ABOUT

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About the Bible:
• We affirm that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible word of God in its original manuscripts. It is true and
trustworthy and the final authority for every generation on all matters of faith and right living. All of the
Bible is God-breathed, written down by human agents under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is the
record of God’s disclosure of Himself in history culminating in the revelation of Jesus Christ. The Bible is
intended by God to serve as a living testimony of his nature, character and plans for history.
Exodus 24:4, Deuteronomy 4:1-2, Joshua 8:34, Psalms 19:7-10, 119:11, 89, 105, 140,
Isaiah 34:16, 40:8, Jeremiah 15:16, 36, Matthew 5:17- 18, 22:29, Luke 21:33, 24:44-46,
John 5:39,16:13-15,17:17, Acts 2:16ff., 17:11, Romans 15:4, 16:25-26, 2 Timothy 3:15-17,
Hebrews 1:1-2, 4:12, 1 Peter 1:25, 2 Peter 1:19-21

 

About God:
• We affirm that there is one living God, the Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer of the universe. He is all
powerful, loving, knowing and wise. His holiness is infinite and perfect and He exists solely for His own
glory. He is therefore worthy of our complete reverence, respect, obedience, and love, and our deepest
satisfaction is in Him alone. He reveals Himself to humanity as God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but
without any division in nature or purpose.

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God the Father
• We affirm that God the Father is sovereign over the universe and that He exercises His sovereignty and
providence over creation in ways that are perfectly loving, wise and just. His plan for the redemption of the
world is revealed fully in His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Genesis 1:1, 2:7, Exodus 3:14, 6:2-3, 15:11 ff., 20:1 ff., Leviticus 22:2, Deuteronom 6:4, 32:6,
1 Chronicles 29:10, Psalm 19:1-3, Isaiah 43:3, 15, 64:8, Jeremiah 10:10, 17:13,
Matthew 6:9 ff., 7:11, 23:9, 28:19, Mark 1:9-11, John 4:24, 5:26, 14:6-13, 17:1- 8, Acts 1:7,
Romans 8:14-15,1Corinthians 8:6, Galatians 4:6, Ephesians 4:6, Colossians 1:15, 1 Timothy 1:17,
Hebrews 11:6, 12:9, 1 Peter 1:17, 1 John 5:7

God the Son (Jesus Christ)
• We affirm that Jesus is God’s eternal Son, fully God and fully man. He is the divine Word. In His
incarnation He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to a virgin named Mary. By taking on flesh Jesus
became fully human, but without sin, living a life of perfect obedience to God. He died on a cross according
to God’s plan, making Himself our substitutionary atonement for sin, completely satisfying God’s demand
for justice. When we surrender to Him in faith His righteousness is imputed (or given over to us) and our
sin is imputed (or given over to Him) making intimacy with a just, holy and loving God possible forever.
Jesus was raised from the dead in a physical yet glorified body and appeared to his disciples in a completely
recognizable way. He ascended bodily into heaven where He now reigns with God as the Lord of history,
interceding continuously with the heavenly Father on behalf of those who are His children by faith. Jesus is
the only Mediator between God and humanity, i.e., the only way to eternal salvation. One day He will
return in power and glory at which time all the world will see and recognize Him for who he is. He will then
judge the living and dead and consummate history according to God’s holy and eternal plan.
Genesis 18:1 ff., Psalms 2:7 ff., 110:1 ff., Isaiah 7:14, 53, Matthew 1:18-23, 3:17, 8:29, 11:27, 14:33, 16:16,
27, 17:5, 28:1-6, Mark 1:1, 3:11, Luke 1:35, 4:41, 22:70, 24:46, John 1:1-18, 29, 10:30, 38, 11:25-27,
12:44-50, 14:7-11, 16:15-16, 28, 17:1-5, 21-22, 20:1-20, 28, Acts 1:9, 2:22-24, 7:55-56, 9:4-5, 20,
Romans 1:3-4, 3:23-26, 5:6-21, 8:1-3, 34, 10:4,1 Corinthians 1:30, 2:2, 8:6,15:1-8, 24-28,
2nd Corinthians 5:19-21, Galatians 4:4-5, Ephesians 1:20, 3:11, 4:7-10, Philippians 2:5-11,
Colossians1:13-22,2:9,1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, 3:16, Titus 2:13-14, Hebrews 1:1-3,
4:14-15, 7:14-28, 9:12-15, 24-28, 12:2, 13:8, 1 Peter 2:21-25, 3:22, I John 1:7-9, 3:2, 4:14-15,5:9,
2 John 7-9, Revelation 1:13-16, 5:9-14, 12:10-11, 13:8, 19:16

God the Holy Spirit
• We affirm that the Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Trinity. He was from the beginning, but He
came into the world in a new and dynamic way on the day of Pentecost to glorify Christ. He convicts us of
sin, calls us to repentance, invites us to faith, saves us by grace and transforms us over time, while we are still
sinners, into the spiritual likeness of Christ. From the beginning the Holy Spirit inspired men to write the
Bible and He illumines the minds and hearts of men and women of faith so they can understand and apply
Biblical truth to their lives. He literally lives within believers, lovingly conveying the comfort and power of
Christ. The Holy Spirit also gives certain gifts or abilities to believers so they can honor Christ by effectively
building God’s Kingdom on earth. His residence in the believer is the ongoing inner assurance that he or she
is an adopted child of God.
Genesis 1:2, Judges 14:6, Job 26:13, Psalms 51:11, 119:7 ff., Isaiah 61:1-3, Joel 2:28-32, Matthew 1:18,
3:16, 4:1, 12:28-32, 28:19, Mark 1:10, 12, Luke 1:35, 4:1, 18-19, 11:13, 12:12, 24:49, John 4:24,
14:16-17, 26, 15:26, 16:7-14, Acts 1:8, 2:1-4, 38, 4:31, 5:3, 6:3, 7:55, 8:17, 39, 10:44, 13:2, 15:28, 16:6,
19:1-6, Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, 1 Timothy 3:16, 4:1, 2 Timothy 1:14, 3:16,
Hebrews 9:8, 14, 2 Peter 1:21, 1 John 4:13, 5:6-7, Revelation 1:10, 22:17

About Humankind
• We affirm that man was created in the image of God by a distinct act and is not merely the culmination of
an evolutionary process. Man was created to glorify God by worshiping and serving Him and in so doing
to live in perfect relational harmony with Him. However, man in his willful rebellion (original sin) against
God irreparably damaged this relationship for all time bringing physical and spiritual death down upon
himself, i.e., he succumbed to Satan’s temptation and paid the ultimate price. Man’s nature is now
corrupted, a condition the Bible describes as being “dead in trespasses and sins” and because of this
corruption his longing for relational restoration with the heavenly Father cannot be satisfied by his own
merit or effort, no matter how zealously applied, but solely by the grace of Jesus.
Genesis 1:26, 2:6, 17, 3:17-24, Psalm 1, 8:3-6, 32:1-5, 51:5, Isaiah 59:1-2, 64:6, Jeremiah 17:5,
Matthew 16:26, Luke 18:26-27, Acts 17:26-31, Romans 1:19-32, 3:9-19, 23, 5:8, 6:23, 8:1,
1 Corinthians 15:22, Ephesians 2:8-9, 13, Colossians 1:21-22, 3:9-11

About Salvation
• We affirm that the Bible teaches there can be no atonement for sin apart from the sacrificial shedding of
blood and that the only perfect sacrifice for sin was Jesus Christ whose shed blood on the cross is sufficient
to cover all sin for all persons who truly submit to Him in faith. This submission begins with an honest
recognition of man’s sinful condition and is characterized by repentance, a deliberate turning away from
sin in the direction of Christ. The Bible refers to this turning as being “born again”. Theologians call it
spiritual regeneration and it is a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. A born again believer is justified
before God because Christ’s righteousness covers his sin. In this way the sinner is saved, i.e., his
relationship with the Father is rescued or restored. Once a believer is saved the Holy Spirit gradually
transforms his inner character into the likeness of Christ’s character, a lifelong progression called
sanctification and a process the Bible refers to as “working out one’s salvation”. Glorification is the
culmination of the salvation process. It is the final, complete and perfect makeover of the believer into the
spiritual likeness of Jesus. It is the indescribable blessing that awaits all believers in heaven.
Genesis 3:15, Exodus 3:14-17, 6:2-8, Matthew 1:21, 4:17, 16:21-26, 27:22-28:6, Luke 1:68-69, 2:28-32,
John 1:11-14, 29, 3:3-21, 36, 5:24, 10:9, 28-29, 15:1-16, 17:17, Acts 2:21, 4:12, 15:11, 16:30-31,
17:30-31, 20:32, Romans 1:16-18, 2:4, 3:23-25, 4:3ff., 5:8-10, 6:1-23, 8:1-18, 29-39, 10:9-10, 13,
13:11-14, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 30, 6:19-20, 15:10, 2nd Corinthians 5:17-20, Galatians 2:20, 3:13,
5:22-25, 6:15, Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-22, 4:11-16, Philippians 2:12-13, Colossians 1:9-22, 3:1ff.,
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, 2 Timothy 1:12, Titus 2:11-14, Hebrews 2:1-3, 5:8-9, 9:24-28, 11:1-12:8, 14,
James 2:14-26, 1 Peter 1:2-23, 1 John:6-2:11, Revelation 3:20, 21:1-22:5

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About the Local Church
• We affirm that the local church is a gathering of women and men who are committed to Jesus Christ as
Savior and Lord and who are bonded to each other by His love into a covenant community. In the New
Testament the church is described metaphorically as the body of Christ with Jesus as the head. Its purpose in
the world is to serve as Jesus served when he physically dwelled on earth, declaring and demonstrating the
rescuing nature of God to all who are lost in sin and suffering. The church does this with the hope, prayer
and expectation that those who don’t know Him, i.e., the lost, will see in their efforts the exquisiteness of
God’s transforming love and through the power of the Holy Spirit be drawn to saving faith in His Son, Jesus
Christ. The church is more than an organization. It is a living organism, a spiritual family comprised of
persons who have promised God that they will work diligently to worship together, love each other, grow in
faith, serve their neighbors in the name of Jesus and proclaim the good news around the world.
Matthew 16:15-19, 18:15-20, John 17, Acts 2:1-8, 41-42, 47, 5:11-14, 6:3-6, 13:1-3, 14:23, 27, 15:1-30,
16:5, 20:28, Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 3:16, 5:4-5, 7:17, 9:13-14, 12, Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:19-22,
3:8-11, 21, 4:1-6, 12-16, 5:22-32, Philippians 1:1, Colossians 1:18, 24-29, 1 Timothy 3:1-15, 4:14,
1 Peter 5:1-4, Revelation 2-3, 21:2-3

About the Christian Life
• We affirm that the Christian life is more than simple belief in Jesus and more than moral goodness. It is a
loving, joyful and obedient submission to Christ’s commands, a demanding challenge that involves the daily
surrender of personal comfort and self-preoccupation in the service of others, particularly those with
demonstrative need. We affirm what Jesus taught, namely, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” The Christian life can only be carried out faithfully by
dependence on the inner strength of the Holy Spirit, the counsel and correctives of the Bible and the support
of a believing community of faith. The Christian life is referred to as personal discipleship and is best
described as “growing in the spiritual likeness of Christ”. It is characterized by prayer, good works and
sacrificial acts of kindness directed not just toward the lovable, but also the unlovable, the unloving and the
unlovely. The Christian life glorifies Christ, not self and serves as a visible expression of God’s transforming
love.
Luke 22:27, Galatians 2:20, 1 Peter 1:15-16, 2:11, 2nd Corinthians 5:14-15, Romans 6:11-13,
Ephesians 2:10, 4:11-12, 4:22-24, 1 Peter 4:10-11, Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20, Colossians 1:10,
John 15:8, 16, Luke 9:23

About Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
• We affirm that Christian baptism is an outward symbolic act representing the inward spiritual cleansing from
sin that occurs when a person professes faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Baptism is an ordinance
(i.e., a decree) of the Lord and should be carried out subsequent to a profession of faith in Him. Our Lord
commanded that Christians “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Baptism is therefore a matter of obedience, a testimony to the
believer’s death to sin and resurrection to a new and Godly way of life. [We do not practice infant baptism,
but we recognize and affirm that many born again, biblical Christians believe in the legitimacy of infant
baptism, understanding it not as a sacramental act that effects salvation, but as a sacred act that introduces a
child into the covenant community of faith.] Jesus himself was baptized, not because of sin, but as an initial
public testimony to His complete identification with sinful humanity, culminating in the cross. Because Jesus
was baptized publicly baptism ought to take place in the context of a believing community where it serves as
a joyous expression of personal witness. Immersion is our preferred mode of baptism since the Gospels
suggest that Jesus was baptized in this way.

• We affirm that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper or Communion is also an act of obedience (i.e., an
ordinance or decree) to a command of Christ who said, “…do this in remembrance of me”. It is a reminder
of the shed blood and broken body of Christ on the cross, a death he endured for the remission of our sins.
When believers receive the bread and cup, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit we enter into
spiritual union with the Lord and with one another, united as one body by his sacrificial love. The Lord’s
Supper is also an earthly preview of the glorious oneness with Christ that will be ours when believers from
every nation, tribe and language come together in heaven at the so-called messianic banquet.
Matthew 3:13-17, 26:26-30, 28:19-20, Mark 1:9-11, 14:22-26, Luke 3:21-22, 22:19-20, John 3:23,
Acts 2:41-42, 8:35-39, 16:30-33, Acts 20:7, Romans 6:3-5, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 21, 11:23-29,
Colossians 2:12

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​Evangelism and Missions
• We affirm that it is the privilege of every Christian believer and every Christian church to “make disciples of
all nations…” Done rightly this is not an act of duty or obligation, but the response of a loving soul that has
truly been saved and transformed by the atoning work of Jesus Christ. It is an overflow of God’s love.
As the Apostle Peter said to the Jewish Sanhedrin, “…we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and
heard”. We also affirm that the work of evangelism and missions is done both by proclamation and example,
i.e., by word and deed and that the outcome of this work is completely dependent on the sovereign power of
God’s Holy Spirit. As the Apostle Paul declared, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered, but God gave the
growth”. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. We believe all persons need Christ even
though they may not be cognizant of their need. Our vision for evangelism and missions emerges from
Acts 1:8, “You shall be my witnessses in Jerusalem, Judea, and to the ends of the earth.”
Genesis 12:1-3, Exodus 19:5-6, Isaiah 6:1-8, Matthew 9:37-38, 10:5-15, 13:18-30, 37-43,16:19, 22:9-
10,24:14,28:18-20, Luke 10:1-18, 24:46-53, John 14:11-12, 15:7-8, 17:15, 20:21, Acts 1:8, Acts 2,
Acts 8:26-40, 10:42-48, 13:2-3, Romans 10:13-15, Ephesians 3:1-11,1 Thessalonians 1:8, 2 Timothy 4:5,
Hebrews 2:1-3, 11:39-12:2, 1 Peter 2:4-10, Revelation 22:17

About Last Things
• We affirm that history is under the sovereign control of Almighty God and that in the fullness of time He
will send Jesus Christ to earth again, in glory, to consummate His redemptive plan for creation. The exact
time and full details of this glorious event are a mystery, but we know by the Lord’s own word that He
“…will come down from heaven…and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain
until the coming of the Lord shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air.” At the end time Jesus will hold all human beings accountable for their sins. Those who haven't been
forgiven will be separated from God for eternity to experience what the Bible refers to as "the second death".
However, those who have received Christ's forgiveness will be resurrected to eternal life in their glorified
bodies, to remain with the Lord forever.
Isaiah 2:4, 11:9, Matthew 16:27, 18:8-9, 19:28, 24:27, 30, 36, 44, 25:31-46, 26:64, Mark 8:38, 9:43-48,
Luke 12:40, 48, 16:19-26, 17:22-37, 21:27-28, John 14:1-3, Acts 1:11, 17:31, Romans 14:10,
1 Corinthians 4:5, 15:24-28, 35-58, 2nd Corinthians 5:10, Philippians 3:20-21, Colossians 1:5, 3:4,
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, 5:1 ff., 2 Thessalonians 1:7 ff., 2, 1 Timothy 6:14, 2 Timothy 4:1, 8, Titus 2:13,
Hebrews 9:27-28, James 5:8, 2 Peter 3:7 ff., 1 John 2:28, 3:2, Jude 14, Revelation 1:18, 3:11, 20:1-22:13