Beliefs
We neither espouse, nor endorse, a man-made church creed. We can see that such creeds only produce and perpetuate divisions contrary to the doctrine which we have received from God in the Holy Scriptures. Our only creed is Christ and His New Testament.
Nevertheless, certain beliefs and values, drawn from the Holy Scriptures and shared by the members of this congregation, are fundamental and essential and thus must shape our faith and practice.
- We believe in the eternal existence of God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (John 1:1-3, 14; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
- We believe in the deity of Christ and the redemptive work of His cross. We also believe in His literal resurrection, which serves as the anchor of our hope of everlasting life. (Matthew 16:16; Ephesians 2:14-16; Matthew 28:1-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
- We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells each Christian and is providentially active in the life of every true follower of Christ. (Acts 2:38; Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:9-14).
- We believe that the Bible is God's divinely inspired and all-sufficient Word and therefore our guide for life, conduct, and doctrine. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).
- We believe that salvation results from the grace and mercy of God who calls us to obedience, accountability to Him, and union with Him. (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Matthew 7:21; Hebrews 5:8, 9; Ephesians 1:3, 7; 2 Timothy 2:10).
- We believe that we establish a relationship with Christ through faith, repentance, and baptism. We further believe that baptism is immersion, based on one's personal affirmation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Hebrews 11:6; John 8:24; Luke 13:3; Mark 16:15, 16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8: 35-39; Romans 6:1-7; Colossians 2:12).
- We believe that every soul will be resurrected to appear before God in judgment, resulting in either eternal life in heaven or eternal punishment in hell. (John 5:28, 29; Matthew 25:45, 46; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
- We believe that the church established by Christ is undenominational and that undenominational Christianity exists today wherever people believe and obey the pure and unadulterated teaching of the New Testament. ( Matthew 16:18; John 17:20, 21; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:1-6).
- We believe that all people are free to read and study God's Word for themselves, to form conclusions based on their study of that Word, and to hold those conclusions without the fear of human intimidation. (2 Timothy 2:15).
- We believe that certain patterns evident among first century Christians are standards for the work and worship of today's church. These include:
- Weekly observance of the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week. (Acts 20:7)
- Weekly freewill offerings collected on the first day of the week. (1 Corinthians 16:1, 2).
- A cappella (vocal) music in public worship. (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Revelation 22:18, 19).
- Congregational leadership by biblically qualified elders and congregational service by biblically qualified deacons. (Acts 14:23; I Timothy 3:1-13; Philippians 1:1).
