Our Beliefs

We believe that Jesus is the eternal divine son of God. He chose voluntarily to be made in human likeness and was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Although he lived a sinless life, he allowed himself to be executed by crucifixion. His death paid the penalty for the offenses of mankind against God. However, as prophesied, he rose from the dead three days after his execution. After appearing to witnesses on a number of occasions for forty days, he ascended into heaven where he now serves as the mediator between God and man. We believe, that at the end of time, he will again visibly return to Earth to complete his eternal plan.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14|6

God created mankind to live in relationship with him. However, the first man and woman were deceived by Satan. They rebelled and chose to be wrongfully independent from God. Their decision alienated them from God. We all fail to please God and are open to Satan’s deception. Our failure to please God, unless a relationship is re-established with him, results in condemnation under God’s judgment. Furthermore, there is nothing we can do on our own to reestablish our relationship with God.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Psalm 139|14a

Our inability to re-establish our relationship with God leaves us dependent on God’s mercy. God graciously provided the means to reconcile this relationship through faith in Jesus Christ. Our relationship is re-established when we make a commitment to accept Jesus as God’s son, our Savior and Lord. Through faith in Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and eternal life. Practically speaking, this acceptance is demonstrated through both a private and public commitment. We demonstrate our commitment privately by faith (acting upon our belief that God has the power to save us) and repentance (turning back to God and depending on him to control our lives). We also publicly express our commitment by confessing our acceptance of God’s salvation and submitting ourselves in Christian baptism.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5|1-2

We believe the Church represents Jesus Christ to a needy world. The Bible speaks of the Church as Christ’s body. It compares it to a living organism, where Jesus is the head. God arranges the parts of the body, (Christ-followers) just as he wants them to be. He gives each Christ-follower special functions to perform for the good of the body. To remain healthy, the body’s members must work together. Each part contributes to the growth and maturity of the body. God works through the church to reconcile a lost world to himself through Jesus Christ. For this reason it is important for Christ-followers to regularly gather together for the purpose of celebration. During celebration, Christ-followers are equipped, built up, and encouraged through teaching, fellowship, prayer and communion. Celebration in this way enables believers to serve one another and the unchurched people in their sphere of influence.

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Romans 12|4-5