What We Believe
Belief statements are tricky because while we believe in Truth, you’re simply left with a list of sentences unless that Truth produces genuine, personal transformation. We want to be people whose faith and belief system are dynamic not static, authentic not fraudulent, practical not theoretical: people whose thoughts and feelings manifest themselves in action. In short, we want to be people who DO what we believe.
What we believe is expressed in the way we collectively act on a daily basis, for better or worse. So, the following “statement” is just that: a written list of bullet points. But it’s a list of Truths we find ourselves wanting to fully embrace in mind, heart, and action. This is what we believe, and hope to demonstrate.
What we believe is expressed in the way we collectively act on a daily basis, for better or worse. So, the following “statement” is just that: a written list of bullet points. But it’s a list of Truths we find ourselves wanting to fully embrace in mind, heart, and action. This is what we believe, and hope to demonstrate.
God the Father
We believe in a great and wonderful Father. He is unimaginably and infinitely big, strong, wise, and holy yet ever-present, near, tender, and good. But above all, God is love. He is our Father and He is recklessly loving, compassionate, and faithful to His children. He is the author of our healing and destiny and He desires intimacy, liberation, and abundance for all people. Exodus 3:14; Numbers 23:19; Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; Psalm 11:4-6; Malachi 3:6; John 3:16; 4:24; 5:26; 14:1; Acts 17:28; Romans 3:3-4
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is God who walked this earth as a man. His sinless life and work on the cross validates our salvation and standing as God’s children, and liberates us from guilt, shame, fear, and judgment. We are His followers and His friends, and like Him we want to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Father. Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 14:33; 16:16; 28:5-6; Luke 22:70; 24:46-47; John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 11:25-27; 17:1-5; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 8:1-3; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15; 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Spirit of God is at work in the world and fuels us, empowers us, gifts us, guides us, unites us, and is our access to the Father as His adopted sons and daughters. Genesis 1:2; Psalms 51:11; 139:7 ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Mark 1:10; Luke 1:35; 4:1; 11:13; 12:12; John 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 13:2; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Peter 1:21; Revelation 22:17
The Trinity
We believe that the one, true God who created all things has existed in relationship with Himself for all eternity. He exists as one substance in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Although each member of the Trinity serves different functions, they each possess equal power and authority. Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 1:35; John 5:21-23; 14:10, 16; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8-10; James 2:19
Humanity
We believe that human beings reflect the very likeness of God and are the pinnacle of all creation. Few would argue that the world is a broken place full of hurting and sinful people with wounds and hang-ups, but God is in the business of restoring each of His masterpieces. We seek to see others as God sees them, as sons and daughters, princes and princesses, priests and priestesses, and ambassadors for the King. Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7, 18-22; 3; Psalms 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6; 6:6; 7:14-25; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Ephesians 2; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11
The Bible
We believe in the authority of the Bible as God’s spoken word to us through human authors. We hope in all that it promises and seek to follow it, specifically in the way it teaches us to be like Jesus. Above all, the Bible teaches us that the heart of Christianity is loving unconditionally, serving selflessly, forgiving generously, and depending entirely upon grace as we move away from religion, legalism, and moralism and toward healing, calling, and abundance. Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Psalms 119:11, 89, 105; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 22:29; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 3:16
The Church
We believe that the church is made up of all those who are found in God by His grace, and we choose to focus on what unites us with other followers of Jesus as opposed to what divides us. As a local body of believers, we embrace baptism, communion, and classical orthodoxy as expressed in the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds. As the embodiment of Christ, the universal Church exists as ambassadors of reconciliation to the world. Matthew 16:18-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-47; 5:11-14; 13:1-3; 14:23; 16:5; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:10-12; 5:22-32; Colossians 1:18; 3:15; 1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 21:2-3
Eternity
We believe that all of creation is longing for redemption. We believe that God wants to re-establish the perfect peace in the Garden of Eden and that the return of Jesus Christ will usher in that age to come. So, we remain expectant, hopeful, and motivated to do good until that time. John 3:16, 36; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:25; 5:11-13; Revelation 20:15
Christian Living
We believe that for these statements of belief to have any real meaning, they must practically impact our everyday lives. We believe God is constantly shaping and expanding our knowledge of ourselves and of Him, so we pursue unity in the essentials, liberty in the nonessentials, and grace and charity in all things.