Beliefs

We believe there is one God who exists in three persons who are co-equal (i.e., they are perfectly unified in nature) and co-eternal (i.e., they have always existed). We believe He created the world by His own power and wisdom and designed mankind in His image.

We believe all people are created in the image of God, deeply loved by Him, and designed to live in relationship with Him, yet separated from Him by sin (i.e., rebellion against His will).

We believe Jesus Christ is the unique Savior of the world, the only begotten Son of the Father. We believe He was fully human, allowing Him to intimately understand the plight of humanity, and fully divine, enabling Him to offer Himself as the only perfect sacrifice for the sins of all humankind. We believe He taught the way of life by word and example, and we can trust and follow Him into eternal life.

We believe God took the initiative to mend humanity’s broken relationship with Him through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross. We believe salvation is made available to all mankind by grace (i.e., the free gift of God) through faith (i.e., trust and submission to God’s merciful authority). Salvation cannot be earned by human effort, but it must be accepted in the waters of baptism where the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from our sins and imparts the gift of the Holy Spirit. We believe that grace, properly understood, is the strongest motivator for Christian discipleship and service.

We believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God that connects us to the true Word, Jesus Christ. Because the Holy Spirit moved human authors to record God’s will, we believe their unique personalities, perspectives, writing styles, grammar, and vocabulary can be seen in their writings. We believe God has communicated His will perfectly, even though we struggle to understand everything.

We believe in the reign and rule of God throughout human history and beyond. We believe the story of God’s kingdom is still unfolding in the world today, as His people carry on the work of Jesus in faithful Christian communities everywhere. We believe this kingdom exists today in the form of the church, which is Christ’s body and composed of all who have put their faith in Jesus. We believe the local church is at its best when it functions as a caring family, demonstrating the unconditional love of God to each other and the world. We believe worship is of supreme importance for the church. Consequently, we meet every Sunday to pray, praise God and encourage each other through song, hear a message from God’s Word, and remember Jesus’s sacrifice by taking the Lord’s Supper.

We believe in the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit who gifts believers with everything necessary to carry out the mission of God and become more like Jesus. We believe God’s presence in us is powerful, strengthening us to overcome temptation and teaching us to know God’s incredible love.

We believe the purpose of life is to know Christ and make Him known. A Christian’s spiritual journey begins at baptism, but it is not supposed to end there. We believe growth and maturity come by submitting to God’s leadership in every aspect of life, allowing Him to shape and mold us into who He wants us to be.