1. We believe that the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to man, that it is completely inspired and to be taken as literal and infallible (II Timothy 3:16-17). We believe that the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith, doctrine and lifestyle. It cannot be added to or taken away from, it stands alone as the complete unchanging, eternal truth of God.
2. We believe that there is one God, eternally present in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 3:22; John 1:1-4). He alone is both Creator and Savior (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 43:11).
3. We believe in the eternal Lordship of Jesus Christ. According to Revelation 1:8, “He is without beginning or end.” We believe He was born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31, 35) and lived on earth fully God and fully man. To save us from our sins, He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 7:26; I Peter 7:22), died on the cross in our place (I Corinthians 15:3; II Corinthians 5:21), was raised from the dead by the Spirit of God (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24L39; I Corinthians 6:14 and 15:4), and ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11, 2:33; Philippians 2:9-11; Romans 6:23).
4. We believe that man was created in the image of God, but as a result of sin is lost and powerless to walk in relationship with God outside of the saving grace of Jesus (Genesis 1:26; Romans 6:23).
5. We believe that salvation is the gift of God and is not attainable by man other than through faith in Jesus Christ. We believe in the truth of Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
6. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers, and through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit believers are empowered and gifted for servanthood in the Kingdom of God. We believe that the evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the manifestation and presence of the “fruit of the Spirit” as described in Galatians 5:22-26. The Holy Spirit enables believers to live Christ-like lives exhibiting Godly character. We believe that the “gifts of the Spirit”, as described in I Corinthians 12-14 are still as active and useful today as they were for the Apostles. These gifts are to be used with humility, faith and complete surrender to the will of God.
7. We believe that the Church is the Body of Christ, made up of all who have received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus is the head and Lord of the Church. We believe that the mission of the Church is to be “light and salt” to the world. We fulfill these roles through worship, witness, discipleship and the care of one another (Matthew 28:1-20; Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37; 11:19-39; John 13-16).
8. We believe in the calling and gifting of various ministries in the Church, including but not limited to: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, deacons and elders. We believe that the Church has the responsibility for recognizing, equipping and commissioning one another in our callings so that the will of God might be done in and through every believer (Ephesians 4:11-13; I Corinthians 12:21-30; Romans 12:3-8; Acts 13:1-3).
9. We believe that divine healing is a continuing and important part of the gospel. Deliverance from physical, emotional and spiritual ailments is provided for in the Atonement of Christ (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; I Peter 2:24-25). We believe that prayer for the sick is to be an integral part of the community of believers (James 5:14-16).
10. We believe in two sacraments of the Church: the sacrament of water baptism by immersion (Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:4) and the sacrament of Holy Communion (Matthew 26:2630; I Corinthians 11:17-34). We believe these sacraments are given to the Church as gifts and as opportunities for obedience. While we practice these and believe they are ordained and blessed by God, we do not believe that either of them have the power to save. These are practices that we follow in order to increase our faith and to give signs to the world around us of the salvation that has been given by Christ’s life, death, resurrection and ascension.
11. We believe that eternal life in heaven is the reward for all who believe and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We also believe that Hell is the eternal punishment for those who choose not to believe and confess Jesus Christ (John 14:1-4; John 3:16-18; Revelation 21:8).
12. We believe in the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the consummation of the Kingdom of God and the restitution of all things (Matthew 24:42-44; Acts 1:11; 3:19-21; Revelation 11:15).
These 12 statements of faith do no represent the final authoritative word on Bible doctrine and or Christian theology, they simply reflect the basic tenets of our faith.
