Doctrinal Statement
We maintain a firm doctrinal position which serves as a unifying theme, but is not our central theme, purpose or mission. We contend for our doctrinal position but refuse to allow it to become contentious. Our doctrinal statement is intended simply as a basis of fellowship among us - that we all speak the same thing.(I Corinthians 1:10; Acts 2:42) While we do not contend the phraseology employed in this statement is divinely inspired, we consider the truth and concepts to be essential to a truly Christian, Biblically and culturally relevant ministry. No claim is made that this document is comprehensive and contains all Biblical truth, but that it is sufficient and covers our needs as to these fundamental issues.
We Affirm That We Believe:
a. The Bible is our all-sufficient rule for faith and practice - and while it is not comprehensive, it is sufficient.
b. The God of the Bible, depicted as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, the eternally self-existent one true and living God.
c. Jesus Christ of the New Testament is God the Son, the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, Savior of all mankind - Sent by the Father, one with the Father, yet distinct from the Father.
d. The Spirit of God of the Old Testament is the Holy Spirit of the New Testament, who came to empower believers at Pentecost, fulfilling the promise of Jesus to His disciples that He would ask the Father to send another Comforter. The Holy Spirit is that promised Comforter, one with the Father and the Son, yet distinct from both the Father and the Son. The personal in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit is for all Christian believers today. He is as willing and able to work in the life of any and every believer today as He was at any time in history. He has come to empower believers to live and walk in the spirit, to express the gifts of the Spirit as a benefit to the Church, and to produce the fruit of the spirit as a personal responsibility of the individual. The gifts and workings of the Holy Spirit equip the believer for the work of the ministry and are for the benefit of the Church. The fruit of the spirit is the requirement for every follower of Jesus Christ and the undeniable evidence of a truly Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life.
e. Mankind was created by God in His image and likeness and became separated from relationship with God through the original sin of Adam and Eve in the garden. We are all born into a condition of sinfulness and separation from God, in need of Divine intervention to restore us to relationship with our Creator. This relational restoration we call Salvation, and comes to us as a product of God’s grace toward us through the redemptive life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
f. The Christian Life is first of all instituted to us through our individual faith in the redemptive life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as our personal salvation encounter. Further, the process is carried out by the Holy Spirit as we learn to walk in the Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life. In this process the life of the believer will become balanced and Biblically Christ-like.
g. The Church of Jesus Christ is in existence today, not by the will of man, but by the will of God. It is His plan, designed to accomplish His purpose: To bring people out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light under the Lordship of Jesus Christ as established, strong, fruitful followers of Jesus Christ.
h. The method ordained of God for the financial support of His Church is largely through the financial sharing of His people in free-will offerings.
i. Eternity is longer than time, is without beginning or end, and, as such, is literally unfathomable by the human mind. We believe in the literal, personal, physical return of Jesus Christ, in the resurrection from the dead of His believers, and in the great hope of living eternally with God in heaven. The return of Jesus will forever restore the Kingdom to the rulership of Jesus Christ. (And boy do we hope this is before the great tribulation!)
Every person will one day stand before God for either His approval and reward of heaven and eternal life or His disapproval and eternal death.
(1) Heaven & Eternal Life: We believe that Heaven is the dwelling place of God, that He is going to create a new heaven and a new earth, and that heaven is the place to which He will take His followers after death and/or the return of Jesus Christ. Heaven is where we will live with God eternally! In much the same manner as hell, we truly have only a concept of what heaven will be like and we do ourselves a great disservice to spend time attempting to make a reasonable explanation of it, as heaven is and will be whatever and where ever God determines it to be.
(2) Hell & Eternal Death: We believe that hell is a place prepared for the devil and his angels, but where those who reject God’s grace and mercy, through Jesus Christ, will also be sent. This is not a subject we spend much time on, as it’s truly not a part of the Good News, but the Bible does warn us about it, and we would be remiss if we neglected to warn of it also. In much the same manner as heaven, we truly have only a concept of what hell will be like and we do ourselves a great disservice to spend time attempting to make a reasonable explanation of it, as hell is and will be whatever and where ever God determines it to be.