another.             (John 14:2; John 17:3; Revelation 21:22-23).


Hell is a literal place God originally prepared for Satan and his fallen angels to live. It is the place of everlasting punishment and separation from God for those who reject Christ as their Savior. The separation is separation from the love and grace and mercy and honor of God; we believe that there is no separation, however, from the wrath of God, the anger of God, the judgment of God. (Matthew 13:41-42; 49-50; Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:48)