What We Believe

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We believe that God is One, holy and eternal, Who created all things and sustains all things. God is perfect in power, knowledge, and in His holy love. God has revealed Himself as Trinity, one God and also three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1; Psalm 147:5; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

God created all things out of nothing and sustains every moment of creation’s existence by His Word. Creation is good and brings God glory when it works the way it was intended in the beginning. (Genesis 1; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 11:3)

Human beings were created in the image of God to reflect God’s character and goodness to one another and to the rest of creation. A person’s biology as male or female, capacity to reason, and freedom of choice reflect this ordained image. Humanity’s creation in the image of God also means that every person is of sacred worth and value, to be loved with truth and grace. People are created to be in loving relationship with God and with one another. (Genesis 1:26-31; Psalm 139; John 17:3)

 Sin is the breaking of God’s law, and the deep inclination to rebel against God and His purposes. Every human being is born with the propensity to commit sin and has broken God’s law by sinning. Sin has broken our relationship with God, our relationship with creation, our relationship with one another, and our relationship with ourselves; and sin brings death thwarting God’s good purposes for creation. Apart from God’s power, mercy, and grace, human beings are inadequate to escape eternal condemnation and overcome sin. (Genesis 3; Psalm 14:3; Romans 5:12)

We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, fully God and fully human. He came into the world to bring healing to creation and save humanity from sin, the devil, and death through His life, death, and resurrection. After His resurrection, He ascended into heaven to the right hand of the Father from where He currently rules. (John 1:1-18, 29; Acts 2:33; 1 John 3:8) 

Because of sin, human beings experience disrupted relationship with God and death. In His great mercy, God has chosen to save humanity by offering reconciliation with God and eternal life both now and in the age to come through, and only through, repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Apart from the saving work of God to convict human beings of sin, justify them by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross, raise them to life through regeneration, sanctify them to holiness, and glorify them in the age to come humanity cannot be saved. (Mark 1:15; John 3:16-17; Titus 3:4-7)

The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Trinity. He is the gift given to all those who believe, a guarantee of eternal life to come. He convicts people of sin, empowers people to life and ministry in Christ, gives knowledge and guidance, and works in the believer to transform them to become like Jesus in heart and life (John 16:5-15; Romans 8:9-11; Galatians 4:6-7).

The Church are the people of God, who proclaim that Jesus is Lord. Made up of people all over the world who believe Jesus is the saving Lord, the Church is set a part to live a holy life and is sent into the world to bring the light of Christ to those who don’t believe. The Church exists to help believers grow, administer the sacraments, and be witnesses to a world in need of Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 2:19-22)

The Bible is the primary authority of life and faith for the Church. Both the Old and New Testaments reveal all things necessary for salvation and a holy life. The writers of the Bible, made up of different cultures and spanning over a thousand years, were each inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the Scriptures, and the Church was guided by the Spirit over a period of time to compile the particular books in the Bible. (Joshua 1:8; Acts 28: 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

We believe that the Christian life is not static. Those who belong to Christ, who have the Holy Spirit living in them, are being transformed over time by God’s grace to be more like Jesus in the way they think, speak, and act. This grace is called sanctification, and this gift is called holiness. We believe that God is powerful enough and good enough to save us even from committing outward and inward sin. We receive this work of God in our lives through spiritual disciplines such as reading Scripture, prayer, and worship. (Ezekiel 36:24-29a; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 John 4:18)

We believe that baptism and holy communion are outward signs of an inward grace, or sacraments. These are not merely practices that we do, but we believe these are actions that God does to those who participate in them. Baptism is the sacrament of initiation, whereby we come into the Church, are cleansed from sin, and experience regeneration. Holy Communion is the sacrament of celebration, whereby we remember Jesus’ death and receive God’s grace. Both are means of participating in the life and death of Jesus. (Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Jesus will come again to the earth in final victory to bring conclusion to the work He has already accomplished. All people, including the dead who will be raised on that day, will stand before God in judgment. Those who belong to Christ will be ushered into eternal life in the new creation with God. Those who do not belong to Christ will experience eternal separation from God in hell. In the age to come, creation will be healed and restored to its original intention. (John 5:25-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 21-22)