THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible alone is the fully inspired word of God. In the volume of it’s 66 books, we find the fullness of God spoken through the prophets, saints and His Son, Jesus. We believe that the Bible is the full authority for Christ’ followers, for all we believe and how we walk out our faith. (Mt. 5:18; Jn. 10:35, 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16–17; 2 Pet. 1:20–21)
THE TRINITY
We believe that God is manifest eternally in three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe the trinity’s unity is perfect and founded in love—the basis and source of unity in the body of Christ. We believe that God the creator now governs the earth, bringing all things together in Christ Jesus, Who now sustains and upholds all that exists. (Ps. 104:1–35, 139:1–24; Mt. 10:29–31, 28:19; Acts 17:24–28; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 1:9–12, 4:4–6; Col. 1:16–17; Heb. 1:1–3; Rev. 1:4–6)
GOD THE FATHER
We believe that God is manifest perfectly as the Father. We believe that He demonstrated Himself as Father to His only begotten Son, Jesus, and now has adopted every believer into His family. To everyone who believes in the work of Jesus, he or she receives the spirit of adoption as ‘sons’ by which we call this triune God, ‘Father.’ We believe that it is paramount to understand God as such a loving and caring Father that provides for all His children. (Mt. 5:16, 45; 6:1, 4, 6; Mk. 8:38; 11:25; Lk. 6:36; Jn. 4:23; 17: 1, 5; Rom. 1:7; 8:15; 2 Cor. 6:18; Gal. 1:1, 4; Eph. 1:17)
JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, the perfect son of God, fully God and fully man; that He was conceived and born of virgin Mary. In His sinless life, Jesus met the demands of the law and in His atoning death on the cross, satisfying God’s judgment for sin which we deserve as law-breakers. The shed blood of Jesus on the Cross obtained for us eternal redemption, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. We believe that He was raised on the third day, ascending to the right hand of the Father, there to make intercession for the saints forever. (Mt. 1:18–25; Jn. 1:1–18; Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:1–28; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:10–14; Eph. 1:7; Phil. 2:6–11; Col. 1:15–23; Heb. 7:25, 9:13–15, 10:19; 1 Pet. 2:21–25; 1 Jn. 2:1–2)
HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is our abiding Helper, Teacher, Comforter and Guide. Following conversion, Jesus Christ also baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit, in whom we are also sealed for the day of redemption. We believe that through this baptism, the Holy Spirit desires to fill, empower, and anoint believers for ministry and witness. We believe that signs and wonders as well as all the gifts of the Spirit, are operative today and are designed to testify to the presence of the kingdom and to empower and edify the Church to fulfill its calling and mission. (Mt. 3:11; Jn. 1:12–13, 3:1–15; Acts 4:29–30; Rom. 8:9-10, 12:3–8; 1 Cor. 12:12–13; 2 Cor. 1:21–22; Gal. 3:1–5; Eph. 1:13–14, 5:18)
SALVATION
We believe salvation is offered as a free gift to mankind through the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is received by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We believe that grace through faith in God is enough for our acceptance into the beloved of God, not by observing rite, ritual or ceremonial law. This saving grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, also sanctifies us by enabling us to do what is pleasing in God's sight in order that we might be progressively conformed to the image of Christ. (Jn. 1:12–13, 6:37–44, 10:25–30; Acts 16:30–31; Rom. 3:1–4:23, 8:1–17, 31–39, 10:8–10; Eph. 2:8–10; Phil. 2:12–13; Titus 3:3–7; 1 Jn. 1:7, 9)
CREATION & THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that, out of His great love, God created mankind in His own image, righteous and without sin, male and female. Under the temptation of Satan, Adam and Eve fell from grace, bringing sin, sickness and God’s judgment of death to the earth. Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God’s good creation. Human beings are born in sin, subject to God’s judgment of death and potentially captive to Satan’s kingdom of darkness. (John 3:16, Gen. 1:1–3:22; Ps. 51:5; Isa. 53:5; Rom. 3:9–18, 5:12–21; Eph. 2:1–3, Psalm 51:5) The Church
INSTRUMENT OF THE KINGDOM
We believe that the church is God’s instrument and partner in His purposes in the earth. To equip the saints for this partnership, God has given the Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. We also affirm the priesthood of all believers and the importance of every Christian being joined with and actively involved in a local community of the saints. We believe that women, no less than men, are to be treated as equals in the workings and ministry of the church and are called and gifted to proclaim the gospel and do all the works of the kingdom. (Mt. 16:17–19; Acts 2:17–18, 42; Eph. 3:14–21, 4:11–16; 1 Tim. 2:11–15; Heb. 10:23–25; 1 Pet. 2:4–5, 9–10)
MINISTRY OF THE GOSPEL
We believe that God has called the Church to give the good news of salvation and His eternal kingdom to all nations. We believe the church is called to express the heart of Jesus by especially serving the poor, the orphan and the widow. We are to partner with His mission to preach the good news to the poor, set the captives free, minister the oil of gladness for mourning and to bind up the brokenhearted. (Isa. 58:6–12, 61:1; Mt. 5:1–7:28; 28:18–20; Lk. 4:18, 21:1–4; Gal. 2:10; 1 Tim. 6:8, James 1:27, Eph. 4:11-13, Isaiah 61:1-8)
PRAYER & WORSHIP
We believe that a world-wide canopy of prayer and worship throughout the nations (the restoration of the Tabernacle of David) will lead to God’s glory and greatness filling the earth—manifested in a great harvest of souls, sustained revival in the church, and the restoration of identity in His body. (Amos 9:11, Malachi 1:11) Psalm 27:4-5, Isaiah 56:6-8, Acts 15:16, Isaiah 56:7, Matthew 21:13, Psalm 57:11)
ETERNITY
We believe that when Christians die, they pass immediately into the blessed presence of Christ, there to enjoy conscious fellowship with the Savior until the day of the resurrection and the glorious transformation of their bodies. The saved will then forever dwell with their great triune God, living a restoration of Genesis 1, an eternal and perfect communion with God. We also believe that when unbelievers die, they are consigned to hell, there to await the Day of Judgment when they shall be punished in the lake of fire with eternal, conscious, and tormented separation from the presence of God. (Mt. 25:46; Lk. 16:19–31; Jn. 5:25–29; 1 Cor. 15:35–58; 2 Cor. 5:1–10; Phil. 1:19–26, 3:20–21; 2 Thes. 1:5–10; Rev. 20:11–15, 21:1–22:15)
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the second coming of Christ, and that He will return to earth to establish His kingdom forever, upon the throne of David. We believe that He will bring about the final defeat of Satan, the final judgment, the eternal blessing of the righteous and eternal punishment of the wicked. God will dwell with man on the earth and His rule and reign will be eternally established in the new heavens and the new earth, in which righteousness dwells and He will forever be worshiped. (Ps. 2:7–9, 22:27–28; Is. 9:6-7; Jn. 14:12, 17:20–26; Rom. 11:25–32; 1 Cor. 15:20–28, 50–58; Eph. 4:11–16; Phil. 3:20–21; 1 Thes. 4:13–5:11; 2 Thes. 1:3–12; Rev. 7:9–14, Revelation 20:10-15, Revelation 7:9-12)
SATAN
We believe that Satan, originally created as an angel of light, fell from the presence of God through his rebellion to be ‘like God.’ In his rebellion, he took a multitude of angels with him. We believe that he is now at work with his demonic hosts to establish his counter-kingdom of darkness, evil, and unrest on earth. Satan was judged and defeated at the cross of Christ and will be cast forever into the lake of fire which has been prepared for him and his angels. (Isa. 14:10–17; Ezek. 28:11–19; Mt. 12:25–29, 25:41; Jn. 12:31, 16:11; Eph. 6:10–20; Col. 2:15; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 12:7–9, 20:10)
OBSERVING BAPTISM & THE LORD'S SUPPER
We believe in the two ordinances of the church, water baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are to be observed until the time of Christ's return. They are not a means of salvation, but are channels of God's sanctifying grace and blessing to the faithful in Christ Jesus. (Mt. 26:26–29, 28:19; Rom. 6:3–11; 1 Cor. 11:23–34; 1 Pet. 3:21)
