The Bible

The Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. This God-breathed (inspired) Word is inerrant, infallible, ever relevant, totally sufficient, and completely trustworthy. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Romans 16:25-26; Proverbs 30:5; Matthew 5:17-18).

God

There is one true God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Although each member of the Trinity serves different functions, they are coequal, coexistent, and coeternal (1 John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; Luke 1:35; Hebrews 3:7-11).

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is God the Son—the second person of the Trinity. He is coequal, coexistent, and coeternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, who is pre-existent, became a man through the miracle of the incarnation, was born of a virgin, is fully man but also fully God, lived a sinless life, was crucified on a cross, was resurrected from the dead, and has ascended bodily into heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of God and will one day bodily return for His Church (John 3:16; John 1:1,14, 20:28; Luke 1-2; Matthew 1:18-25; Isaiah 7:14; Colossians 2:9; Philippians 2:5-6; 1 John 3:5; Luke 24:39; 1 Timothy 3:16, 2:5).   

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is a person, not a power, and is coequal, coexistent, and coeternal with God the Father and God the Son. He is the active presence of God in this world. The Holy Spirit brings conviction, imparts eternal life, and indwells every believer. He baptizes us into the Body of Christ, seals us unto the day of redemption, empowers us to live the Christ-life, and gifts us with spiritual gifts for service (John 16:8-11; Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 2:29; Colossians 1:12-13; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:11, 13).

Redemption

Humanity was created in the likeness and image of God—good and upright—but by a deliberate act of the will, chose to disobey God and fell into total depravity. Humanity’s only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Genesis 1:26-27, 3:1-7; Ephesians 2:1; Romans 5:12-21).

Salvation

People are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. His vicarious death with the shedding of His blood on the cross was the complete payment for all sin, but only those who trust Christ as Lord and Savior will be saved. Salvation is a gift from God; it is not the result of our good works or any human effort (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22).

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build up and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. All believers are to earnestly desire spiritual gifts. We believe all the gifts of the Spirit are operational and necessary for today, but each gift must operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of biblical parameters (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11-12; Ephesians 4:11-16; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-14:40; 1 Peter 4:10). 

The Church

The church is the Body of Christ and has been divinely appointed to carry out the great commandment of love and the great commission of discipleship. Every person who puts their faith in Jesus Christ and is born of the Spirit is an integral member of that body of believers (Matthew 22:38, 28:18-20; Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:19-22).

Baptism

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change and commitment that has occurred in the life of a believer. It is a step of total obedience, not a means of salvation. We believe baptism is by immersion in water in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38, 8:12, 36-38).

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is a unique time of communion for those who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord. The elements of bread and juice symbolize the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus and remind us of His sacrificial death for our sin and His soon-coming return (Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Marriage

Marriage is the first institution God ordained for humanity and He provided the specific instructions as to its nature and requirements of conduct. The Bible declares that the man and the woman were created by God as distinct and separate acts of creation, and that being male and female was an aspect of how they were created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:27; 2:7; 2:18-19). Therefore marriage is the joining of these two distinct genders into one flesh. Thus marriage is between one man and one woman, as defined biologically at birth.

We also believe and affirm that a Christian wedding is the worship of God, thereby constituting a Christian worship service. We believe that biblical marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman. The very heart and essence of a Christian wedding is the Divine blessing of the bride and the groom as they exchange specific vows to God and to one another, while God receives the worship of the congregation, as they witness those vows and offer Him praise and worship.