OUR BELIEFS

Our beliefs align with the theological foundations and affirmations found within the historic Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds.

THE NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.  On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. 
AMEN.

Further clarification of our essential belief and doctrine. 

GOD
God is the eternal Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe. His being, exists in oneness and at the same time has manifested, shown Himself to mankind in equal representation as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – but God is one. (1 John 5:7; Gen 1:26; Matt 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Heb 3:7-11)

GOD THE FATHER
Father God reigns in sovereign power over His universe; and over humanity in love and with mercy and grace. He is the Giver of life. (Gen 1-2, Isaiah 43:10; 44:8, James 1:17, John 4:24)

GOD THE SON - JESUS
Jesus Christ is God, the Son of God; He is coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin, and He lived a sinless human life.  By the will of the Father, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross; He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven and will return again someday to reign as King.  He is God in a physical body; Jesus is fully God and fully human.  (John 1:1,14, 20:28; 1 Tim 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Phil 2:5-6; 1 Tim 2:5)

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
God the Holy Spirit is coequal with the Father and the Son of God. He was present at creation of all things, and is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in, indwells, every Christian from the moment of the new birth or salvation.  He provides Christians with power for living and witnessing Christ, and in understanding of God’s Word.  (Gen 1:2; John 14:26; 15:26; 16:8)

THE HOLY BIBLE    
The Bible is God's Word to us, the Scriptures were written by people through the guiding and inspiration of God. It contains the story of God's ancient people, the good news of Jesus, and the narrative teachings and themes that serve our need for life's meaning, guidance, and hope. (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Prov 30:5; Rom 16:25-26)

CREATION
God is the Divine Creator of all matter and life from nothing, ex nilo. (Gen 1, Isaiah 40:8, Col 1:16)

HUMANS
People are made in the image of God, having a soul, spirit, and body; and are eternal.  People are the crown of God's creation.  All are marred by an attitude of self-focused desires and disobedience toward God; this is called “sin.”  Sin separates us from God. (Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Rom 5:12-21)

SALVATION
Salvation is God's free gift to us by His grace, and is given by God when a person accepts Christ in faith.  A person can never make up for sin by self-improvement or good works; only by the grace of God can one be saved from sin’s penalty.  To repent from sin begins with a faith confession in Jesus Christ as Savior; at that time one is reconciled into an eternal relationship with God through Jesus Christ alone. (Eph 2:8-9; Gal 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Rom 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Heb 9:22)

RESURRECTION
Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation (Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; 1 Cor 15:42, 44; Phil 1:21-23, 3:21)

MISSION
We are mission grounded in our understanding of scripture and the story of God and His people. God has graciously invited us to join Him in His mission to redeem and renew all things. As a community of followers of Jesus—we join this mission by carrying out Jesus’ great commission to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:18-20, Rev 21:5)

GOSPEL
The gospel or good news of Jesus is the hope of the world. We proclaim, preach, teach, and live the gospel by following the ways and teachings of Jesus. His kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Mark 1:15, Isiah 61:1-4, Luke 4:16-20, Rom 10:15, Acts 14:21-22)

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
God identifies and enables believers by the work of the Holy Spirit in the following manner:

• Indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit: God has placed His Holy Spirit as a seal of recognition into of those who are born again as a believer and disciple of Christ. (John 14:16-17, Rom 8:10-11, 1 Cor 3:16-17, 2 Cor 6:16, Eph 2:21-22, Heb 3:6, 1 Pet 2:5, 1 Jn 3:24, 4:12-15; 2 Tim 1:6-7)

• Fruit of the Spirit: A Christian is known by a lifestyle of bearing fruit; Scripture declares that the singular fruit of the Spirit is revealed by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These virtues are evident where the Holy Spirit is living. (Matt 22:34-37, Eph. 5:8-11, Gal 5:22-23)

• Anointing: The Holy Spirit’s anointing empowers believers for efficient ministry, witnessing, and surrender to the will of God. (Isaiah 61:1-11, 1 John 2:27, James 5:14, 1 John 2:20)

• Spiritual Gifts: The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. (Heb 2:4; Rom 1:11, 12 :4-8; Eph 4:16; 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6-7; I Cor 12:1-31, 14:1-40; 1 Pet 4:10)

THE CHURCH     
The Church is the global oneness of all who are saved, born again into the Body of Christ. The New Testament church has been a movement since its inception as a small group of faithful followers who believed the gospel was worth giving their lives to and for. We are a part of that same movement today. We take on our role as a church in God’s movement through the earth with humility, passion, and a hope to be the church the best way we know how. As His Church we contend for more of God’s presence and a great revival (click to read more about revival). (Eph 1:22, 2:19-22; Heb 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23)

TWO SACRAMENTS

• Baptism – full immersion of a believer in water as an act of obedience. symbolizing the believer's faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior Jesus Christ. (Matt 28:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48) 

• Communion – Communion or The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the body of Christ memorialize the death, burial, and resurrection, and return of Christ. (Matt 26:26-29; 1 Cor 10:16, 11:23-25)

AFFILIATIONS & FRIENDS

We are a non-denominational church. We've intentionally chosen this as part of our identity, but we've also chosen to ensure that we are not a silo in and of ourselves. We believe in church unity and have intentional relationships with other local churches in our city. We love the beauty and diversity of the body of Christ. We seek to unite, learn, and grow through our relationships with church planting organizations, ministry networks, and friends in our city and around the world. Additionally, we are committed to linking arms with other churches, ministries, and mission organizations to work together to advance the gospel.