(Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Psalm 12:6; Psalm 119; Matthew 24:35; Matthew 22:29; 1 Corinthians 2:12-16; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Isaiah 40:6-8; Romans 10:14-17)

We believe the Scriptures are comprised of the 66 books of the Old and New Testament. These writings alone constitute the verbally inspired Word of God, which is utterly authoritative and without error in the original writings, complete in its revelation of His will for salvation, sufficient for all that God requires us to believe and do, and final in its authority over every domain of knowledge to which it speaks. Whatever the Bible, rightly interpreted, is found to teach, we are bound to believe and obey. All of Scripture is a testimony of Christ, who is himself the focus of divine revelation. From the message of the Bible we gain our identity as the family of God and through Scripture we learn what it means to be the community of faith in the world.

(Genesis 1-3; Ephesians 5:15-33; 1 Peter 3:1-7; Ephesians 4:25-32; Colossians 3:18-4:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12; Romans 5:1-19; Romans 1:18-3:20; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:21; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 8:7-8; Romans 8:20; Romans 3:9-20)

We believe that all humanity is created in the image of God and possesses intrinsic dignity and worth. God made humanity—male and female—in His own image. Set apart as His image bearers, every human being is sacred. All men and all women, bearing the image of God, are meant to represent God in His creation. God declares the created order to be very good, distinguishing men and women as His agents to care for, manage and govern over it. Adam and Eve were made to complement each other in a one-flesh union in the covenant of marriage that establishes the only God-ordained pattern of sexual relations for men and women. In God’s wise purposes, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways.

We believe that sin entered the world when Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden. Humanity transgressed the expressed command of God and fell from original holiness and righteousness. The entire human race now inherits a corrupt and fallen nature and therefore all humans are under condemnation deserving of eternal separation from God. This depravity is pervasive extending to the mind, will, body, and affections of humanity and contains destructive effects for all of creation.

(Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:3-14; Isaiah 46:9-10; Romans 9:11-18; John 10:25-29; John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Romans 1:15-17; Ephesians 2:3-6; Mark 1:14-15; (Isaiah 53; Romans 3:21-26; John 1:1-18; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; John 1:29; Ephesians 1:3-14; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Colossians 2:13-14; Revelation 5)

We believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Salvation from the guilt, penalty and all other consequences of sin has been achieved solely through the work of Jesus Christ – his perfect obedience, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection and exaltation as Lord. The universal death of mankind wrought by the affect of our inherited sinful nature means no one can enter the kingdom of God through good works. All of our good works are tainted by sin and in no way can merit eternal life. We trust ourselves completely to the completed work of Christ. We believe that through our professed faith in Jesus Christ have received the Spirit of adoption, enabling mankind to boldly approach the throne of grace. Through salvation the dominion of sin is broken, we receive a new and holy disposition of mind and a new desire to love and obey God. He transforms our hearts, supplanting humanity’s love of sin and self with a love of God and holiness. We also believe in the perseverance of the saints. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect of their faith and through temptation and may incur the penalties and consequences of sin but will be kept by the power of God.

(Isaiah 56:1-8; Isaiah 54:1-3; Galatians 3-4; 1 Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 4:1-16; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Peter 2:4-12; 1 John 3:11-24; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:1–2; 1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9; 1 Timothy 2:12)

We believe there is one, holy, universal and apostolic church, which is the Body of Christ, and to which all true believers belong. The church’s calling is to worship God forever and to serve God in the world. This one church is indivisible consisting of all believers of all time, past, present and future, under the headship of Christ who is himself the cornerstone. The universal church is represented through local congregations of baptized believers. We believe in order to be a Chrisitan Church a local congregation must hold fast to the apostolic faith, handed down from Christ to the apostles, and from the apostles to the church. Only through the maintenance of this faith once and for all entrusted to the saints and through the observation of the two ordinances of Christ, baptism and communion, will a church maintain this standing. Any local congregation that deviates from this faith is no longer considered Christian.

We believe that God, in his design, has reserved the office of elder for qualified men. Beyond that, we believe that Scripture teaches that God intends for both women and men to be equally involved and engaged in ministry within the church. We believe that Paul’s requirements for elders preclude women from serving in that role. Scripture provides no examples of women who served the church in this capacity, and the consensus from church history corroborates this perspective. To be clear, women should be exercising all of the same spiritual gifts as men, including teaching—explaining the truth of Scripture—and preaching—proclaiming the truth of Scripture (cf. Acts 2:17–18; Colossians 3:16; 1 Peter 4:10–11). But in our efforts to promote more women in leadership, we seek to draw the same lines that Scripture does—no more, but also no less.

We believe the church has been commissioned by Christ to make disciples of all nations. The Church is called to make disciples through worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of the ordinances, fellowship, the exercise of our gifts and talents, and the proclamation of the gospel both in our community and throughout the world.

(Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Peter 3:21-22; Colossians 2:11-15; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14- 23; 1 Corinthians 11:23-27; Romans 6:3-14; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:22-25)

We believe there are two ordinances of the Church. One is that of believer’s baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the other being communion . We believe that believers’ baptism is to be partaken by individuals who have expressed faith in Jesus Christ, having turned from sin and having received the saving benefits of Christ through the reception of the Holy Spirit. Believers are to be baptized by full immersion in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism in no way administers any salvific effects but instead is the outward expression of an inward reality. Baptism is a visual representation of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We believe that baptism not only communicates your identity with the death of Christ but also His body. Through baptism an individual becomes a member of the body of Christ, the church.

As with water baptism, communion is to be observed only by those who have become genuine followers of Christ. This ordinance symbolizes the breaking of Christ’s body and the shedding of His blood on our behalf and is to be observed repeatedly throughout the Christian life as a sign of continued participation in the atoning benefits of Christ’s death. Communion is not just an act of remembrance but of our longing for the future hope we possess in the awaited resurrection of the dead.

(Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 66:18-24; Revelation 21; Romans 8:18-25; Matthew 10:28; 2 Peter 2:4-22; Hebrews 10:26-31)

As the Lord Jesus ascended to his Father, so he will return personally, visibly and in glory. The consummation of all things includes the future, physical, visible, personal and glorious return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead and the glorification of those alive in Christ, the judgment of the just and the unjust, and the fulfillment of Christ’s kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth. God will then fully establish his Kingdom and finish the new creation – a new heaven and a new earth from which all unrepentant and evil, all suffering and death, will be excluded and in which God will be glorified forever. The eager expectation of creation will be fulfilled, and the whole earth shall proclaim the glory of God, who makes all things new.