Statement of Faith

The Bible
The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, was inspired by God to provide an inerrant record of who and what His plan is for salvation through Jesus Christ. It is the only authority for our beliefs and practices.

God
There is one and only one God, the Creator, Preserver and Ruler of all things, an intelligent, personal and spiritual Being, infinite in all perfections. To Him all people owe their greatest love and obedience.

The Trinity
God has existed forever as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons yet one Being.

Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is both divine and human, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. In His earthly life He inaugurated the Kingdom of God, lived a perfect life, and was crucified to bear the penalty of our sins. He physically rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where He intercedes on our behalf. He will return to Earth, where He will judge those who are alive and those who have died.

The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God. He makes people aware of their sin, causes them to be transformed by the new birth, and then gives them the power to live lives of godliness and gives them gifts to perform ministries in the Church.

Humanity
Man was created without sin, but became corrupted with sin through rebellion against God. All persons are by nature violators of God's will and are separated from God, in the dominion of Satan, and dead in their sins. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. God created man in His own image, and Christ died for man; therefore every person possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Salvation
A person is given a new life, delivered from Satan and made right with God by the work of the Holy Spirit, as a gift of God. This happens as one becomes aware of sin and turns from that sin, putting faith in Jesus Christ and receiving Him as Lord and Savior. The basis of salvation is Christ's death on our behalf and His resurrection from the dead.

Prayer
Prayer, including praise, confession, thanksgiving and supplication, is the vital communication between God and His people, indicating total dependency upon God for all spiritual and material well-being. Christians are to pray privately and corporately in the Holy Spirit, to God the Father, and in the name of Jesus Christ.

Christian Living
Every believer will grow in Christ-like living by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is characterized by increasing love and devotion to God and love for others.

Eternal Life
Eternal life is God's free gift to all believers. It begins with salvation, is fulfilled in the resurrection from the dead, and continues through eternity.

Security of Salvation
All true believers will remain faithful to God by the power of the Holy Spirit even though they may sin and destroy their fellowship with God, their effectiveness as Christians, and their peace and joy. If truly born of God they will repent and, through faith, reach the complete goal of their salvation.

The Church
The local Church is an autonomous body of baptized believers united in fellowship by their common faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. Each member has a vital role in the Church body according to the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism
Baptism by being immersed in water after accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is a person's public declaration of one's death to sin and resurrection to new life in Jesus Christ.

The Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper is a memorial service, instituted by Jesus Christ, through which believers remember the sacrificial death of Christ, their complete dependency on Christ, and their union in love with one another in the Body of Christ.