The following biblical principles address some key issues of biblical doctrine. We strive to be people
who share the teachings of Jesus Christ. We are committed to maintaining unity in the essentials, to
allowing freedom in matters of opinion, and to always demonstrate love.
The Bible – The sole basis of our belief is found in the 66 books of the Bible, in both the Old and New
Testaments. They are given by God’s inspiration and are without error in the original manuscripts. We
believe that Scripture originated with God and was written by real people. They speak with the
authority of God as they reflect the backgrounds, cultures, styles and vocabularies of the human
authors. The Scriptures are unique, reliable and the final authority on all matters of Christian faith and
practice. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
God – We believe in one true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:4-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4), creator of all
things, perfect in all His attributes and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
(Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). Each possess all the attributes of deity and deserve our worship
and obedience. By His power, God sustains His creation. He is operating throughout all of history to
fulfill His plan of redemption.
Jesus Christ – We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God, and in His incarnation, was also fully man.
Though he was equal with God (John 10:30; Philippians 2:5-8), He surrendered His prerogatives of deity
and came to earth to pay the debt for man’s soul. He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23-
25) and He lived a totally sinless life so He was qualified to pay for our sins by dying on the cross as our
Substitute (John 10:15; Romans 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24). He physically rose from the dead and ascended
into heaven where He now mediates as our Advocate (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:38-39; Acts 2:30-31;
Romans 4:25; Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1). We believe Jesus will return to earth visibly to
consummate history and judge all mankind according to the eternal plan of God (John 5:22-23: Acts 1:9-
11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Holy Spirit – We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine person, coequal with the Father and Son in all the
divine attributes (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14). He enlightens the minds of
sinners, awakens in them their need for a Savior and regenerates them. At salvation, He permanently
indwells every believer and equips them for personal growth and for service in the church (John
16:7-9; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 2:22). Believers are endowed with
spiritual gifts through the Holy Spirit and these gifts are intended to strengthen the church and glorify
Christ (John 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18). The Holy Spirit’s ongoing
work is to guide, lead, and empower every believer for godly living and service.
Humanity – We believe people are created in the image of God for a loving relationship with God in His
kingdom. However, beginning with Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, we have all rebelled
against God and chosen to go our own independent way. Mankind is thus alienated from God and
suffers the corruption of our nature due to our sin (Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 64:6-7; Romans 3:23; Romans
6:23; 1 John 1:8). The effects of this marred relationship with God can only be reversed through faith in
Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit and new life in God’s kingdom (John 3:16-18; 1 Timothy 2:3-4;
2 Peter 3:9).
Salvation – We believe Jesus died on the cross to save us from the eternal penalty of sin - eternal
separation from God. No amount of good works or human effort can restore us from our state of
alienation from God (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1-4). It is only due to God’s grace that we
are saved from alienation and this grace is experienced by a change of heart toward God’s authority in
our lives and by faith in Jesus to forgive our sins. Salvation is a gift, made available through faith in Jesus
and Him only (John 1:12; John 10:18-27; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:18-19). The
Biblical pattern for expressing one’s decision to place faith in Jesus and turn from sin involves water
baptism by immersion, which reenacts the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Baptism is the
concrete means by which we entrust and commit ourselves to God through a visible, historical moment.
Baptism – We believe that baptism by immersion is declared in the Bible as the God-ordained method
for giving one’s heart to God, trusting Christ, and receiving God’s promises. We emphasize that God
looks at the heart. While we affirm that Scriptures binds us to uphold this biblical teaching of baptism,
we also acknowledge that God is sovereign and saves people as He sees fit. Baptism, as taught and
practiced in Scripture, is the method by which a person gives his or her heart to God and becomes a
Christian. It is a requirement before one becomes a formal part of the local church family. We
acknowledge there are circumstances where God can save people by looking at the heart, apart from
the mode of baptism. God is not bound to baptism, but we are.
Communion – We take communion weekly, following the example of the early church. It provides us a
reminder of the foundational teachings of our faith as related to the death, resurrection, ascension and
promised hope of communing one day with Jesus in heaven. We choose to partake of communion on a
weekly basis to be constantly brought back to Christ the center of our faith, to His atoning death, and to
God’s grace. It is always preceded by solemn self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:28-32).
Church – We believe there is one true Church, composed of people who have been renewed and
forgiven by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:4-6; 5:22-23; Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; 1 Timothy
3:15). It is reflected by a diversity of believers working and serving together, using their spiritual gifts to
build one another up, forming the parts of the body of Christ, the Church. Scripture commands
believers to gather together in local congregations for scriptural teaching, fellowship, prayer, mutual
encouragement, worship of God and disciple making. Wherever God’s people meet in obedience to this
command, there is the local expression of the Church. We believe Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of
the Church. We believe every local church has the obligation under Christ to decide and govern its own
affairs in obedient submission to the will of God, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God.
Discipleship – We believe the distinguishing characteristic of those who live in God’s kingdom is Christ-
likeness. Discipleship is the fundamental ministry of the local church. Love for others displayed in
ministering to the poor, reaching out to people who are spiritually lost, serving others, and practicing
forgiveness are all signs of the presence of God’s kingdom and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Those with
genuine faith are known by the fruit of their lives and their pattern of faithfulness to Jesus. The local
church is a counter-culture community, whose members live Christ-centered lives.
Eternal Security – We believe when God saves people they still have free will by which they can reject
Jesus and deny God. We also believe that a person is saved by grace through faith and we can know we
have a saving faith by the spiritual fruit of our lives and by the pattern of faithfulness evidenced. We
believe the church is to reach out to those who seem to be losing the way by teaching the necessity of
faithfulness as the mark of genuine salvation. We will teach and uphold the importance of salvation by
grace through faith. With love and concern, we will reach out to all who seem to be losing their way.
We commit to holding the discussion of this issue in respectful, non-divisive ways that will not hinder
the Lord’s work.
End Times – We believe in these key areas of the end times: the resurrection of the dead, a literal
return of Jesus, the final judgment of God, hell and heaven. We believe people will either exist eternally
separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally
separated from God is eternal death in Hell. To be eternally in union with God is eternal life in Heaven.
Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. Death seals the eternal destiny of each person
(Hebrews 9:27). The saved will be raised to eternal life (John 6:39; Romans 8:10-11; 2 Corinthians 4:14),
and the unsaved will experience everlasting punishment (Daniel 12:2, John 5:29).
who share the teachings of Jesus Christ. We are committed to maintaining unity in the essentials, to
allowing freedom in matters of opinion, and to always demonstrate love.
The Bible – The sole basis of our belief is found in the 66 books of the Bible, in both the Old and New
Testaments. They are given by God’s inspiration and are without error in the original manuscripts. We
believe that Scripture originated with God and was written by real people. They speak with the
authority of God as they reflect the backgrounds, cultures, styles and vocabularies of the human
authors. The Scriptures are unique, reliable and the final authority on all matters of Christian faith and
practice. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
God – We believe in one true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:4-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4), creator of all
things, perfect in all His attributes and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
(Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). Each possess all the attributes of deity and deserve our worship
and obedience. By His power, God sustains His creation. He is operating throughout all of history to
fulfill His plan of redemption.
Jesus Christ – We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God, and in His incarnation, was also fully man.
Though he was equal with God (John 10:30; Philippians 2:5-8), He surrendered His prerogatives of deity
and came to earth to pay the debt for man’s soul. He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23-
25) and He lived a totally sinless life so He was qualified to pay for our sins by dying on the cross as our
Substitute (John 10:15; Romans 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24). He physically rose from the dead and ascended
into heaven where He now mediates as our Advocate (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:38-39; Acts 2:30-31;
Romans 4:25; Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1). We believe Jesus will return to earth visibly to
consummate history and judge all mankind according to the eternal plan of God (John 5:22-23: Acts 1:9-
11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Holy Spirit – We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine person, coequal with the Father and Son in all the
divine attributes (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14). He enlightens the minds of
sinners, awakens in them their need for a Savior and regenerates them. At salvation, He permanently
indwells every believer and equips them for personal growth and for service in the church (John
16:7-9; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 2:22). Believers are endowed with
spiritual gifts through the Holy Spirit and these gifts are intended to strengthen the church and glorify
Christ (John 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18). The Holy Spirit’s ongoing
work is to guide, lead, and empower every believer for godly living and service.
Humanity – We believe people are created in the image of God for a loving relationship with God in His
kingdom. However, beginning with Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, we have all rebelled
against God and chosen to go our own independent way. Mankind is thus alienated from God and
suffers the corruption of our nature due to our sin (Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 64:6-7; Romans 3:23; Romans
6:23; 1 John 1:8). The effects of this marred relationship with God can only be reversed through faith in
Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit and new life in God’s kingdom (John 3:16-18; 1 Timothy 2:3-4;
2 Peter 3:9).
Salvation – We believe Jesus died on the cross to save us from the eternal penalty of sin - eternal
separation from God. No amount of good works or human effort can restore us from our state of
alienation from God (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1-4). It is only due to God’s grace that we
are saved from alienation and this grace is experienced by a change of heart toward God’s authority in
our lives and by faith in Jesus to forgive our sins. Salvation is a gift, made available through faith in Jesus
and Him only (John 1:12; John 10:18-27; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:18-19). The
Biblical pattern for expressing one’s decision to place faith in Jesus and turn from sin involves water
baptism by immersion, which reenacts the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Baptism is the
concrete means by which we entrust and commit ourselves to God through a visible, historical moment.
Baptism – We believe that baptism by immersion is declared in the Bible as the God-ordained method
for giving one’s heart to God, trusting Christ, and receiving God’s promises. We emphasize that God
looks at the heart. While we affirm that Scriptures binds us to uphold this biblical teaching of baptism,
we also acknowledge that God is sovereign and saves people as He sees fit. Baptism, as taught and
practiced in Scripture, is the method by which a person gives his or her heart to God and becomes a
Christian. It is a requirement before one becomes a formal part of the local church family. We
acknowledge there are circumstances where God can save people by looking at the heart, apart from
the mode of baptism. God is not bound to baptism, but we are.
Communion – We take communion weekly, following the example of the early church. It provides us a
reminder of the foundational teachings of our faith as related to the death, resurrection, ascension and
promised hope of communing one day with Jesus in heaven. We choose to partake of communion on a
weekly basis to be constantly brought back to Christ the center of our faith, to His atoning death, and to
God’s grace. It is always preceded by solemn self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:28-32).
Church – We believe there is one true Church, composed of people who have been renewed and
forgiven by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:4-6; 5:22-23; Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; 1 Timothy
3:15). It is reflected by a diversity of believers working and serving together, using their spiritual gifts to
build one another up, forming the parts of the body of Christ, the Church. Scripture commands
believers to gather together in local congregations for scriptural teaching, fellowship, prayer, mutual
encouragement, worship of God and disciple making. Wherever God’s people meet in obedience to this
command, there is the local expression of the Church. We believe Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of
the Church. We believe every local church has the obligation under Christ to decide and govern its own
affairs in obedient submission to the will of God, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God.
Discipleship – We believe the distinguishing characteristic of those who live in God’s kingdom is Christ-
likeness. Discipleship is the fundamental ministry of the local church. Love for others displayed in
ministering to the poor, reaching out to people who are spiritually lost, serving others, and practicing
forgiveness are all signs of the presence of God’s kingdom and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Those with
genuine faith are known by the fruit of their lives and their pattern of faithfulness to Jesus. The local
church is a counter-culture community, whose members live Christ-centered lives.
Eternal Security – We believe when God saves people they still have free will by which they can reject
Jesus and deny God. We also believe that a person is saved by grace through faith and we can know we
have a saving faith by the spiritual fruit of our lives and by the pattern of faithfulness evidenced. We
believe the church is to reach out to those who seem to be losing the way by teaching the necessity of
faithfulness as the mark of genuine salvation. We will teach and uphold the importance of salvation by
grace through faith. With love and concern, we will reach out to all who seem to be losing their way.
We commit to holding the discussion of this issue in respectful, non-divisive ways that will not hinder
the Lord’s work.
End Times – We believe in these key areas of the end times: the resurrection of the dead, a literal
return of Jesus, the final judgment of God, hell and heaven. We believe people will either exist eternally
separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally
separated from God is eternal death in Hell. To be eternally in union with God is eternal life in Heaven.
Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. Death seals the eternal destiny of each person
(Hebrews 9:27). The saved will be raised to eternal life (John 6:39; Romans 8:10-11; 2 Corinthians 4:14),
and the unsaved will experience everlasting punishment (Daniel 12:2, John 5:29).
