WHAT WE BELIEVE

Our Approach

Love

WE PURSUE LOVE IN ALL THINGS

It all begins with God. We believe He is the Creator of all. That He is unlimited, unchanging and that He needs for nothing. And yet in needing nothing, He chooses US. Personally and individually He seeks out His creation – You and me. In His pursuit He shows Himself compassionate and merciful, though sometimes our view of this is clouded because our world is broken – A result of our choices not His. But even in the midst of our failed choices, He chooses redemption. He is Active. Involved. The sum of which is unconditional, unrelenting LOVE.

Unity

WE SEEK UNITY IN ESSENTIAL BELIEFS

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called – one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (EPHESIANS 4:2-6)

Liberty

WE VALUE LIBERTY IN NON-ESSENTIAL BELIEFS

“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgement on disputable matters. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (1 TIMOTHY 1:5 -THE MESSAGE)

Statement of Beliefs

HOLY BIBLE

The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26).

TRINITY

There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and co-eternal (I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11).

JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory. (John 1:1,14, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5).

VIRGIN BIRTH

Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is the Son of God (Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:27-35).

REDEMPTION

Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21).

REGENERATION

For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential (John 6:44, 65; Matthew 19:28; Titus 3:5).

SALVATION

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ: His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22).

REPENTANCE

Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation (Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9).

SANCTIFICATION

Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a Godly life (I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11).

JESUS' BLOOD

The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death (I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29).

JESUS CHRIST INDWELLS ALL BELIEVERS

Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to him thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead (John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelation 3:20).

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth (Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5,2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6).

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible’s lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters. (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; I Timothy 4:14; II Timothy 1:6-7; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10).

THE CHURCH

The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23).

SACRAMENTS

Water Baptism: Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48).

The Lord’s Supper: A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross (Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25).

Marriage: We believe marriage is defined in the Bible as a covenant, a sacred bond between one man and one woman, instituted by and publicly entered into before God (Matthew 19:4-6).

HEALING OF THE SICK

Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a sign, which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus’ work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit. (Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; James 5:14-16; I Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29).

GOD'S WILL FOR PROVISION

It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will while on Earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ’s provision in order to better serve others.

  • Spiritual
  • (John 3:3-11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10)
  • Mental and Emotional 
  • (II Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3).
  • Physical
  • (Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24).
  • Financial
  • (Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19).

RESURRECTION

Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation (Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21).

HEAVEN

Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4).

 

HELL

After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil and the Fallen Angels (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8).

SECOND COMING

Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures (Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7)

GOD-HEARTED

It all begins with God. We believe He is the Creator of all. That He is unlimited, unchanging and that He needs for nothing. And yet in needing nothing, He chooses US. Personally and individually He seeks out His creation – You and me.

In His pursuit He shows Himself compassionate and merciful, though sometimes our view of this is clouded because our world is broken – A result of our choices not His. But even in the midst of our failed choices, He chooses redemption. He is Active. Involved. The sum of which is unconditional, unrelenting LOVE. 

CHRIST-CENTRIC

Jesus Christ is the heartbeat of all we do. He is the most extraordinary and exciting presence to ever walk our planet. This is amazingly profound because for 2000 years He has wonderfully, radically and eternally changed people’s lives.

And…He used a cross to do it. A cross where He died in order to pay the price for my brokenness and yours. Simply put – He paid what we owed. But it didn’t end there. He was resurrected and eternally lives to bridge the chasm between God and us. Though He walked the earth over 2000 years ago, He still desires to have relationship with the people of today. He is God’s Son and He IS God. Virgin born. God with skin on. Savior to anyone who believes His message. We view His full humanity and full God-ness as gloriously mysterious, yet simple enough for anyone who says, “I want to know YOU”. 

PEOPLE MATTER

All people are God-made which means all people are God-valued. We are filled with unlimited potential, yet tragically flawed. Calvary (where Jesus Christ died on the cross) proves people matter to God—they matter to us, too.

CULTURAL ORPHANS

Disillusioned, disenfranchised, skeptical, and bored, this generation is spiritually hungry yet often untouched and unmoved by what it experiences in its limited encounter with church (more on this below). The world is full of broken people. Cultured orphans. Skeptical of the “absolute” yet longing for a standard. Broken hearts rail against truth, while desperately seeking it. They constantly strive for something more, hoping that just “one more thing” will suffice their craving – not knowing that their hunger is for Christ…The only One who can satisfy.

SPIRITUAL REBELS

You and I suffer from a spiritual disease called sin. Minimize it, excuse it, deny it; it’s real and it’s a big deal in the eyes of a just God. Yes, humankind is made in God’s image and is filled with potential, but we are also simultaneously flawed beyond the point of being able to fix ourselves.

Given this irreparable problem of sin – apart from God – we are in a hopeless state. Appraised in a divine economy, it’s spiritual treason. You and I are rebels. Depressing, huh? Sounds hopeless? It is…except for the fact that this same God has a soft spot for rebels.. 

LIVING WORD

Finding God is not something we initiate; it is Someone we respond to. Though we were unaware, He loved us first. He sought US out. We know this because He has given us an entirely trustworthy revelation, a divine book – HIS BOOK. The Bible. His words tell us of His original love.

Though written by human authors, its ultimate author is God Himself 

RELEVANT CHURCH

Though possessing the ultimate truth, the Church is often guilty of dumbing down and dulling down the life-altering message of Jesus Christ. Lost in confusing jargon, bogged down in doctrinal minutia – simply said – the church has not stayed current. Though not perfect, we seek to be authentic.

We desire creative community that presents God-truth in uncompromising but culturally relevant ways. We seek to promote spirituality and acceptance without the trappings and pretense of organized religion. We adjust to what morphs – styles and methods. We fiercely cling to the sacred and unchanging – our God and His Gospel. To stay relevant we remember: “God is; Church evolves.” He supernaturally inspired every word from beginning to end using the pens of different authors from different generations in different cultures. Through all of this, it is the most current and relevant book the world has known and will ever know. It is perfect in its truth. It is wholly consistent in its theme. It has stood the test of time. It is a book for the nations, yet simultaneously a personal love letter to you. In a word, it is our standard. 

A FAITH NATION

“Diversity” is a word commonly used to describe the people who attend our worship services. And we love it! We are one people, yet profoundly different. One family, yet culturally diverse. All with unique backgrounds, burdens and baggage, yet with similar dreams and desires.

Though we are all uniquely created individuals, we believe that everyone longs for relationship with their Creator. We are spiritual beings, therefore we crave spiritual relationships, both with God and one another. We believe in fostering these relationships by celebrating our God-given differences (culture, race and gender) AND our God-given commonalities (a deep desire to connect with the One, True God, and with one another). Simply put, we seek to cultivate community.. 

LIVING FOREVER

You and I were created to live forever. Some treat Heaven like a fairytale, a myth that Christians conjured up to bolster excitement when life on earth seemed too bleak or drab. The Bible presents Heaven very differently: A place that is perfect, amazing and very REAL.

More real than anything you can touch in this present realm. The problem is you can’t get there on your own (remember that “rebel thing”?) Try as you might through morality, religion, charitable activity, positive thinking – it’s not enough. Christ is the only way. His cross is the cure for our sin. And the best part, receiving salvation (forgiveness, acceptance, Heaven, God’s Spirit) is as a gift. It’s not something you work for. It’s not something you can earn. You can’t buy it. It’s purely a GIFT. Far from cheap, but FREE. It’s as simple as putting your faith in Christ. 

A GLOBAL MISSION

Jesus saves. This is a truth too amazing to keep to ourselves. It is a truth that houses eternal life, purpose, cleansing, peace, and acceptance. It is a righteous revolution that is for all people – hope, healing, heaven.

Because this truth can only be found in a relationship with Christ, we are not ashamed to share it with all we know…It is a truth so transforming we will take it to our neighbors; we will take it to the nations. Some see this as narrow and small-minded; we see it as so gracious and revolutionary, to keep it to ourselves would be criminal. 

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