Statement of Faith

The Triune God

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

(Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:22; John 14:26; Romans 1:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:2)


God the Father
The Father is the sovereign creator, the gracious redeemer, and the righteous judge. Through his beneficent creation that reflects his nature, he has made himself known to all humanity. His natural and moral perfections as well as his creative and redemptive works make him alone worthy of our wholehearted adoration, allegiance, and obedience.

(Genesis 1-2; Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalms 7:11; 78:35; Isaiah 40:28; 44:6; Matthew 5:48;

Romans 1:19-20; Hebrews 1:3; 11:3; 2 Timothy 4:8)


God the Son

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, who is fully human while remaining fully divine through conception by the Holy Spirit and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of mankind by dying on the cross as their substitute. He was resurrected bodily from the grave and ascended into heaven, where he reigns as Lord and intercedes as high priest. When Christ returns, he will defeat God’s enemies, judge the living and the dead, hand over the kingdom to the Father, and then dwell with the redeemed forever.

(Psalm 2:7; Matthew 8:29; 14:33; Mark 3:11; 5:7; Luke 2:52; John 1:1-2, 34; 8:58; 10:36; Acts 9:20; 13:33; Romans 1:4; 

2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:5; 4:15; 5:8-9)   


God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity who was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens sinners, awakens a recognition of their need for a Savior, and regenerates them. At the point of salvation, he permanently indwells every individual believer, and he uniquely endows each believer with spiritual gifts for the building up of the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scripture. His power and control are applied by faith, making it possible for believers to lead lives of Christlike character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father.

(Genesis 1:2; 2:7; Psalms 51:11; 104:30; Isaiah 32:15; 48:16: 63:10f; Ezekiel 37:9f; Matthew 12:32; 28:19-20; Mark 3:29; 

John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7, 13-15; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)


 

The Bible
The Bible is the inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God whose sixty-six books, that comprise the Old and New Testaments, are the primary source of and final authority in all matters of Christian faith and practice.

(Exodus 24:7; Deuteronomy 31:24-26; Joshua 1:8; John 14:26; Romans 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:14; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:1-2; 2 Peter 1:21; 3:15-16)

 

Humanity and Sin

Humans are made in God’s image and therefore possess inherent dignity and worth from conception until death. Humanity’s purpose is to glorify God by loving him wholeheartedly and serving him faithfully. However, Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden resulted in humanity’s condemnation and corruption, so that all people are born spiritually dead, alienated from God, subject to sin, and unable to save themselves.

(Genesis 1:26-27; 2:23-24; 3:1-7; 5:1; 6:5-13; 8:21; 9:6; Job 14:4; 15:14-16; Psalms 14:1-3; 51:5; Ecclesiastes 9:3; 

Matthew 12:39; 15:19-20; Luke 6:45; Romans 1:22f; 3:9-12; 5:12-14; 6:16-20; 10:3; 1 Corinthians 11:7; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-19; 4:24; James 3:9; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 18:3-5)

 

Salvation
The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people back into fellowship with himself. To that end, in love, God the Father accomplished salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation involves union with Christ, justification, forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation between man and God. It is offered to those who repent of their sins and embrace Jesus as their Savior and Lord by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Salvation is confirmed by a true gospel confession, the internal witness of the Spirit, and the testimony of a transformed life evidenced by increasing holiness and love.

(Exodus 15:2; Psalm 35:3; Isaiah 12:2; 49:6; 52-53; Matthew 4:23, 28:19-20; Mark 1:1,14-15; 8:31f; 9:31-32; 10:33-34; 

Luke 1:69, 71; John 3:3-8, 16; Romans 1:16-17; 5:8-10; 6:4; 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; 

Galatians 1:8-9; Ephesians 1:13; 2:8-9, 16; Colossians 1:20; 1 Timothy 2:5; 2 Timothy 1:8-9; 2:10; Titus 3:5; 

Hebrews 2:9-14; 5:9; 1 John 3:2)

 

The Church
The Church is the family of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is comprised of Christians who receive spiritual gifts to build up the church in unity and love. Scripture commands believers to gather and devote themselves to joyful worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observing the ordinances, fellowship, service, and outreach. Under the shepherding care of elders and deacons, its members are to work together for the purpose of enjoying God, exalting Jesus Christ, and fulfilling his Great Commission.

(Matthew 16:18; John 3:8; Acts 2:1-4; Romans 1:1-3; 6:5; 8:30; 1 Corinthians 15:1-5; Ephesians 2:14-16, 20; 4:11-12; 5:25-27; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; 2 Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 10:24-25)

 

The Lord’s Supper & Baptism

The New Testament establishes two ordinances for the church: the Lord’s Supper and baptism. The Lord’s Supper is to be observed regularly in remembrance of Christ’s death, in celebration of his communion with his Church, and in anticipation of his return. Baptism by water symbolizes a new believer’s repentance, salvation, and cleansing, and it indicates his or her identification with the death and resurrection of Jesus as well as with the body of Christ, the church. While baptism is biblically commanded in every believer’s life, it does not provide salvation.

(Matthew 3:13-16; 28:18-20; 26:26f; Mark 16:16; John 6:53; Acts 1:5; 2:37-41; 8:12-16; 10:44-48; 18:8; 22:16; Romans 6:1-4; 

1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:23-26; 12:12-14; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21)

 

Eternity

Jesus Christ will return to judge the living and the dead, and he will righteously appoint every soul to either eternal bliss or eternal punishment. The blessed hope of those who have trusted in Christ is that they will live forever in the new heaven and new earth in glorious communion with God. On that day, the church will be presented faultless before God in Christ, all sin will be purged, and all creation will be restored and reconciled unto the Father to the praise of his glorious grace.

(Matthew 25:31f; Acts 10:42; Ephesians 5:27; Colossians 1:19-20; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:11-15; 

1 Peter 4:5; Jude 1:6; Revelation 19:11-20:15; 21-22)

Our Confession

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.

The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic [universal] church,
the communion of saints,

​the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.  



The Nicene Creed (381)

We believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.


And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

begotten from the Father before all ages,

God from God,

Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made;

of the same essence as the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

He came down from heaven;

He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,

and was made human.

He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;

He suffered and was buried.

The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.

He ascended to heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again with glory

to judge the living and the dead.

His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord, the giver of life.

He proceeds from the Father and the Son,

and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.

He spoke through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic church.

We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,

and to life in the world to come.

Amen.