What We Believe

938 Church Core Beliefs

The 938 Church Core Beliefs are intended to be a basis of shared mission. We expect that our church will have people who will hold convictions on peripheral doctrines that differ from each other. We are a charitable community that will embrace ongoing diversity of theological perspective. Yet, at the same time, we are committed to stewarding the core, historic beliefs of Christianity as has been handed down to us (Jude 3).

  • The Bible is the Inspired Word of God. The Old and New Testament are verbally inspired by God, the only written revelation from God to man. The Bible is the authoritative rule of faith and conduct for mankind (II Timothy 3:15-17, I Thessalonians 2:13, & Peter 1:21).

  • There is one true God. God is called by many different names because of the different dimensions of His personality, but God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). God is super-dimensional and eternally self-existent (Jn. 8:54-59). God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He is the creator of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1&2). While God is one, He has revealed Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

  • Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God. The Scripture declares his virgin birth (Matthew 1:18-23); His sinless life (Hebrews 7:26, I Peter 2:22, I John 3:4,5); His miracles (Acts 2:22, 10:37-38); His substitutionary death on the cross (II Corinthians 5:21, I Peter 2:24, I Corinthians 15:4); His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:1-6, I Corinthians 15:4); His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9,11 & Philippians 2:9-11).

  • The Fall of Man. Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). However, by a voluntary act of the will, Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Genesis 3:6). That first sin had several repercussions. Man was excommunicated from the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23), a curse was pronounced (Genesis 3:14-19), the process of physical death began (Genesis 2:17), and man died spiritually (Romans 5:12-19). Sin separated humankind from God (Ephesians 2:11-18) and left man in a fallen or sinful condition (Romans 3:23).

  • The Salvation of Humanity. The only means of salvation is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12, John 14:6). He died on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins (I Peter 2:24). He offers each of us a pardon for our sins (Hebrews 9:26) and offers the opportunity to become children of God (John 1:12). When we put our faith in Christ, it triggers a spiritual chain reaction. We become the Temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19). We become citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20-21). We are given eternal life (John 3:16). We are adopted as children of God (Gal. 4:4-7). Our sins are forgiven (Heb. 8:12). We are credited with the righteousness of Christ (Rom. 4:4-5). We are born-again (John 3:3). God takes ownership of us (I Cor. 6:20). We receive an eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14, I Peter 1:3-5).

  • The evidence of salvation is two-fold. The internal evidence is the direct witness of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16). The external evidence is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23). We become a new creation (II Cor. 5:17) and are transformed into the image of Christ (II Cor. 3:18).

  • The Church and Its Mission. The Church is the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-27) and has a three-fold purpose: To worship God (I Cor. 12:13), to make disciples to all peoples in the world (Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15-16), and to equip and empower one another for ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16 & I Cor. 12:28, 14:12).

  • The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to each person to be the abiding presence of Christ sealing each believer with salvation in Christ (Ephesians 1:12) and serving as a counselor reminding us of the Words of Christ in scripture (John 16:15). The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) are the by-product of a Spirit-filled life and evidence of spiritual maturity. The gifts of the Spirit are different manifestations of the Spirit to build up the body (I Cor. 12:1-11).

  • The Final Judgment. There will be a final judgment in which the dead will be resurrected and judged according to their works and their relationship to Jesus Christ (Matt. 25:31-46 & Romans 2:1-9).

    The Ordinances of the Church

  • Baptism in Water. The Scripture teaches that all who repent and believe in Christ are to be baptized by immersion (Matthew 28:19). Baptism is a public profession of faith in Christ. It is symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. It is a declaration to the world that we have died to sin and have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

  • Communion. The Lord’s table consists of two elements: the bread and cup. Those elements are symbolic of the body and blood of Christ (Matt. 26:26-28). Communion is a memorial of Christ’s sufferings on the cross and a celebration of our salvation. It is an opportunity for those who seek to experience and receive the grace and love of Jesus Christ.