What We Believe
About the Bible
We believe the Bible, containing the Old and New Testament, is the verbally inspired Word of God, is inerrant in its original languages, and that it is sole authority for personal faith and conduct. (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21)
About God
We believe that there is one true and living God, Creator of heaven and earth; and that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that they are equal in their divine perfection and exercising distinct but harmonious roles in the work of salvation. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:13-17)
About Man
We believe that man was created by God in His own image and by willful disobedience fell from his high and holy state. As a result, all mankind are sinners, and by nature completely void of the righteousness required by God, inclined to do evil, and therefore under just condemnation to eternal punishment without defense or excuse. (Romans 5:12-19)
About Salvation
We believe that man is helpless to save himself, and that salvation is a gift of God received solely by grace through faith in the work of Jesus when he took on Himself our sins in dying on the cross, thus exchanging places with the believer. (I Peter 2:24; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-10)
About the christian life
We believe that as we are saved by grace, we are to live by grace and not under the bondage of the law. (Romans 6:14; Galatians 5:1) We believe that the divine relationship established in Christ is as eternal and sure as the Person and promise of the Son of God and Word of God. (John 5:24; 10:27-29; Romans 8:28-39)
We believe, upon receiving Christ as Savior by faith, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within the believer, and that He never departs. (Ephesians 1:13-14; John 7:38-39; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:3)
We believe that sanctification means “a setting apart” to God in reference to believers. It involves three aspects:
- The moment a person believes he is set apart in Christ. (I Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:10-14)
- While the believer’s standing is perfect in Christ, his state (life on earth) is not. He is to grow to become more like Christ. (John 17:17; II Peter 3:18; II Corinthians 3:18)
- The believer will, at the coming of Christ, be completely set apart; his standing and state will be one and identical. (I Thessalonians 3:12-13, 5:23)
About The Church
We believe the local church is a group of called-out, baptized believers banded together for the purpose of worshipping God, for receiving instruction in the Word of God, for furthering the Gospel around the world, for observing the ordinances, for prayer, and for Christian fellowship. (Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Acts 2:42)
We believe in the believer’s baptism, which is the immersion in water of the person who has trusted Christ, thus giving testimony that he is identified with Christ. (Romans 6:1-5)
We believe Christians are to participate in the Lord’s Supper by partaking of the bread and juice, which symbolize the broken body and shed blood of Christ, respectively. We believe there is no saving grace in the elements, and that the purpose of the Lord’s Supper is to remember the Lord’s death. (I Corinthians 11:23-26)
About the second coming
We believe in the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that it will be in two phases. First, He will return in the clouds for the Rapture of the Church before the Tribulation Period. Then we will return visibly with Him to the earth at the conclusion of the Tribulation Period to set up His Kingdom. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10, 19:16, 20:4)
About Eternity
We believe at death, those who are saved by grace will pass into God’s glorious and joy filled presence. While in God’s presence they await the resurrection from the dead, which precedes the second coming of Christ, when He will come back and take those who are saved by grace to be with Himself. (1Thessalonians 4:13-18) After the Millennial Kingdom and the final judgment of the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15), those who are saved by grace will enter into the unending peace and the physical presence of God in heaven. In God’s presence, life will be spent continually learning about God and His creation. (John 14:2; 1 John 3:2; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10)
OUR VISION - To be a people who hear, understand, and apply God's word.
OUR MISSION - Creatively communicate God's word so all will follow Jesus.
OUR VALUES - Seek God - Grow Together - Share God's Grace