our VALUES

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GOD'S PRESENCE

                          The essential and defining component of our services. Without it, we are nothing and within it we find everything. His presence is what heals us, comforts us, guides us, and breathes new life into our souls.

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OUTREACH

               We live in a world desperately seeking truth and hope. We exist to share the gospel and see lives changed in our city, our nation, and our world through practical ministry to people's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

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THE NEXT GENERATION

We are dedicated to reaching the next generation and equipping them to be mighty men and women of God whose lives transform their sphere of influence and make an eternal impact in the world.

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EXCELLENCE

God is worthy of our best. Going beyond what is required, giving our best at all times in everything we do brings joy to God's heart and glory to his name.

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CREATIVITY

From the beginning of time, God has used creative means to communicate with His people. If God communicates creatively, we aim to as well.

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DIVERSITY

We are committed to experiencing life as a diverse community. We celebrate all cultures, races, personalities, ages and backgrounds because each reflects the beauty of our Maker in a unique way. Our differences individually complete us corporately.

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RELEVANCE

Cultural awareness increases opportunity to connect with people. When we bring God and the power of His Word into the situations people are facing on a daily basis, lives are changed.

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SERVING

God has placed in man a desire to be a part of something bigger than himself. As we serve in His house, we experience the fulfillment of giving ourselves to the greatest cause of all: seeing His kingdom purposes accomplished on the earth.

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LIFE-GIVING ATMOSPHERE

We believe that God’s House is a place where all people can come and experience life as God intended it; a place where love is felt, relationships are formed and destiny is discovered.

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TEAMWORK

We do life together. As we work side by side, we share in the joy of seeing our unique strengths, abilities and gifts unite to accomplish God’s kingdom purposes in our community and across the world.

 

 

 

WHAT WE BELIEVE

 

 

THE BIBLE
We believe The Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority for determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, the Bible is inspired, infallible and inerrant.

(Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

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THE TRINITY
We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and co-eternal.

(Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Hebrews 3:7-11; I John 5:7)

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JESUS CHRIST
We believe Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for humanity and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory.

(Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1,14, 20:28; Philippians 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 2:5, 3:16)

 

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VIRGIN BIRTH
We believe Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, in the virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is the Son of God.

(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35)

 

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RESURRECTION
We believe Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father.

(Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Romans 8:34, Colossians 3:1)

 

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REDEMPTION
We believe man was created in the image of God but through voluntary disobedience sinned and fell. Consequently, all of humanity shares in man’s lost and sinful nature, and humanity’s only hope for redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

(Genesis 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21)

 

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REGENERATION
For anyone to know God, regeneration (experiencing new life within) by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

(John 6:44, 65)

 

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SALVATION
We believe man is saved by grace alone, through personal faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human effort. Through repentance of our sins, we receive forgiveness of our sins. Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Jesus Christ, thus allowing us to be redeemed.

(Romans 10:9-10; Acts 3:19, 16:31; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:22)

 

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SANCTIFICATION
We believe in sanctification, the on-going process of yielding to God’s Word and the Holy Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

(Romans 8:29, 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3; Hebrews 2:11)

 

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JESUS’ BLOOD
The Blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death.

(1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29)

 

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JESUS CHRIST DWELLS IN ALL BELIEVERS
Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside of them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to Him thus making Jesus the Lord of their lives accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead.

(John 1:12, 14:17, 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelation 3:20)

 

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BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the baptism in the Holy Spirit, given at Pentecost, is the promise of the Father for all believers as a definite endowment of power for service and can occur at the point of salvation or subsequent to salvation.

(Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6)

 

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GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit is displayed through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the Church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection and confirm the power of the Gospel. The lists of these gifts in the Bible are not necessarily exhaustive and may occur in various combinations. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Word of God and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters.

(Romans 1-11, 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; Ephesians 4:16; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:5-16; Hebrews 2:4; 1 Peter 4:10)

 

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THE CHURCH
Every person who is born of the Spirit is part of the universal church as a member of the body of believers and is encouraged by scripture to be planted in the local church. The Church is the representative of Jesus on earth and is to carry out the Great Commission.

(Psalm 92:12-15; Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23)

 

 

TWO SACRAMENTS
We believe that the ordinances of the Church, by the command of Jesus Christ, are water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper, both of which are administered to those who are born again.

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WATER BAPTISM
Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and in Jesus’ name.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Who should be water baptized?
If you have just made a Fresh Start with God and accepted Jesus as Lord of your life, you should be baptized. If you were baptized as a child before you understood what you were doing, or if you just rededicated your life to the Lord, then you should consider being baptized again.

 

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Why should we be water baptized?
We should be water baptized because Jesus was baptized and He is our example and because He commanded us to be baptized.

 

Mark 1:9 – At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

 

Matthew 28:19 – Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

 

Water baptism was the first thing believers did in the early church after they believed in and confessed Jesus as Lord of their life.

 

Acts 8:35-38 – Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

 

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What does Water Baptism represent?

It’s an act of obedience and an outward symbol that represents what Jesus has done in us and for us. It doesn’t bring us into a relationship with Christ, only faith does that.

Colossians 2:12 – For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ.

 

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Water Baptism represents 3 things:
1. Death – Specifically Jesus’ death. Christ died on the cross for you. Revelation 1:5 says His blood washes away our sins. Romans 6 says that we died to sin and no longer live in it. Our old nature was crucified with Him. The water is a symbol of washing away the old person.

 

2. Burial – Going under the water represents His burial. Christ was buried and was in the tomb for 3 days. Our old nature and sin habits are buried with Him.

 

3. Resurrection – When you come out of the water. We are raised with Him and now live a new life in Christ.

 

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Why do we have to go under water?
We go under water because Jesus did. The word baptism is Baptizo in Greek which means to immerse or submerge.

Matthew 3:16 – As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water.

 

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Who is eligible for water baptism?
As Phillip says in Acts 8:37, the only requirement for water baptism is faith in Jesus Christ. Believing that He is the son of God and through his death, burial and resurrection, anyone can receive eternal life. Without such faith, water baptism just becomes a meaningless ritual.

 

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Does water baptism literally wash away my sin?
Only the blood of Jesus washes away our sin.

Ephesians 1:7 – In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

 

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I was water baptized as a baby, isn’t that good enough?
It could be considered a gesture of dedication but faith and repentance are both necessary ingredients as indicated in Acts 8:37.

 

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Is water baptism optional?
No, Jesus both commanded and modeled water baptism in the Bible.

 

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Can my child be water baptized?
We advise parents to wait until their child is asking to be water baptized. This is usually a good indication that they are ready to be baptized and it will be a spiritual milestone in their life. While younger children under the age of 5 can have a relationship with Jesus, they will not necessarily remember or understand the significance of the event, so we encourage parents to wait until they are a little older.

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COMMUNION
A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.

(Matthew 26:26-29, 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 8:12, 36-38, 10:47-48; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-26)

 

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MARRIAGE AND SEXUALITY

The testimony of the God-breathed Holy Scriptures is that the marriage covenant shall be reserved only for one man with one woman. The idea that marriage is a covenant only between one man and one woman has been the traditional definition of marriage for all of human history (“Traditional Definition of Marriage”). Because of the longstanding importance of the Traditional Definition of Marriage to humans and their relationships and communities, and, most importantly, the fact that God has ordained that marriage be between one man and one woman, as clearly conveyed in God’s inerrant Scriptures, including for example in Matthew 19:4-6 where in speaking about marriage Jesus referred to the fact that “he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,” the Church hereby creates this policy, which shall be known as the “Marriage Policy.”

 

Under this Church’s Marriage Policy, the Traditional Definition of Marriage is the only definition of marriage that will be recognized or accepted. No director, officer, employee, servant, agent, or any person, corporation, organization, or entity under the direction or control of this Church shall commit any act or omission, or make any decision whatever, that would be inconsistent with, or that could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with, full support of this Church’s Marriage Policy and strict adherence to the Traditional Definition of Marriage rather than any alternative to the Traditional

 

 

DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE

This Church’s Marriage Policy specifically prohibits acts or omissions including but not limited to permitting any Church assets or property, whether real property, personal property, intangible property, or any property or asset of any kind that is subject to the direction or control of the Church, to be used in any manner that would be or could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with this Church’s Marriage Policy or the Traditional Definition of Marriage, including but not limited to permitting any church facilities to be used by any person, organization, corporation, or group that would or might use such facilities to convey, intentionally or by implication, what might be perceived as a favorable impression about any definition of marriage other than the Traditional Definition of Marriage.

 

This Church’s Marriage Policy is based upon God’s will for human life as conveyed to us through the Holy Scriptures, upon which this Church has been founded and anchored, and this Marriage Policy shall not be subject to change through popular vote; referendum; prevailing opinion of members or the general public; influence of or interpretation by any government authority, agency, or official action; or legal developments on the local, state, or federal level. (See Gen. 2:18-24; 1:27-28; Matt. 19:4-6; Eph. 5: 23, 25, 31-32.)

 

In no case shall persons be accepted into membership and/or employment who are known to be living in a common-law state of matrimony. Sexuality and the divinely prescribed boundaries for the expression thereof is covered clearly in the Holy Scriptures, which limit sexual expression to the marital relationship of one man with one woman. Homosexual acts, adultery, bestiality, and all forms of fornication are categorically condemned in the Holy Scriptures. (See 1 Cor. 6:18; 1 Thes. 4:3; Rom. 1:26-27; Prov. 5:3-5, 8-13; 7:21-27; Gal. 5:19; Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18; Matt. 5:27; 19:18; Luke 18:20; Rom. 13:9; James 2:11; Lev. 20:10-21;1 Cor. 10:8; 6:18; Jude 7.)

 

Furthermore, the Church believes that sexuality is assigned by God at birth, whatever that may be, and the Holy Scripture does not permit an individual from altering their sexual identity physically or otherwise. (See Deut. 23:1.)

 

 

HEAVEN AND HELL
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After living on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally with the Devil and the Fallen Angels. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.

(Matthew 5:3,12,20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34, 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; John 5:11-13, 17:24; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 9:27, 11:16; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8)

 

 

SECOND COMING
We believe Jesus Christ will physically, visibly, and gloriously return to earth for the second time to establish His kingdom. This will occur at an undisclosed date.

(Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7)

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