What We Believe

Foundational Beliefs and Ministry Distinctives

We believe in a glorious God

He is beautiful in all His ways, doing all things well.
He is intimately involved day-to-day in the lives of His sons and daughters, working that we all would come to deeply know His magnificent, incomparable beauty.
This work of God is a sharing of Himself – He wanting us to enjoy and be transformed into His own glorious image that through all eternity we would live with Him in radiant communion.
It is by this – His goodness being known, shared, embraced, and rejoiced in – that He is glorified.
Knowing the might, goodness, and glory of our God radically changes how we face any situation or trial – because we know who our good Father is and we know the end to which He is working.

We believe in a radical gospel

By His life, sacrificial death, and resurrection Jesus has secured forever a radically new relationship between God and all of His children.
We, though enemies of God because of our sin and great evil, may accept this gift of fully restored relationship through Christ by simple trust.
Christ remains the focal point as we live this life – by fixing our eyes on Him as our Savior, following His lead as our good Shepherd, abiding in Him as our source of all life, and being transformed to be like Him, we grow up into the full experience of being sons and daughters of God, being the bride of Christ.
And not only for this life, but for all eternity He is our source of life, that we might know and share in the glorious life and beauty of God forever.

We believe in the transforming work of God’s Spirit

God is working powerfully by His Spirit to transform His children into the glorious image of Jesus as they trust and walk with Him – The Spirit like a spring of living water in our souls imparting everlasting life.
We respond to the invitations and commands of our Savior with trusting, joyful obedience – not trusting that we can change ourselves by some methodology, but looking to the grace, work, and promise of God. We trust His promises to work transformation in us by His Holy Spirit, even if we do not perceive how He is working in the moment.
By the gift of God’s own Spirit dwelling with us we have a profound union with Jesus – Christ in us and we in Christ. And knowing that God’s Spirit dwells within us, we rest confident that God will transform us to be like Jesus.

We believe in the living Word of God

We have a God who wants to communicate with His people, and has given us a sure and sufficient revelation of Himself in the Bible.
It is a living word – no mere textbook or ancient artifact – but words that God is using in the hearts and minds of His people today by the power of His Spirit in them.
As we read, hear, study, and meditate on God’s own word, He opens our eyes to see His glory, and leads us on the path of living as children of God, following the lead of our Savior, who is the very incarnate Word.

We believe in the body of Christ

God never intended for us to pursue Him alone.
Rather, we have fellowship and union with all of God’s children, all who have called on the name of the Lord Jesus to be reconciled to God.
Day by day, we live out this life in Christ alongside other brothers and sisters locally, by being a committed part of a local church.
Together we serve, each individual used and gifted uniquely by God that His people would grow and show the glory of Christ to a dying world.

We believe that God invites us today to fully trust Him and take part in His glorious work

God calls us today to embrace a radical trust of Him.
This trust is a lived trust – our walk and choices today are based on knowing God, knowing His ways, His instructions, His word and trusting that His every promise holds true even when no earthly hope remains.
Through this active trusting relationship with God, God promises vibrant life with Him – He does not promise a vibrancy of comfort, possessions, earthly security, or freedom from difficulties, suffering, or persecution. His promise is more beautiful than these things – it is the vibrancy of Christ. Empowered by God to live with grace and hope even in the darkest of days.
And through this active trusting relationship with God, God promises fruitfulness – we respond to His invitation, and He changes us to be like Christ, abounding with the fruit of the Spirit, that God’s own beauty would be seen in our actions and heard in our words. And thus we take part in the very work of God in this world – by a simple yet radical faith.

Doctrinal Statement

We believe in the one, holy, sovereign, creating and redeeming God, eternally existing in three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe in the divine inspiration and the entire trustworthiness of the Bible, its infallible teaching and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct, and its normative value for all people, at all times, in all cultures.

We believe that all people without distinction are made in the image of God, but all are now sinners and have incurred both God`s holy wrath and their own shame and guilt. All are therefore in utter need of redemption.

We believe in the justification of sinners by God`s grace, through faith in Christ alone.

We believe in the Holy Spirit and in His convicting, regenerating, sanctifying and reviving work. He guides and empowers individuals and churches in their service to God and man.

We believe in the unity and priesthood of all believers who together form the one, holy, universal, apostolic church.

We believe in the visible, personal return of Jesus Christ in power and great glory to judge both the living and the dead. We believe that the Scriptures set out only two destinies for humanity: the joyful prospect of eternal life in the presence of God for those who have received Christ, and the agonizing prospect of eternal separation from God for those who have rejected Him.

Current Social Issues

As we believe that God is our Creator and King, we believe that each person’s purpose and identity comes from God’s choosing and direction. This has profound implications for many of the current conversations surrounding identity, race, gender, and sexuality. It implies that gender and sexuality are not something that we choose for ourselves, but humbly receive from God, trusting the goodness of His purposes and design. We believe that God created marriage as a lifelong union between a man and a woman, and that God’s creation of marriage and sexuality is intended purposefully so that we might understand the relationship between Jesus and the church.