We value Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
John 1:1-18; Philippians 2:5-13; Colossians 1:15-22
We believe that Jesus Christ is God who came to Earth in the flesh in order to live as our example and to die as the preordained sinless sacrifice that redeemed mankind’s sin once and for all. In response to who He is and what He has done, we choose to trust Him for salvation and to live in daily obedience out of our love and reverence for Him. He holds the highest place in creation and deserves the highest place in our lives. We believe He is the head of His church and that authority for life and doctrine rests in Him.
We value love as the perfect expression of who God is.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13; John 15:9-10; Exodus 34:6; 1 John 4:7-21
Love is known most powerfully in sacrificial generosity, the ultimate example of which is the cross. Therefore we endeavor to embrace and imitate that love by giving ourselves to God and to each other, always laying down our own needs and desires. Without love, the rest of faith falls apart.
We value the transforming power of the sovereign God.
Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18
We believe that in all things God works for the good of those who choose to follow Him and who commit their lives to His purpose. We believe that by His divine nature and eternal power, God created all things and is supreme over all people and everything within His creation. We recognize that God is the sole divine source for humanity’s sanctification and transformation. We place our faith in Christ’s restorative power that brings life to that which is destined for death. We trust that through the power of the Holy Spirit we die to self, and through faith we are made a new creation in Christ Jesus, transformed into His image.
We value prayer.
James 5:16b; 1 John 5:14; Matthew 6:9-13
We believe that prayer is the prime avenue of communication between God and His saints, made possible only through intercession by the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. Whether we pray collectively, in small groups or individually, prayer allows us the privilege of expressing ourselves to God as our Heavenly Father, and aligning our hearts and minds with His (“Your kingdom come, your will be done”). Through prayer we offer our praise, thanksgiving, requests and intercession to our loving Father who longs to give good gifts to His children. We are confident that God hears the prayers of righteous people and lovingly responds according to His good and perfect will.
We value unity.
John 17:11; Ephesians 4:4-6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
There is one true God who is the creator of the heavens and the earth. God eternally co-exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God Himself is unity. Therefore, the Church strives to reflect that perfect, eternal unity through our mutual love for one another, resisting prejudice and division.
We value God’s grace expressed through His unconditional love.
John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-10
We believe that it is only through God’s gift of grace that we are saved through faith and not by anything we have done. We know that God freely offers His grace to all who believe in the gospel—in the eternal significance of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe the sacrificial blood of Christ justifies us before God, allowing us to approach His throne with confidence of our sealed salvation. God has called us, saved us and prepared us for a holy life—according solely to His own purpose and His bountiful mercy.
We value the authority of the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:16-17; Luke 24:44-46
We believe that God inspired the authors of Scripture by his Spirit to speak to all generations of all times, including us today. We deem that Scripture was, is and will always be inseparable from God, reflecting His essence, His thoughts, His actions and His will. Our belief is that God’s authority reigns over the Scriptures, while the Text reflects the backgrounds, styles and vocabularies of the human authors. By God’s Spirit, we seek to interpret, contextualize and live according to God’s Truth found in Scripture.
We value Christ-centered relationships for individuals, marriages, families and community.
John 13:34, Ephesians 5:25, 1 Peter 1:22
We believe that relationships flourish through integrity and purity, but most importantly through Christ-like, selfless love. Our first goal is to mature each individual’s faith in preparation to live according to God’s word and will. We particularly seek to encourage the love of God in our closest relationships; therefore, we strive to strengthen the family unit—what we consider the core of our believing community. As a united congregation of believers, we endeavor to express Christ’s love to the community at-large with the ultimate goal of sharing the gospel and making disciples of Jesus Christ.
We value authentic congregational worship experiences.
John 4:24; Psalm 69:30; Hebrews 13:15
We believe that God is worthy of excellent offerings of sacrificial praise and thanksgiving. Therefore, in our corporate assembly we pledge to provide an atmosphere that enables believers to worship in truth and in the Spirit. To promote engaged and vibrant worshiping, we will continually affirm and encourage the body of Christ to glorify God and to bless one another in a manner pleasing to God.
We value the kingdom of God.
John 18:36; Mark 1:14-15; Philippians 3:20; Matthew 6:10-14
Jesus declares that the kingdom of God is happening here and now. And yet, it is not bound by our time on this earth. The kingdom of God is the reality of God, His reign in both heaven and earth. We serve the King and enter into His kingdom, spreading His love to His people through His power. We strive to equip the body of Christ to expand God’s kingdom so that His will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
We value God’s free gift of salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10
God offers us salvation through his Son as a gift of his grace. We cannot earn that gift by our works; we receive it by faith, by believing in him (Eph. 2:8-9). We must believe Jesus Christ is Lord, the One who died for our sins and was raised from the dead. “For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16; Rom. 10:9-10). To be saved by believing in Christ, our faith in Him must move us to repent—to be sorry toward God for our sins, and determine in our hearts that we will turn away from sin and turn to God. We must publicly acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God through our confession (Rom. 10:9-10). And then we must be baptized—immersed in water—for the remission of our sins. God’s word tells us that to be saved by faith we must “Repent and be baptized…in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins” (Acts 2:38; see also Acts 22:16). Baptism is an act of faith and not a work on our part. The one who is at work in baptism is God (Colossians 2:12). We are baptized because we are corrupt, unrighteous and spiritually dead in sin. That is why are buried with Him into death as explained in Romans 6. We must understand clearly that Christ’s death on the cross is the saving act! Thank God for his precious gift of Jesus.