WHAT WE BELIEVE
About God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is both holy and loving.
About Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God, fully human and fully divine. He lived a sinless human life and died on the cross to atone for our sins, so we might be forgiven. He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven and will return again to earth.
About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God present in the world here and now, working to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. When we receive Jesus as the leader of our lives and the forgiver of our sins, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. He provides us with power for living, enables us to understand spiritual truth, and guides us in doing what pleases God. Every believer is empowered by the Spirit to engage in some form of ministry. As Christians we seek to live under His control daily.
About the Bible
The Bible is God’s word written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the final authority for determining our Christian beliefs and how we are to live.
About Human Beings
People are made in the spiritual image of God — that is, we are rational and moral beings. Because of this, each person possesses great self-worth. Every person has tremendous potential for good, but all of us are marred by sin, that is, we do not love God above all else and we do not love others as we love ourselves. This attitude and its resultant actions separate us from God, others and ourselves.
About being made right with God
Becoming right with God and having our relationship with God restored is what the Bible calls salvation. Salvation is God’s free gift to us. We can never earn it or achieve it by self-improvement or good works. We accept God’s gift of a new life when we turn from our self-ruled life and accept Jesus as our Savior. The new life that God gives us is an abundant life in this world and eternal life in the world to come.
About the kind of life we are called to live
Though we are not made right with God by our own goodness, “good works” are not optional for the Christian life. When we give our lives to Christ, it is expected that we, by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, will grow towards loving God with all our being and our neighbors as ourselves.
About Baptism
Through Baptism we are joined with the church and with Christians everywhere. Baptism is a symbol of new life and a sign of God’s love and forgiveness of our sins. Persons of any age can be baptized. A person receives the sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life.
About Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper is a holy meal or bread and wine (grape juice) that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ. The Lord’s Supper recalls the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all the members of God’s family. But sharing this meal, we give thanks for Christ’s sacrifice and are nourished and empowered to go into the world in mission and ministry. We practice “open Communion,” welcoming ALL who love Christ, repent of their sins, and seek to live in peace with one another.
About God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is both holy and loving.
About Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God, fully human and fully divine. He lived a sinless human life and died on the cross to atone for our sins, so we might be forgiven. He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven and will return again to earth.
About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God present in the world here and now, working to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. When we receive Jesus as the leader of our lives and the forgiver of our sins, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. He provides us with power for living, enables us to understand spiritual truth, and guides us in doing what pleases God. Every believer is empowered by the Spirit to engage in some form of ministry. As Christians we seek to live under His control daily.
About the Bible
The Bible is God’s word written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the final authority for determining our Christian beliefs and how we are to live.
About Human Beings
People are made in the spiritual image of God — that is, we are rational and moral beings. Because of this, each person possesses great self-worth. Every person has tremendous potential for good, but all of us are marred by sin, that is, we do not love God above all else and we do not love others as we love ourselves. This attitude and its resultant actions separate us from God, others and ourselves.
About being made right with God
Becoming right with God and having our relationship with God restored is what the Bible calls salvation. Salvation is God’s free gift to us. We can never earn it or achieve it by self-improvement or good works. We accept God’s gift of a new life when we turn from our self-ruled life and accept Jesus as our Savior. The new life that God gives us is an abundant life in this world and eternal life in the world to come.
About the kind of life we are called to live
Though we are not made right with God by our own goodness, “good works” are not optional for the Christian life. When we give our lives to Christ, it is expected that we, by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, will grow towards loving God with all our being and our neighbors as ourselves.
About Baptism
Through Baptism we are joined with the church and with Christians everywhere. Baptism is a symbol of new life and a sign of God’s love and forgiveness of our sins. Persons of any age can be baptized. A person receives the sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life.
About Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper is a holy meal or bread and wine (grape juice) that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ. The Lord’s Supper recalls the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all the members of God’s family. But sharing this meal, we give thanks for Christ’s sacrifice and are nourished and empowered to go into the world in mission and ministry. We practice “open Communion,” welcoming ALL who love Christ, repent of their sins, and seek to live in peace with one another.