Statement of Faith

​The Word of God

​- We believe the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct (Mark 12:36, Acts 3:18, 1Corinthians 2:12, 2Timothy 3:16,17; Hebrews 1:1,2; 2Peter1:21)
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The Trinity

- We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons - God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct, but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption (Matthew 3:16, 17; Matthew 28: 19; John 14: 16, 17; John 15:26; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 1 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 9:14; Ephesians 2:13, 18; Jude 1:20, 21) 
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God the Father

 - We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love.  We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ (Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 57:15; Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; John 3:15; John 4:24; Acts 5:30, 31; 1 Corinthians 8:6, 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:17-23).
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Jesus Christ

- We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit.  We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings.  We believe in His substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and visible return to earth (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:19,20; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 7:25-27).

Holy Spirit

- We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement; and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ.  We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide (Matthew 28:19; John 1:33; John 14:16, 17; John 16:7-14; Romans 8:9, 14, 16, 27; Ephesians 1:13, 14; Hebrews 9:14).

Spiritual Gifts

- We believe that all born again believers have a spiritual gift to use for the edification of the body of Christ and the equipping of saints for works of service.  All believers do not have the same gift.  Valid gifts can be used outside the will of the Lord: selfishly, egotistically, and divisively.  It is the character or fruit in a believer or Church that indicates Spirit-filled living (1 Corinthians 12:7, 27-30; 1 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, 19; Ephesians 4:11; Galatians 5:16-26).
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Regeneration

- We believe that all men are sinners and are, therefore, under condemnation.  We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Luke 13:1-5; John 1:12, 13; John 3:18, 36; Romans 3:9-20, 23; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:3-13; Ephesians 2:4-6; Titus 3:5, 6; 1 Peter 1:23, 25).
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The Church

- We believe in the universal church, a living, spiritual body of which Christ is the head, and all regenerated persons are members.  We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship.  We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local Church the primary task of giving the Gospel of Jesus to a lost world (Matthew 16:16-18; Luke 24:46-49; John 3:5; Acts 1:7, 8; Acts 2:37-47; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 11:2; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 20; Ephesians 1:23; Ephesians 4:3-12; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 3:14, 15; 1 Timothy 3:1-15; Titus 1:5-9).
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Christian Conduct

 - We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; that he should see to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Corinthians 6:12, 19, 20; 1 Corinthians 10:31-33; 2 Corinthians 8:1-7; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Ephesians 4:13-15; Philippians 2:15; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:14, 18).
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The Ordinances

 - We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local Church; baptism and the Lord's Supper.  
 
-We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Triune God.  This is the public confession of Christ as Savior and Lord.  It is a symbol of one's union, by faith, with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and therefore is to be administered by immersion to only those who have given evidence of faith in Christ as their personal Savior.  
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 -We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death.  It symbolizes the death of Christ for the remission of our sins and our continual dependence upon Him for our sustenance.  The Lord's Table should be open to all believers who are in right relationship with God, regardless of denomination.
 
-We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:16; Matthew 26:26-29; Matthew 28:19, 20; Luke 22:15-20; John 3:23; John 4:1, 2; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-33).
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Freedom to Serve Christ

- We believe that every individual has direct access to God and must answer to God above all human authorities and institutions, and that God does use the above, but not as replacements for answering to Him.  Each Church is, therefore, to remain independent and free from dictation by denominational or political authorities in order to freely serve and obey Christ (Acts 5:29; Romans 13:1-10; Romans 14).
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Church Cooperation

 - We believe that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another in a denominational organization.  Such an organization whether a regional or district conference, exists and functions by the will of the Churches.  Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time.  Churches may likewise cooperate with interdenominational fellowships on a voluntary, independent basis (Acts 15:13-18; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 18-24).
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The Last Things

              - We believe in the imminent, personal, and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom.  We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgement, the eternal bliss of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked (Isaiah 13:9-11; Daniel 12:1-3; Malachi 4:1-3; Matthew 24: 15-28; Luke 12:35-40; Luke 17:26-30; John 14:1-4; Acts 15:14-18; 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Jude 14-15; Revelation 1:4-7).
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Core Values

As a local body of born again disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we recognize certain core values as a local body which parallel our statement of faith:

1. The Need To Be Biblical. Not merely using or claiming to honor scripture but constantly reading, studying and applying the whole to "grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3: 18, 2 Timothy 2:15,2 Timothy 3:16).
2. The Need To Be Repentant. Repentance both begins and characterizes our growing walk with Jesus as we continue to turn from our ways to His ways in daily life (Romans 12:2, 1 Timothy 4:7-8).
3. The Need To Continue Growing. This is not merely for new Christians but is necessary for older Christians so that mentoring takes place (2 Timothy 2:1-2, Titus 2:1-8).
4. The Need To Be Healthy And Accountable To One Another Under Christ. Love has been grossly misunderstood in our day as being "nice" even at the cost of our loved ones' walk with God. We intend to "carefront," prayerfully, humbly and privately as necessary out of love (Leviticus 19:17, Matthew 18:15-17, Ephesians 4:25-32).
5. The Need To Be A "Safe" Church, An Authentic Church. We treasure our freedom to be open and transparent about our struggles. This takes place because we recognize our own limitations and weakness and believe in each other's prayer and support. Being a safe Church does not mean we condone what the Bible calls sin (James 5:16, 1 John 1:7-9).
6. The Need To Be a Relevant Church. Since God's eternal truth is relevant to our most current needs (i.e., salvation, marriage and parenting, finances, decisions, etc.), we seek to more accurately communicate this reality through freshness of method. Freshness and relevancy is communicated in HOW we communicate God's eternal truth in worship, teaching methods, ministry styles, and even in our building and grounds.