What We Believe

Adapted from the Baptist Faith and Message.

The Bible

 We believe the Scriptures are Inspired by God and declare His design and plan for mankind. God’s Word is true, authoritative, and sufficient. (Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

God

 We believe there is only One True God-revealed in three persons…Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (commonly known as the Trinity) These three are coequal and coeternal. (Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Hebrews 3:7-11; I John 5:7)

 Jesus Christ

We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. As God’s Son, Jesus was both human and divine.  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)

• Jesus Christ died as the sacrificial substitute to pay the penalty for sin.
• Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and will one day physically return.

 

Holy Spirit

We believe all Christians receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when they experience salvation from sins. The Holy Spirit helps us to resist sin, encourages us, gives us boldness for witnessing, and power to live for Christ. All Christians should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit just as believers were filled in the New Testament times.  (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)

Fall of Man

We believe though originally good, man willingly fell to sin-ushering evil and death, both physical and spiritual, into the world.

Salvation

We believe any person can have restored fellowship with God through trusting in Jesus Christ and accepting Christ’s offer of forgiveness for sin.

Sanctification

We believe sanctification initially occurs at the point of salvation and is not only a declaration that a believer is holy in God’s sight, but is also a progressive lifelong process of separating from evil as believers continually draw closer to God and become more Christlike.

Baptism & Communion

We believe and practice two ordinances:

1. water baptism by immersion after repenting of one’s sins and receiving Christ’s gift of salvation, and
2. holy communion (the Lord’s Supper) as a symbolic remembrance of Christ’s suffering and death for our salvation.  (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)

The Church

We believe the Church has a mission to seek and save all who are lost in sin. We believe ‘the Church’ is the body of Christ and consists of the people who, throughout time, have accepted God’s offer of redemption through the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus Christ.  (Psalm 92:12-15; Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23)

Praise & Worship

We believe in worshipping the Lord in spirit and in truth, with all of our hearts and with all of the means revealed in the Bible, showing our love with expressive demonstration of thanksgiving, joy, and praise.

All People

We believe that people of every race, age, and background are made in God’s image and are meant to be loved, pastored, and presented with God’s good news.

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)

Everything for the glory of Jesus Christ who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”

(John 1:14).