A B O U T U S We feel that our ministry here as a church is fourfold: To God: In worship- to freely and honestly express our love for Him and give Him the praise that He deserves. In study- to clearly teach and diligently study His Word so that it might conform us to His character and will. In holiness- to devote ourselves to Him daily and to keep ourselves, by His Spirit, as free as possible from the entanglements of the world. To Each Other: In acceptance- to be a family of friends where each can be comfortable to grow at God's pace without pressure or intimidation. In fellowship- to grow to know each other by being together as often as possible. In sharing- to be committed to minister to the physical and material needs of one another. In forgiveness- to offer freely God's grace and mercy and to work, by His Love, toward healing and comfort for all who need it. To God's Churches Everywhere: In prayerful support- to maintain our common goal of building God's Kingdom and to support His Work in other churches in whatever ways He leads To Our Local Communities: In witness- to live, empowered by His Spirit, the example of our Lord Jesus in compassion and service for those we live and work with ... and to spread the Good News of the Gospel. We are God's WORK OF ART, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 Would you like to know more? Then we invite you to listen to a special study that explains our vision for ministry taught by Pastor Bob from Colossians 2 D O C T R I N A L S T A T E M E N T The Scriptures We believe that the Holy Bible is the inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of the Living God and that it is our final written authority in all matters of faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16) The Nature of God We believe that God is the personal, transcendent, and sovereign Creator of all things, eternally existent in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Romans 1:4, Galatians 4:6, et al) God the Father God is a person, eternally existing in three persons, one God as a Tri-Unity, or Trinity (consisting of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) each distinct yet co-equal, co-existent, and co-eternal. God is omnipresent (everywhere), omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (able to do anything according to His divine will). (Galatians 4:6) God the Son, Jesus Christ Jesus Christ, eternally existing, is the only begotten Son of God. He is also God the Son, who became a sinless man to redeem us. He was born of a virgin, fulfilled all of the prophecies concerning His life and death, and was crucified on a Roman cross for our sins as the innocent, sacrificial Lamb of God. He arose from the dead three days later (resurrection). He ascended back to the right hand of the Father and lives eternally to make intercession for us. We believe in the personal, visible, and pre-millennial second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth. He will return with His saints and set up a kingdom of which there will be no end. He is Lord, Redeemer, Lamb of God, Messiah, the only begotten Son of God, the First-born from the dead, the Alpha and Omega, Bread of Life, Living Water, Creator of the Universe, mankind's Savior, fully God, and fully man. (Revelation 1:6, Hebrews 1:8-9, Psalm 2:7) God the Holy Spirit We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same substance and nature. He convicts mankind of sin, righteousness and judgment; bears witness to the truth, is the agent of the new birth, seals, adopts, sanctifies, comforts, helps, guides, and teaches the believers. He imparts at least one spiritual gift to the believer, witnesses to the unbeliever, and indwells forever in every true child of God. (Acts 5:4) We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Scriptures and that they are valid for today if they are exercised within the scriptural guidelines. We as believers are to exercise them in love that the whole Body of Christ might be edified. Baptism Christian baptism, according to the Bible, is an outward testimony of what has occurred inwardly in a believer’s life. Christian baptism illustrates a believer’s identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. The Bible declares “Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father; we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:3-4 NIV). In Christian baptism, the action of being immersed in the water represents being buried with Christ. The action of coming out of the water represents Christ's resurrection. (Matthew 3:16) Worship We believe worship of God should be spiritual, inspirational, intelligent and fruitful. Our services are designed with great emphasis upon the teaching of the Word of God that He might instruct us how He should be worshipped. (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 5:7) The Great Commission We believe that Jesus commanded us to preach the Gospel to the entire world, an obligation shared by all believers today. (Matthew 28:19-20) The Nature of Sin We believe that all people are, by nature, separated from God, and responsible for their own sin, but salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, trusting in Him alone to save them, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit, all his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God, destined to spend eternity with the Lord. (Romans 3: 23, Ephesians 2:8-9) |
