What We Believe

There is one eternal, sovereign, creator God who exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully man. He lived a sinless life and proclaimed the kingdom of God, revealing how God calls us to live. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world, was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, and now lives at the right hand of the Father.

The Holy Spirit reveals and glorifies Christ, convicts and draws sinners to Him, imparts new life, indwells believers from the moment of spiritual birth, and seals them until the day of redemption. His fullness, power, and authority are made available in the believer’s life through faith.

All people have sinned and possess a sinful nature, which separates them from God and prevents them from living in obedience to Him apart from His grace. Yet all people, though marred by sin, are created in the image of God and therefore possess inherent dignity and worth.

Forgiveness of sins is available to all who repent and place their faith in Jesus. Salvation is wholly a work of God’s grace. God created humans to rule and protect his creation. Humans subjected themselves to sin. God in Christ rescued us from sin and through the Spirit, is calling, equipping, and transforming us to join him in restoring creation. God in Christ has inaugurated his rule on earth as in Heaven and is slowly but surely bringing his kingdom until Jesus returns to establish God's rule once and for all.

The church lives between the “now” and the “not yet” of God’s reign. The mission of the church in relation to the Kingdom of God is to announce and to anticipate the Kingdom of God. The church announces the Kingdom, proclaiming the good news and inviting people to experience God’s forgiveness and life-giving rule. The church also anticipates the Kingdom’s arrival in fullness by seeking to live now as it will be then. This looks like engaging in acts of mercy, praying for miracles, giving and receiving forgiveness, bringing about reconciliation, and more.

Marriage is a sacred covenant instituted by God between one man and one woman and is publicly entered into before Him. Within a Christian marriage, sex is a powerful way to celebrate each other, unify the couple, and glorify God. Sex also carries the potential to create life, fulfilling the call for humans to be fruitful within God’s world. Sexual expression outside marriage is damaging to the self and to the other, and dishonoring to God. Bodies matter to God because bodies are created by God and will be redeemed by God in fullness through resurrection. For the Christian, we recognize that our bodies belong to God and are a temple of the Holy Spirit. As such, our life in the body now must honor God— this includes our sexuality and sexual expression. We seek to listen with compassion and engage thoughtfully on these topics, honoring the dignity and worth of every person while upholding the historic understanding of Christian marriage and sexuality.

Male and female are created in the image of God, therefore men and women have equal status and dignity before God. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit empowers both men and women for the mission of God, as the Book of Acts testifies. The gifts of Spirit— including the gifts of teaching, preaching, and leadership— are available to both women and men. We affirm that there are distinct differences amongst men and women yet we believe the Holy Spirt empowers both in working towards furthering the Kingdom of God. There are examples of women operating in these gifts throughout the New Testament, including Priscilla, Junia, Lydia, Phoebe, Euodia, and Synteche. We embrace and celebrate the different ways God builds up the church through Spirit-empowered men and women.

Jesus Christ will one day return to usher in His final and perfect kingdom. He will judge the living and the dead. Those who believe in and follow Jesus will live forever with Him in the new heavens and new earth. Those who reject Christ will face eternal and irreversible judgment for their sin and rejection of God.

The Bible is inspired by God and is the ultimate and final authority for all matters of faith and practice.