We believe. . . .
All scripture in the Old and New Testaments is God breathed, living and active, without error, and therefore is the final authority for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. (II Timothy 3:16-17; Psalms 18:30; II Peter 1:20-21; Hebrews 4:12)
There is one living and true God who is creator of all things. He is infinitely perfect. God exists eternally in three persons as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1; Acts 17:24-28; Isaiah 44:6-8; Matthew 3:16-17; John 1:1-3; Acts 5:3-5; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:15-20; Matthew 28:19-20)
God the Father offers us a relationship with Him as His adopted children. This relationship is established through receiving the gifts of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life through Jesus Christ, His son. He is approachable and a father to the fatherless. The Father’s protective hand covers His children, whom He knows and for whom He provides their daily needs. Discipline is part of the Father’s love for us. The Father’s name is to be hallowed (worthy of honor and praise). (Galatians 4:4-7; Rom.8:14-18; John 1:10-13; John 3:16; 1 John 5-14; Psalms 68:4-5; John10:29; Matt. 6:9-11; Heb.12:5-11)
Jesus Christ is true God and true man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and lived a sinless life. He died upon the cross as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He arose from the dead and ascended into heaven. He is now at the Father's right hand representing believers, and is coming again. (Isaiah 7:14; John 1:1,14; Luke 1:26-38; Hebrews 1:1-3, 4:15; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; I Peter 1:18-19; Philippians 2:5-11; John 14:1-3)
The Holy Spirit is sent to live in, guide, teach, empower and gift all believers. He is our Counselor and Comforter, and convinces the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. (Ephesians 1:13-14; I Corinthians 6:1920, 12: 1-31; John 16:7-15; Romans 8:5-17)
God created mankind in his image so they might have fellowship with him. Being separated from God by our disobedience, incurring both physical and spiritual death, we are incapable of a right relationship with God apart from divine grace. (Genesis 1:26-27,3:1-22; I Corinthians 1:9; I John 1:3, Isaiah 53:6, 64:6; Romans 3:23,6:23)
Salvation is the restoration of our broken relationship with God. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ salvation has been made available to all people. However, only those who repent and put their trust in Christ's shed blood are forever declared righteous, born again, and receive the Holy Spirit and the gift of eternal life. (Ephesians 2; 8-9; II Corinthians 5:17-21; John 1:12, 3:1-3; Romans 5:8, 8, 10:9-10; Luke l5: 7)
The Church consists of all those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the head of the Church, which has been commissioned by Him to go out into the entire world as a witness, preaching the Gospel to all nations.
The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together to worship God, to celebrate baptism and the Lord's Supper, to instruct through the Word of God, to pray, to enjoy fellowship, to build each other up, to share the Good News of Jesus and care for the needy, the poor, and the powerless. (Colossians 1:18; I Peter 2: 4-6; Mathew 28: 18-20; Romans 6: 1-5,12; I Corinthians 11:23-32; Ephesians 4:1-16; Hebrews 10:19-25; I John 1:1-3; Acts 20: 27-28; Proverbs 31:8-9; I Thessalonians 5:11)
The Lord Jesus Christ will come again to judge all people (the living and the dead), and to establish His glorious Kingdom. Those who have rejected Christ will be eternally separated from God's presence, but all that have a personal relationship with Christ will live and reign together with Him forever. (I Corinthians 15:51-58; Matthew 25:31-34,41; John 14:1-6; I Thessalonians 4:13,5:2; Revelation 20:11-15)