We believe God is knowable

God has chosen to make Himself known to mankind through His creation, through the Scriptures, His written Word as recorded by the apostles and prophets and most completely through His Son Jesus Christ.

(Jeremiah 24:7; Romans 1:19-20; Ephesians 2:19-20; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 1:1-18)

The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are inspired by God and as such are authoritative for faith and life.

(2 Timothy 3:16)

When the Scriptures are read or heard and their truth is set forth, God enables people by faith to understand the meaning and the truth of what is written.

(Romans 10:17; 2 Corinthians 4:6)

We believe in one God

There is one true God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—each of whom possesses all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality.

(Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19)

God is spirit, personal, alive and active. He is unchanging and without limit in space, time, knowledge and power.

(John 4:24; Exodus 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Malachi 3:6; Psalm 139:7- 12; Psalm 90:1-2; Psalm 147:5)

God is the creator and sustainer of life and the universe. He is beyond and other than His creatures and creation, yet close and present with them.

(Acts 17:24-25)

God is sovereign, active in all events and directs all things to their appointed end according to His perfect will and purpose for His glory and the good of those who love Him.

(Ephesians 1:11; Romans 8:28)

God is holy, righteous, just and faithful.

(Exodus 15:11; Psalm 19:7-9; Deuteronomy 7:9)

God is love. He treats people with benevolence, grace and mercy.

(1 John 4:8; Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Ephesians 2:7-9; Psalm 103:13)

We believe in Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the second person of the triune God, co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

(John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5)

Jesus Christ is the One through whom and for whom and by whom all things, both physical and spiritual, were created and are held together.

(Colossians 1:15-17)

Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. He was conceived in and born of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. He is fully God and fully man.

(John 1:1, 14; Matthew 1:20-21)

Jesus Christ was without sin. In accordance with the will of the Father, He voluntarily bore the penalty of God’s judgment for sin. He shed His blood and died on the cross to bring us forgiveness, justification, redemption and eternal life.

(Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:25; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7)

After His death, Jesus was buried and then rose again on the third day. His resurrection is the example and assurance of a believer’s own future resurrection.

(1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Corinthians 15:16-22)

After His resurrection, Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now at the right hand of God the Father. He constantly intercedes for those who trust in Him. He is Head over the Church, which is His Body.

(Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 7:25; Ephesians 1:20-23)

At His first coming Jesus Christ ushered in the Kingdom of God, which He will bring in its fullness when He returns.

(Mark 1:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:22-24)

We believe in the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God, co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son.

(John 16:13-14; Matthew 28:19)

The Holy Spirit was active in the original creation and is active in the on-going sustaining of the creation.

(Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:30)

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. He inspired the written Word of God and now reveals and sustains it. He convicts people concerning sin, righteousness and judgment.

(2 Peter 1:20-21; John 16:8-11)

The Holy Spirit enables people to know Christ and respond to God by faith. By Him believers receive new birth which brings them into the Kingdom of God. He is the agent by whom believers are baptized into the Body of Christ, which is the Church. He is the guarantee of our inheritance.

(1 Corinthians 12:3; Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 3:2; John 3:5-8; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14)

The Holy Spirit dwells within believers. He intercedes and prays for them. He helps believers to better understand the things of God as He transforms them into the likeness of Christ.

(Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18; Romans 8:26-27; Galatians 5:16, 22-23)

The Holy Spirit empowers us for service, binds us together in fellowship, inspires our worship and brings hope to the community of believers.

(1 Corinthians 12:11; Philippians 2:1; Romans 8:15; Romans 15:13)

We believe God created mankind in his own image

God created the first man and woman in His own image. He gave them the mandate to work and have stewardship and dominion over His good creation. God commanded them to be fruitful and multiply while remaining in a good and perfect relationship with Him.

(Genesis 1:27-28; 2:15)

Adam and Eve rebelled and disobeyed God. As a result, all of mankind and the rest of creation have suffered the consequences of that original sin, including alienation from God, alienation from one another and death. Furthermore, everyone inherits a sin nature and willfully rebels against and disobeys God.

(Romans 5:12)

God took the initiative and in love gave His Son, Jesus Christ, who willingly died in mankind’s stead and took upon Himself the penalty for sin.

(Romans 5:8)

When a person by faith accepts Christ’s death on their behalf and calls upon Jesus Christ to be saved, God forgives that person, declares them justified and gives them a new life with Him.

(Acts 2:21; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

When a person who has a new life with God lives and grows in God’s Word and by His Spirit, they will experience more of whom they were created and gifted to be.

(Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 12:2)

We believe the church is the body of Christ

The Church began on the day of Pentecost and is the Body of Christ of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head. The Church exists both universally and locally and is not constrained by national, ethnic or social barriers.

(Acts 2:41; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 3:11)

The Church consists of all people who by grace through faith have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Ephesians 2:8)

The authority and foundation of the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ and the Scriptures.

(Ephesians 2:19-22)

The members of the Church are gifted for ministry. They are placed and joined together by the Holy Spirit to worship, fellowship, disciple, minister and witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.

(Romans 12:4-6; Ephesians 4:11-13; Matthew 28:18-19; Acts 1:8; Revelation 21:1-3)

We believe in water baptism for new believers, which is the symbol of our death to sin and our resurrection to new life in Christ.

(Matthew 28:18-19, Romans 6:3-5)

We believe in communion at the Lord’s Table for the on-going remembrance and proclamation of Jesus’ sacrificial and atoning death on the cross.

(1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

The Church is responsible for the discipline of its members which must be administered with love in accordance with the standards given in Scripture. The goal of discipline is restoration and reconciliation.

(Matthew 18:15-17; Galatians 6:1-2)

We believe in things to come

The body and spirit are separated at death, and while a believer’s body remains, a believer’s spirit passes immediately into the presence of Christ.

(2 Corinthians 5:6-8)

The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ is imminent.

(1 Thessalonians 4:15-16; Acts 1:11)

There will be a future bodily resurrection of all people. Those who accept Christ enter into eternal life, and those who reject Christ are raised to judgment and eternal separation from God.

(1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Revelation 20:11-15)

There will be a New Creation where the Kingdom of God is in its fullness and where sin and its effects will be no more. Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ will live there in perfect fellowship with God and one another.

(Revelation 21:1-5)