God
...is one, though He exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are all equally eternal and perfect, and exist in perfect unity and community with one another.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:5-6
The Father
…is the only Sovereign Creator of all things. His plans and purposes cannot be prevented or undone. He is faithful to every promise, works all things together for good to those who love Him and, as a demonstration of His grace and love, gave His Son, Jesus Christ, for mankind’s redemption. He made all things for the praise of His glory and intends for all His creation, and mankind in particular, to live in perfect fellowship with Himself.
Acts 4:24; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mark 12:29-30; Psalm 115:1; Proverbs 19:21; Isaiah 46:10; Hebrews 6:17; Romans 5:8, 8:18-23, 28; Romans; Ephesians 2:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 John 4:9-10; Revelation 4:11
Jesus Christ
...is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be worshiped above all else. In Jesus all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” Colossians 1:13-20
Everything we say and do centers around one main belief, the person and work of Jesus Christ. Through Him, His life, His teachings, His actions, we interpret and conclude everything else.
The Holy Spirit
...serves to glorify Jesus Christ by convicting the world of sin, enabling us to please God, empowering His Church to live the Great Commission, and guiding us in truth. He empowered the writers of the Bible to pen its words and the readers of it to understand them. He draws people to Christ and gives them abilities that both reveal His presence and build up the Church. Apart from the active work of the Spirit, Scripture cannot be rightly understood, Worship cannot glorify God, and hearts cannot be transformed.
Peter 1:21; Acts 1:8, 2:33, 4:31; Romans 15:18-19, Romans 8:7-9; John 14:26, 16:13-14;
1 Corinthians 12:7, 14:12; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, 4:4, 4:6; Hebrews 2:3-4
The Bible
...(66 books of the Old & New Testament) is the infallible Word of God, penned by human authors through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and is without error in the original manuscripts. It is complete and should not be added to by tradition. Its truths are eternal, they are the authority by which we determine what is true and right, and should guide the way we exist within culture, not be shaped by culture. Many today are biblically illiterate so it is our passion to make disciples that are well trained in the Scriptures.
Proverbs 30:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Psalm 119
Sin
...was introduced into mankind through Adam, the first man. His sin enslaved the world and mankind to the power of the devil. All of mankind has sinned and the penalty is death, separation from God. Jesus Christ, God’s son, paid the penalty of sin to reconcile mankind to God. Everyone who repents and trusts in Jesus for forgiveness of sin is forgiven and free from the curse of sin and death.
Romans 5:12-21, 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-5
Salvation
...comes by faith alone, through Christ alone and because of God’s grace alone. We need it, but cannot earn it because we are broken, but we receive it as a gift from God and for the glory of God. God, in his infinite and perfect love, and through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, breathes life into dead souls and allows us to be reconnected to Himself through saving faith in His Son.
Acts 4:11-12; John 14:6-7; Romans 3:24-26; Ephesians 2:1-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
The Gospel
...is the rule and reign of God on earth that was inaugurated by the incarnation of Jesus, our king. When He came, he preached the coming of His Kingdom and demonstrated its advancement against the Kingdom of the enemy by healing the sick and casting out demons. He left the advancement of His Kingdom in the hands of His church in whom He also placed His Spirit with the expectation that this Gospel be taken all throughout the earth until the day He returns to receive His Kingdom. Until then it is our call to demonstrate and declare the life, death and resurrection of our Jesus.
John 18:36; Matthew 4:17, 23, 12:28; Revelation 11:15, 12:10
Spiritual Gifts
...as seen on display in the New Testament are still active within the life of the church today. These gifts did not end with the close of the New Testament or the death of the last apostle. We affirm the present use of all gifts such as tongues, prophecy, dreams, miracles, healings, etc. and believe they were the works Jesus and His disciples used to confirm the good news of God's Kingdom making its advance against the kingdom of darkness. Although there are lists of these gifts in the Bible we do not believe them to be exhaustive, and an individual may possess various degrees and/or combinations of these gifts. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of these gifts in their lives and the gifts should be used in sync with the teachings of scripture.
Matthew 4:17, 23, 12:28, 28:19-20; John 9:4, 10:37; Mark 16:17-20; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; Hebrews 2:4; 1 Peter 4:10; Ephesians 4:16; Romans 12:4-8
Worship
Worship is not just music but how we respond to God with our lives. We know the way we worship communicates something about the God we worship and that God has a lot to say about how he wants us to worship him. Oftentimes when the word worship appears in scripture there is a physical posture or action associated with it. It is clear in scripture that “worship should always look like something”, whether that is bowing to our knees, lifting our hands, caring for orphans & widows, preaching the gospel, reading the scriptures etc. Worship is more than a song, it is an outward expression of our love for the God of the universe.
John 4:24, Romans 12:1, Colossians 3:16
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.