We believe in one God, eternally existing in three equally divine Persons— the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—who know, love, and glorify one another. This one true and living God is infinitely perfect both in his love and in his holiness. He is the creator of all things, visible and invisible, and is therefore worthy to receive all glory and adoration. Immortal and eternal, he perfectly and exhaustively knows the end from the beginning, sustains and sovereignly rules over all things, and providentially brings about his eternal good purposes to redeem a people for himself and restore his fallen creation, to the praise of his glorious grace.
Key Passages: Gen 1:1–2:25; Exod 3:14; 34:6–7; Lev 11:44; Deut 6:4; Ps 90:2; Isa 6:3; 46:10–11; Jer 10:10; Mal 3:6; Matt 28:19; John 1:14, 18; 5:26; 14:11; 15:26; Rom 11:34–36; 1 Cor 8:6; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 1:11–14; 1 John 4:8
We believe that God created human beings, male and female, in his own image. Adam and Eve belonged to the created order that God himself declared to be very good, serving as God’s agents to care for, manage, and govern creation, living in holy and devoted fellowship with their Maker. Men and women, equally made in the image of God, enjoy equal access to God by faith in Christ Jesus and are both called to love God and others in private and public life.
We believe that Adam, made in the image of God, distorted that image and forfeited his original blessedness—for himself and all his progeny—by falling into sin through Satan’s temptation. As a result, all human beings are alienated from God, corrupted in every aspect of their being (e.g., physically, mentally, volitionally, emotionally, spiritually) and condemned finally and irrevocably to death—apart from God’s own gracious intervention. The supreme need of all human beings is to be reconciled to the God under whose just and holy wrath we stand; the only hope of all human beings is the undeserved love of this same God, who alone can rescue us and restore us to himself.
In God’s wise purposes, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways. In marriage, God ordains that they assume distinctive roles which reflect the loving relationship between Christ and the church—the husband exercising headship in a way that displays the caring, sacrificial love of Christ, and the wife submitting to her husband in a way that models the love of the church for her Lord. In the ministry of the church, both men and women are encouraged to serve Christ and to be developed to their full potential in the manifold ministries of the people of God. The distinctive leadership role of pastor/elder being given to qualified men is grounded in creation, fall, and redemption and must not be sidelined by appeals to cultural developments.
Key Passages: Gen 1:26–30; 2:5, 7, 18–22; 3; 9:6; Ps 1:1-6; 8:3–6; 32:1–5; 51:5; Isa 6:5; Jer 17:5; Acts 17:26–31; Rom 1:19–32; 3:10–18, 23; 5:6, 12, 19; 6:6; 7:14–25; 8:14–18, 29; 1 Cor 15:19, 21–22; Eph 2:1–22; 5:22–33; Col 1:21–22; 3:9–11; 1 Tim 2:8–3:13
God’s Plan
We believe that from all eternity God determined in grace to save a great multitude of guilty sinners from every tribe and language and people and nation, and to this end foreknew them and chose them. We believe that God justifies and sanctifies those who by grace have faith in Jesus, and that he will one day glorify them—all to the praise of his glorious grace. In love God commands and implores all people to repent and believe, having set his saving love on those he has chosen and having ordained Christ to be their redeemer.
The Gospel
We believe that the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ—God’s very wisdom. Utter folly to the world, even though it is the power of God to those who are being saved, this good news is christological, centering on the cross and resurrection: the gospel is not proclaimed if Christ is not proclaimed, and the authentic Christ has not been proclaimed if his death and resurrection are not central (the message is: “Christ died for our sins . . . [and] was raised”). This good news is biblical (his death and resurrection are according to the Scriptures), theological and salvific (Christ died for our sins, to reconcile us to God), historical (if the saving events did not happen, our faith is worthless, we are still in our sins, and we are to be pitied more than all others), apostolic (the message was entrusted to and transmitted by the apostles, who were witnesses of these saving events), and intensely personal (where it is received, believed, and held firmly, individual persons are saved).
The Work of Christ
We believe that, moved by love and in obedience to his Father, the eternal Son became human: the Word became flesh, fully God and fully human being, one person in two natures. The man Jesus, the promised Messiah of Israel, was conceived through the miraculous agency of the Holy Spirit, and was born of the virgin Mary. He perfectly obeyed his heavenly Father, lived a sinless life, performed miraculous signs, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead on the third day, and ascended into heaven. As the mediatorial king, he is seated at the right hand of God the Father, exercising in heaven and on earth all of God’s sovereignty, and is our high priest and righteous advocate. We believe that by his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ acted as our representative and substitute. He did this so that in him we might become the righteousness of God: on the cross he canceled sin, propitiated God, and, by bearing the full penalty of our sins, reconciled to God all those who believe. By his resurrection Christ Jesus was vindicated by his Father, broke the power of death and defeated Satan who once had power over it, and brought everlasting life to all his people; by his ascension he has been forever exalted as Lord and has prepared a place for us to be with him. We believe that salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. Because God chose the lowly things of this world, the despised things, the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, no human being can ever boast before him—Christ Jesus has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
Justification
We believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice, he bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins, making a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice on our behalf. By his perfect obedience he satisfied the just demands of God on our behalf, since by faith alone that perfect obedience is credited to all who trust in Christ alone for their acceptance with God. Inasmuch as Christ was given by the Father for us, and his obedience and punishment were accepted in place of our own, freely and not for anything in us, this justification is solely of free grace, in order that both the exact justice and the rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners. We believe that a zeal for personal and public obedience flows from this free justification.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
We believe that this salvation, attested in all Scripture and secured by Jesus Christ, is applied to his people by the Holy Spirit. Sent by the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ, and, as the other Paraclete, is present with and in believers. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and by his powerful and mysterious work regenerates spiritually dead sinners, awakening them to repentance and faith, and in him they are baptized into union with the Lord Jesus, such that they are justified before God by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. By the Spirit’s agency, believers are renewed, sanctified, and adopted into God’s family; they participate in the divine nature and receive his sovereignly distributed gifts. The Holy Spirit is himself the down payment of the promised inheritance, and in this age indwells, guides, instructs, equips, revives, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service. As the guarantor of the full and final salvation of God’s covenant people, the Holy Spirit secures those who are united to Christ and prevents any of them from being lost.
Key Passages: Gen 3:15; 12:1–3; Isa 53:5–6; Ezek 36:26–27; John 16:4–15; Acts 4:12; Rom 3:20–26; 4:1–12, 23–25; 5:1–21; 8:3–4; 1 Cor 12:4–11; 15:3–8; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:1–14; Eph 1:3–14; 2:1–10; Col 1:13–14, 21–22; 2:9–15; 2 Tim 1:8–10; Titus 2:11–14; 3:3–8; Heb 10:14; 1 Pet 1:18–19; 1 John 2:1–2
God has set a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, to whom the Father has given all authority and power to judge. On that day, the rebelling angels will be judged. So too will all persons who have lived upon the earth; they will appear before Christ’s judgment throne to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds, and to receive his award for what they have done in this earthly life, whether good or evil.
God’s purpose in appointing a day of judgment is to make known the glory of his mercy in the eternal salvation of the elect, and the glory of his justice in the eternal damnation of the wicked and disobedient. On that day, those who are righteous in Christ will inherit everlasting life, and receive fullness of joy and glory in the Lord’s presence as their eternal reward. But the wicked, who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, will be given over to everlasting torments and “the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”
Key Passages: Eccl 12:14; Matt 12:36; 25:21, 32–46; Mark 9:48; John 5:22, 27; Acts 17:31; Rom 9:22, 23; 14:10, 12; 1 Cor 6:3; 2 Cor 5:10; 2 Thess. 1:7–10; 2 Tim. 4:8; Jude 6
God has graciously disclosed his existence and power in the created order, and has supremely revealed himself to fallen human beings in the person of his Son, the incarnate Word. Moreover, this God is a speaking God who by his Spirit has graciously disclosed himself in human words: we believe that God has inspired the words preserved in the Scriptures, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, which are both record and means of his saving work in the world. These writings alone constitute the verbally inspired Word of God, which is utterly authoritative and without error in the original writings, complete in its revelation of his will for salvation, sufficient for all that God requires us to believe and do, and final in its authority over every domain of knowledge to which it speaks. We confess that both our finitude and our sinfulness preclude the possibility of knowing God’s truth exhaustively, but we affirm that, enlightened by the Spirit of God, we can know God’s revealed truth truly. The Bible is to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all that it teaches; obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires; and trusted, as God’s pledge, in all that it promises. As God’s people hear, believe, and do the Word, they are equipped as disciples of Christ and witnesses to the gospel.
Key Passages: Deut 4:1–2; Ps 19:1–6; 50:6; 119:1–176; Luke 24:13–27; John 5:39; Acts 14:17; Rom 1:19–21; 2:14–15; 15:4; Eph 2:20; 2 Tim 3:16–17; Heb 1:1; 2 Pet 1:19–21; 3:15–16
Foundational to all that we believe, confess, and practice as a Christian church is the faith once for all delivered to the saints. We humbly but resolutely stand in line with historic Christianity, highly valuing the great creeds of the faith (including the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Chalcedonian Definition). We likewise value various creeds, confessions, and statements of faith composed throughout the history of the Church as helpful resources in articulating this same faith, only insofar as they faithfully summarize and communicate the truths found in Scripture.
Key Passages: Deut 6:4; Matt 28:19–20; Acts 1:5–8, 11; 2:42; 20:28; 2 Tim 3:16–17; Jude 3
Worship is the honor and adoration of the triune God—warranted, commanded, and prescribed by God. Worship is the all-encompassing purpose of all creation. It is the recognition of and proper response to who God is as sovereign creator and redeemer, flowing from the heart and expressing itself in visible ways. Our worship exalts and exults in the Lord Jesus Christ. Through worship, we participate in the chief purpose of all things: the glory of God. As such, faithful worship is a way of life.
As a local congregation of God’s redeemed people, one of the most important things we do is gather regularly to worship God together. During our gatherings, worship is directed by the Scriptures and expressed primarily through reading, teaching, fellowship, the ordinances, songs, and prayers. In these, we remember and rejoice in who God is, what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will do.
Key Passages: Exod 20:1–21; 1 Chron 16:29; Ps 29:2; 53:17; 95:6; Mark 7:6–8; John 4:24; Acts 2:41; 20:7; Rom 11:36; 12:1–2; 1 Cor 11:18–34; 14; 16:1–2; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16–17; 4:16; 1 Tim 4:13; Heb 12:28–29; Rev 15:4
The primary way God accomplishes his work is through the proclamation of his Word. It is the Word that convicts us of sin, instructs us in righteousness, and reveals the truths of God. Because of this, we value Bible-saturated preaching in our worship gatherings, often systematically walking through books or large sections of Scripture. Because we view the Bible as a unified story (of which Jesus is the hero), we aim to exalt Jesus each week in our preaching, regardless of our selected passage. We delight to explain what God has said in his Word, to declare what God has done in his Son, and to apply this message to the hearts of people (both believers and unbelievers) with the aid of the Spirit. We believe this is the best way to help people grow into the image of Christ. Those hearing the Word preached are responsible to receive what God has revealed in his Word and respond to it in faith and obedience.
Key Passages: Gen 1:1-31; 3:15; Exod 20:22; Deut 1:1; 1 Sam 3:19; Ezra 7:10; Neh 8:1–8; Jer 1:7–9; Ezek 2:4; Matt 3:1; Mark 4:1–20; Luke 4:17–21; 24:27, 44–47; John 1:45; 5:39, 45–46; Acts 2:14–41; 5:42; 6:4; 8:4; 13:13–52; 17:1–4; 18:1–11; 19:8–10, 20; 20:27; 28:28–31; Rom 1:15; 10:14; 12:7; 1 Cor 2:1–5; 15:1–11; Eph 4:11; Col 1:28–29; 1 Thess 2:13; 1 Tim 3:1–7; 4:13; 2 Tim 3:14–4:4; Titus 1:5–9; Heb 13:7; Jam 3:1; 1 Pet 4:10–11; Rev 22:6–11
We practice the Christian ordinance of baptism, in which one who has repented of their sins and trusted in Christ alone for salvation is immersed in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is not the grounds or the means of one’s salvation, but is an act of obedience, commitment, and proclamation, indicating the believer’s identification with Christ and his church. This identification with the crucified, buried, and risen Christ signifies the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in a new and holy life. It is likewise a testimony to the believer’s faith in the final resurrection of the dead.
In baptism the church testifies to the faith and repentance expressed by the believer and commits to encourage and assist the believer in this new life in Christ. God likewise acts through baptism to remind believers of his saving grace and call them continually to faithful obedience.
Key Passages: Matt 3:6, 13–17; 28:18–20; Mark 1:4–5; Luke 3:21–22; John 3:23; Acts 2:38; 8:36–39; 16:30–33; 18:8; Rom 6:3–4; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:26–27; Col 2:12; 1 Pet 3:21
As with water baptism, the Lord’s Supper is a Christian ordinance that the Lord Jesus has given to his church as a reminder of his death for sinners. The Lord’s Supper is a sign of his sustaining work in our lives and of his promise that we will one day share eternal fellowship with him in the new creation.
Those partaking in the table participate in this ordinance through the breaking and eating of bread and the drinking of the fruit of the vine. This bread and this cup point to our Lord’s body and blood. Followers of Christ should partake in the Lord’s Supper under the authority of the local church, insofar as they have received Christ’s atoning work by faith, examined themselves in repentance, and remain in good standing with their local church.
As baptism is the ordinance that Christ has given as a sign connected with entrance into the community of faith, the Lord’s Supper is an ongoing ordinance given to the community of faith; thus it should be observed repeatedly throughout the Christian’s life as a continual reminder of Christ’s atoning work, imminent return, and as a sign of unity in the church.
Key Passages: Deut 12:1–28; Matt 26:26–29, Mark 14:22–25, Luke 22:14–30, Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:17–34, Rev 19:6–10
We believe the normative context for living out the Christian life is with and among the people of God in the local church. As such, church membership should be meaningful. When someone enters into membership, the church is affirming that—insofar as they can discern—this person is truly in Christ. They confess the true gospel and are committed to walking faithfully according to that gospel as long as they live. By entering into the membership of the church, they are committing to follow Jesus with this particular community of faith, which will aid them in following Christ and using their gifts to help others follow Christ.
We believe meaningful membership closely reflects the language of Scripture (Paul’s use of “member” imagery in 1 Cor 12), follows the New Testament prescription for accountability to other believers (1 Cor 5) and to the elders of the church (Heb 13:17), and allows the church to faithfully exercise the keys of the kingdom (Matt 16:13–20; 18:15–20).
We admit into membership those with a credible profession of saving faith in Christ, who have been baptized as believers, who agree with our “Core Beliefs,” and who are willing to sign the church covenant and fulfill its commitments.
At the same time, we recognize that no local church is ultimate, nor is it synonymous with the entire body of Christ. Therefore we regularly release members from their covenant with this body. We use five (5) categories to help communicate the circumstances of each person’s release or removal: (1) Death; (2) Apostasy; (3) Congregational Discipline; (4) Released to Join Another Local Church; (5) Failure to Uphold the Church Covenant.
Key Passages: Matt 16:13–20; 18:15–20; Acts 2:41–47; 1 Cor 1:2, 5, 12; Rom 12:3–8; Heb 13:17
We practice restorative, corporate church discipline as commanded in the New Testament. We believe Christ has given this practice to local churches for the glory of God, the good of the one being disciplined, the health of the church, and the church’s public witness.
Discipline glorifies God and preserves the public witness because the church is called to be a “pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15). The church’s witness and God’s glory are harmed when there is rampant, repetitive, public, serious, unrepentant sin in her midst.
Discipline is also for the good of the one disciplined. Both in Matt 18 and 1 Cor 5, church discipline is given not ultimately for the punishment of the unrepentant sinner, but for his or her restoration to the church. Because living in sin is a path that leads to destruction, church discipline is a loving act that seeks to rescue the sinner from that end.
Discipline is also for the good of the church. It serves to protect the purity of the corporate church body and provide instruction regarding holy living and the deceitfulness of sin.
We will practice church discipline according to the guidelines provided in Matt 18 and 1 Cor 5 under the leadership and oversight of the elders. If someone is guilty of public, serious, and persistent sin, yet remains unrepentant (even after being approached by one, then two or three), we will take it before the covenant members. If the person refuses to listen “even to the church,” they will be removed from membership and the Lord’s Supper.
Key Passages: Deut 5:11; 1 Kings 11:2; 2 Chron 19:2; Ezra 6:21; Neh 9:2; Ps 119:115, 141:5; Prov 23:20; 15:5; 17:10; 25:12; 27:5; 28:7; 29:15; Eccl 7:5; Isa 52:11; Ezek 36:20; Matt 5:13–16; 7:26–27, 18:15–20; Luke 17:3; John 13:35; 15:8; 18:17, 25; Acts 2:40; 5:1–14; Rom 2:24; 15:5–6, 14; 1 Cor 4:14; 5:5–7, 11; 15:33; 2 Cor 2:5–11; 6:14–7:1; 13:10; Gal 6:1–5; Eph 1:4, 5:11, 27; 6:4; Col 3:16; 1 Thess 5:14; 2 Thess 3:6, 14–15; 1 Tim 1:20; 3:4–5, 7; 5:20; Titus 1:11, 13–14; Heb 10:24–25; 12:1–11; James 1:22; 1 Pet 2:12; 2 Pet 2:2; 1 John 3:10; 2 John 10; Jude 24; Rev 21:2
We are a congregationally-governed, elder-led, deacon-served, and staff-supported local church.
Congregation
The congregation shares the responsibility of living as a covenant community, including the responsibility to exercise the keys of the kingdom (through membership and discipline), preserve the church’s doctrine, participate in her mission, and affirm new elders and deacons. As the congregation appoints pastors to lead, it agrees to submit to and follow their Christ-like, biblically-faithful, Spirit-filled leadership. This means that not every decision will come to a vote. Even then, however, members of the congregation still have the Holy Spirit and should humbly and faithfully steward their role by praying for, speaking into, and submitting to the various decisions made by the church and her leadership.
Pastors
“Pastor” and “elder” are two common titles referring to the same biblical office and will be used interchangeably. Pastors will be men responsible for knowing, leading, feeding, and protecting the church and her individual members through prayer, counseling, discipleship, preaching, etc. We practice a plurality of elders, seeing this to be the best reflection of the New Testament pattern. All elders are endowed with the same level of authority, with different areas of responsibility in the leadership of the church—all while sharing in the same accountability before God. Some pastors may be compensated so they can give more time and energy to leading the church, while others will serve in a voluntary/unpaid capacity.
Deacons
Deacons assist the church in its ministry (Acts 6; 1 Tim 3). Deacons are lead servants in the church, and they must meet the qualifications set forth in Scripture (1 Tim 3:8–13). They bear various practical responsibilities, so elders can devote more time and energy to their pastoral duties. We believe Scripture opens the office of deacon to both men and women.
Staff
As needed, the church (as led by the pastors) may entrust to certain members specific responsibilities to help support and advance the church’s various ministries and functions. These members will serve under the leadership of the pastors and may be paid or unpaid.
Key Passages: Matt 18:15–20; Acts 6:1–7; 11:21, 29–30; 13:1–3; 14:23–28; 15:22; 20:20–35; 21:18–25; Rom 12:5; 16:1; 1 Cor 5:1–5, 11–15; 2 Cor. 2:6–8; Gal 1:6–9; 6:1; Eph 4:5–6, 11–16; Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:1–13; 5:17; Titus 1:3–9; 3:9–11; Heb 13:7, 17; 1 Pet 2:9; 5:1–11
As a covenanted gospel community, we seek by God’s grace to bear one another’s burdens, celebrate one another’s victories, meet one another’s needs, and invest in one another’s spiritual maturity—regardless of any apparent or real differences that may tend toward division (e.g., background, socio-economic statuses, race, interest, etc.). We seek to be actively involved in one another’s lives, even as we open our own lives to receive others.
Practically, we cultivate this community by placing a high value on showing up—active participation in regular, disciplined gatherings in both large and small groups. We also commit to serve the church and her members as need and opportunity arises.
Because every gospel community is made of sinners, we recognize that we will regularly fail, disappoint, and even sin against one another. As much as we are able and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will respond to these failures with grace, forgiveness, and love.
As a reflection of God receiving us into his fellowship, and as an expression of the grace and love available through Christ Jesus, we likewise eagerly extend this community and care to those outside the church.
Key Passages: Gen 2:18; John 17:1-26; Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–37; Rom 1:11–12; 12:1–21; 1 Cor 12:1-31; 2 Cor 1:6–7; Gal 6:2; Eph 2:11–22; 4:1–16; Phil 1:5; 2:1–12; 1 Thess 2:8; Heb 10:24–25; James 2:1–13; 1 John 3:11–24
We will pursue biblical conflict resolution for interpersonal disputes and grievances within the congregation, aiming for reconciliation through open communication, prayer, and if necessary, mediation by church leaders. For conflicts that involve criminal behavior, abuse, or issues requiring legal intervention, we will act in accordance with the law while also seeking pastoral guidance.
Key Passages: Matt 18:15–20; Rom 13:1–7; 1 Cor 6:1–8; Eph 4:25–32; Col 3:12–17; James 5:16
We believe all true Christians have been gifted with the Holy Spirit upon their conversion. Believers are likewise given varied gifts by the Spirit for the advancement of the gospel and the building up of the body of Christ. Likewise, the Holy Spirit has equipped the church with those gifts necessary for the building up of the body of Christ into maturity and health. We encourage church members to actively use their gifts to serve the body and advance the kingdom in accordance with the Scriptures, always looking to submit the use of those gifts to the good of the church.
Key Passages: Rom 12:3–8; 1 Cor 12:12–14; Gal 5:22–23; Eph 4:1–16; 1 Pet 4:7–11
The kingdom of God, already present but not fully realized, is the exercise of God’s sovereignty in the world toward the eventual redemption of all creation. The kingdom of God is an invasive power that plunders Satan’s dark kingdom and regenerates and renovates through repentance and faith the lives of individuals rescued from that kingdom. It therefore inevitably establishes a new community of human life together under God.
We believe that those who have been saved by the grace of God through union with Christ by faith and through regeneration by the Holy Spirit enter the kingdom of God and delight in the blessings of the new covenant: the forgiveness of sins, the inward transformation that awakens a desire to glorify, trust, and obey God, and the prospect of the glory yet to be revealed. These individuals are called to live as citizens of this new kingdom, reflecting the values and character of the King in every area of their lives and local church communities.
Key Passages: Matt 3:2; 5:20; 6:10, 33; 7:21; 13:1–52; 18:1–4; Mark 1:15; Luke 21:29–33; 22:14–18; John 3:3; 18:36; Rom 14:17; 1 Cor 6:9–10; 15:50; Gal 5:19–21; Eph 4:1–3; Phil 1:27; Col 1:13; 2 Pet 1:10–11; Rev 11:15
Good works provide indispensable evidence of saving grace (not the grounds for receiving it). Living as salt in a world that is decaying and light in a world that is dark, believers should neither withdraw into seclusion from the world, nor become indistinguishable from it. Rather, they are to be those who are lovers of good (because God is good and loves good) and devoted to good works (which God prepared beforehand for them to walk in). Because we are citizens of God’s kingdom, we are to do good to all, especially to those who belong to the household of God.
Good works encompass any and all things consistent with the character and kingdom of God, which can be summarized in the first and second greatest commandments to love God and love neighbor. While the command to love our neighbors is expansive and multifaceted, we believe that ultimately the most loving thing we can do for all people is to proclaim and commend the gospel of Jesus Christ to them, that they may be reconciled to the God who is good and is able to work for their earthly and eternal good. At the same time, we reject the idea that we can preach the gospel and ignore the basic physical, emotional, mental, and social needs of those who are made in the image of God.
Key Passages: Matt 5:13–16; Mark 12:28–34; Luke 10:25–37; John 14:12–14; Gal 6:10; Eph 2:10; 4:28; Phil 1:27; 2:14–16; 1 Thess 5:15; 1 Tim 6:18; Titus 1:8; 2:11–14; 3:1, 8; 14; James 2:15–17; 1 John 3:16–18
All Christians, by virtue of their salvation through Christ, have been called to participate in the mission of God through evangelism and disciple-making.
In evangelism, we work to authentically and verbally proclaim the message of the gospel to non-believers, seeking to persuade them of the truth of the gospel and calling them to respond in repentance and faith.
We desire that all members work to make disciples by intentionally working for the spiritual good of others through evangelism, instruction, correction, modeling, and encouragement. These disciple-making efforts can and should take a variety of forms—ranging from formal and structured methods (classes, discipleship groups, etc.) to less-formal and organic practices (sharing meals, casual spiritual conversations, etc.)—all directed at helping others follow Christ.
In evangelism and disciple-making, our central message is the gospel of Jesus Christ, our primary tool is the Scriptures, and our sole power is the Holy Spirit.
Key Passages: Matt 24:14; 28:18–20; Mark 11:17; Luke 24:47; John 4:39; Acts 1:8; Rom 1:5; 2 Cor 5:20; Col 1:21–22, 28–29
God’s purpose has always been to have a people for himself, a people to whom he reveals his glory, and a people through whom he displays his glory. The local church is the new covenant manifestation of this reality, and the multiplication of new churches where disciples are living out the gospel should be the hope and expectation of every faithful church.
The Great Commission points to church planting, as Jesus emphasized the making of disciples by baptizing and teaching all people groups. The book of Acts tells the story of the spread of the gospel in unreached places, and the subsequent planting of local churches. And the rest of the New Testament is largely an anthology of church plants.
We seek to follow the model and spirit of the New Testament as we go about the work of evangelism and disciple-making. We desire to establish and strengthen more and more local churches who will themselves reproduce healthy local churches. Even as we seek to multiply more and more congregations, we do not want to sacrifice the health and maturity of these local churches in pursuit of rapid multiplication or human strategy.
Key Passages: Exod 6:7; 19:4–6; Deut 4:6–8; Ps 96:1-13; Isa 2:2–4; 49:6; Hab 2:14; Matt 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; 2:41–47; 13:1–20:38; 14:21–23; Rom 15:19–21; 1 Cor 12:1–31; Phil 1:5; 4:10–20; 1 Tim 3:15; 2 Tim 2:2; Titus 2:14; Heb 13:17; 1 Pet 2:9–12; Rev 5:9–10; 21:3
Because all people are in need of the gospel, and because Christ is worthy to receive glory and honor from all, we want to evangelize, make disciples, and plant churches among “all nations”—both locally and globally. This means living with missional intentionality in our everyday lives and relationships. But it also means giving special attention to engage people around the world through missionary and church planting efforts.
We desire to raise up, set apart, send, and support individuals for this particular work, giving particular attention to reaching those people and places that have least access to the gospel. When we send someone out for this purpose, we commit to ongoing partnership for the purposes of mutual encouragement, pastoral care, and ministry accountability.
Key Passages: Ps 46:10; 96; Isa 2:2–4; 49:6; Hab 2:14; Matt 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; 2:41–47; 14:21–23; Rom 15:19–21; Phil 1:5; 2 Tim 2:2; Rev 5:9–10; 7:9; 21:3
We recognize that no single local church encompasses the kingdom of God; neither should individuals and churches seek to follow Jesus in isolation; neither does any local church have all the gifts needed to manifest the kingdom of God fully. Therefore, just as individuals should seek to follow Christ in the community of the local church, so local churches should seek to follow Christ in cooperation with other churches and ministries. In fact, the very act of cooperation speaks to the reality of a kingdom bigger than ourselves and a King whose purposes extend beyond our own sphere. And, from the time of the New Testament, churches have sought to cooperate together for one another’s good and for the advancement of the kingdom.
Therefore, we will seek out various opportunities for cooperation with other churches, ministries, networks, and individuals to help us faithfully follow Christ and pursue the specific ministry priorities he has given to this local church. These cooperative efforts should be seen as outlets for ministry, relationships for mutual edification, and avenues for sharing resources. Any cooperation with outside entities should not be seen as an endorsement of the entire entity, much less of other cooperating people and churches. Some cooperation will be broader and allow for partnership across several ministry areas, while others will be more narrowly focused on a specific issue or goal. The necessary level of theological, philosophical, and relational alignment with the entity and the other churches/individuals involved will depend on the nature and purpose of cooperation.
Every avenue of cooperation will be regularly assessed and evaluated.
Key Passages: Acts 11:19–26; 15:1–35; Rom 15:22–24; 1 Cor 16:1–4; 2 Cor 8:1–9:15; Phil 1:3–5; 4:15; 3 John 8
Both the Old Testament and New Testaments emphasize the mandate to love our neighbors as ourselves, especially the weak and vulnerable in society. Because all instances of brokenness and injustice violate God’s character and his created order, faithful Christian living necessitates concern for social justice, even as we wait for perfect justice in God’s new creation.
Believing everyone is made in the image of God, we are committed to care for everyone from conception till death. This means recognizing preborn children and the tragedy of abortion; encouraging adoption and orphan care; valuing people with special needs; working to end human trafficking; promoting racial reconciliation; caring for the poor, the widow, and those vulnerable to preventable disease; engaging in prison ministry; serving immigrants and refugees; and walking with those at the end of life.
We encourage individual members to work to these ends, and collectively we may devote time, resources, and partnerships to some of the specific causes listed above.
Key Passages: Gen 1:26–27; Exod 22:21–24; Deut 10:17–19; 14:29; 15:4; 27:19; Job 29:12–17; 31:13–28; Ps 33:5; 68:4–5; 139:15–16; 146:7–9; Prov 14:31; 31:8–9; Isa 1:17; 42:1–7; 58:6–7; Jer 22:3, 16; Micah 6:8; Zech 7:10–11; Matt 22:34–40; 23:23–24; Matt 25:31–46; Luke 1:40; 4:17–18; 10:25ff; 11:42; 14:12–13; Acts 4:34–35; 6:1–7; 20:35; 2 Cor 8:9; Gal 2:10; 6:10; 1 Tim 5:3–16; James 1:27; 2:1; 2:15–17; 3:9; 5:1–5; 1 John 3:16–18
Every aspect of our lives exists under the lordship of Christ, including the political sphere. And insofar as our society gives citizens a voice to influence societal and cultural decisions through political means, every Christian should consider these means as one potential avenue of doing good works that are consistent with the gospel of the kingdom of God. At the same time, we recognize the limits of civil government and the political process in bringing about the kingdom of God, believing that no policial process or civil coercion can change people’s hearts—something only the gospel can do.
Because we are fallen and limited creatures living in a fallen world, and because we are each indwelt with the Holy Spirit, every Christian’s involvement in complex political systems may look different as they weigh different circumstances and seek to follow their Spirit- and Word-shaped consciences. Because we are a community formed by and united around the gospel rather than political allegiances or decisions, we should expect that the community of faith will be made up of people across the political spectrum, who are each trying to be obedient to Christ’s command to love God and love neighbor.
We cannot and will not let political differences supersede the fellowship we have in the gospel, and we will be careful to distinguish between our political ideals (which we may even see as obvious implications of the gospel) and the gospel itself. While Christians can and should seek to persuade one another of the best means of representing God’s character and working for others’ good through political means, we will not allow these social and political convictions to be confused with the message of the gospel itself.
While we as a church will not identify with any party or candidates, we should expect that our corporate and individual discipleship will have implications for various issues in the public square as we seek to be faithful followers of Christ.
Key Passages: Prov 21:1; Matt 10:1–4; 26:51–52; Rom 13:1; 14:1–23; Eph 6:12; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13–14
We believe God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological sex is a distortion of the image of God within that person.
We believe God has designed marriage as the committed, faithful, and life-long covenant union between one man and one woman, and that sexual intimacy is to be enjoyed exclusively within the bond of marriage. Disordered sexuality of all kinds represents a deviation from God’s good design for humanity, and all sexual activity outside of marriage as biblically defined is sinful and offensive to God.
We believe that all people, regardless of inclination or predisposition, find within themselves desires that are inconsistent with a life pleasing to God and are called to submit disordered sexual desires to the lordship of Christ and live in faithful trust and obedience to God’s commands.
At the same time, we believe that even in sexual sin, God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
We believe every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity, regardless of their biological sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We renounce any hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual or group of people and consider such actions and attitudes incompatible with Scripture and unfaithful to the character of Christ.
We reject the idea that simply holding to the historic, orthodox, and biblical teaching on gender and sexuality is inherently hateful and dehumanizing. We believe that a biblically Christian sexual ethic confronts the sinfulness of all people and extends the hope of the gospel to all who turn from their sin to Christ.
Key Passages: Gen 1:26–27; Matt 5:16; 15:18–20; Mark 12:28–31; Luke 6:31; Acts 3:19–21; Rom 10:9–10; 1 Cor 6:8–11, 18; 7:2–5; Phil 2:14–16; 1 Thess 5:2; Heb 13:4
Marriage
We believe marriage is a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman before God, for the purpose of loving God, loving one another, and displaying the Christ-church union. We recognize and celebrate the distinct and complementary roles and responsibilities God has given to men and women in living out the marriage covenant.
Family
God designed parents to be the lead worshipers and primary disciple-makers in the home. The local church community should serve and partner with families as they seek to teach children to love God and others.
Singleness
We also believe God has given some people the gift of singleness, not as a secondary status but as a worthy and holy calling free from some of the “worldly troubles” of marriage. We desire to see single individuals thrive in serving the Lord and the church.
Divorce
In accordance with our beliefs about marriage and in line with the Scriptures, we generally counsel couples away from divorce and toward reconciliation and renewal, which is a reflection of the gospel itself. As a church body, we seek to provide all married couples with support and encouragement toward building strong and healthy marriages that are able to resist divorce and overcome relational conflict and sin. At the same time, we recognize that the Lord has always allowed for divorce in certain circumstances. We encourage anyone considering or facing divorce to seek advice and wisdom from the pastors and the church community.
Key Passages: Gen 1:26–28; 2:18–25; Exod 12:26–27; 13:14; 20:1–21; Deut 4:1–10; 6:4–9; 31:9–13; 1 Cor 7:1–40; Eph 5:21–6:4; Col 3:18–23; 1 Tim 3:4–5, 12; 2 Tim 3:10–17; Titus 1:6; Heb 12:4–11; 13:4
We recognize that we have nothing that we did not receive, and all things ultimately belong to the Lord. As such, anything we have we receive as stewards from God and are accountable to him for how we use it. Further, we recognize that he has given instruction in his Word for how we should manage everything from time, resources, gifts, etc. Therefore, we commit to give our spiritual gifts, time, resources, and money in a sacrificial manner consistent with the gospel and for its progress. In each of these areas we will give cheerfully, regularly, and generously for the support of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel both in our city and through all nations.
Key Passages: Ps 24:1; Matt 6:19–21; 25:1–30; Luke 16:1–13; Rom 12:3–8; Gal 2:10; 2 Cor 8:1–9:15; 1 Tim 6:17; Jam 1:17; 1 Pet 4:10–11