Statement of Faith

GOD: OUR FATHER

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three equally divine yet distinct Persons. This is commonly known as the Holy Trinity: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is the Ruler and Creator over all things, perfect in both His love and His holiness, and is therefore worthy of all glory and worship.

Genesis 1:1, 26, Matthew 28:19, Revelation 4:8-11

JESUS: OUR SAVIOUR

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death and to validate that the way of salvation is through Him alone. He ascended to heaven, where He exercises all authority and will one day return again to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Matthew 1:22-23, Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1-5, 14:10-30, Hebrews 4:14-15, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Romans 1:3-4, Acts 1:9-11, John 14:6, 1 Timothy 6:14-15, Titus 2:13

THE HOLY SPIRIT: OUR HELPER

The Holy Spirit is also fully God, co-equal with both the Father and the Son. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also indwells every believer from the moment of salvation, providing the Christian with power for ministry, understanding of God’s Word, comfort through trials and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to be led by the Spirit daily.

2 Corinthians 3:17, John 16:7-13, 14:16-17, Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16, Ephesians 1:13, Titus 3:5, John 14:26, Galatians 5:22-23,25

THE BIBLE: HOW WE KNOW GOD

We believe that human beings do not have to guess or speculate about who God is or what He is like. While the Bible is for us, it is not primarily about us. Instead, the Bible is God’s Word to humanity about Himself, revealing His will, nature, character, being and His saving work in the world. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments comprise the totality of Scripture and were penned without error by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, serving as our highest written authority in this world. We believe that all of Scripture ultimately points to and climaxes in Jesus, who is the Word become flesh. We are called to enjoy, study, and submit to the Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Luke 24:27, John 1:1, 14

HUMANITY: BEAUTIFUL AND BROKEN

We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image and placed them in the Garden of Eden to live out their identity as His creation in loving harmony with Himself and one another. However, Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God, believing Satan’s lie that they could instead become like God. This is when sin entered the world, marring our relationship with God, one another, and ourselves. We are sinners by nature and by choice and our sin has alienated us from God, placing us rightfully under His just and holy wrath. Incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through our own efforts, our greatest need is the undeserved love of this same God, who alone can rescue us and restore us to Himself.

Genesis 1:27, 3:1-7, Psalms 8:3-6, Romans 5:12,19, Isaiah 59:1-2, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1-3, 1 John 4:10

THE GOSPEL: GOD SAVES SINNERS

Although people are completely sinful, God had a plan in place to lovingly save and redeem a people for Himself. Throughout the Old Testament, we read what God will do to save His people from their sins. In the New Testament, we see this plan fulfilled perfectly in Jesus Christ who came and lived a perfect life of obedience before God, died in our place by being crucified for our sins, and was raised from the dead on the third day. This is the “gospel” or “good news.” The Holy Spirit draws us to Christ our Savior and gives us faith to believe in Him. “Whoever believes that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead will be saved.” The gospel alone is the power of God for salvation. It is the inexhaustible promise that satisfies our restlessness by restoring us into relationship with God, giving us eternal life with Him both now and forever. Salvation cannot be earned or achieved through our good works, only received as a gift of grace.

Ephesians 1:4-5, Isaiah 53:1-11, Hebrews 2:9, 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Titus 3:5-6, 2 Timothy 2:25, Romans 10:13, Romans 1:16, Ephesians 2:4-9

THE CHURCH: GOD’S PEOPLE

We believe that in the confession and true repentance of our sins to Jesus, we are now seen as totally blameless and holy in our relationship with God. No longer children of wrath, by grace we have become children of God whom God sees in the same way that He sees His Son, the Lord Jesus. This is what the church calls “justification.” The community of people who believe this are “the church.” So while our new relationship with God is personal, it is not individual – we have been saved into God’s family. We believe that we are to gather together in large and small settings to worship God, proclaim and celebrate the gospel, and share our lives together for His glory.

Hebrews 10:14, Ephesians 2:19-22, Romans 5:1, 1 Peter 2:9-10, Acts 2:42-47

THE SACRAMENTS: BAPTISM & HOLY COMMUNION

We believe that Jesus gave His church two primary sacraments or symbols to be observed regularly: water baptism and Holy Communion. By repentance of sin and faith in Jesus, the Bible instructs us to be baptized in water by immersion as a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Baptism is the outward demonstration of our inward change of heart; therefore we do not baptize infants but confessing believers who have willingly trusted themselves to Christ. Holy Communion is a regular observance the church shares together as a reminder that Jesus alone is the great Saviour who died on the cross, in our place, for our sins, to bring us to God. The bread and juice/ wine represent Christ’s body that was broken and His blood that was shed for us. We believe that observance of these two sacraments is for confessing Christians only.

Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:38, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 11:25-26, Matthew 26:26-29

THE BAPTISM AND GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that every believer is indwelled and sealed by the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion. Separate to this regenerating work, we believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit (or being filled with the Holy Spirit) is a distinct and ongoing experience that is promised to believers in which they are clothed with power for Christ-exalting ministry. Additionally, we believe that believers should desire and pray for the various spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit sovereignly distributes as He wills. All of the spiritual gifts are still in operation and are available to believers for the building up of the church and for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 1:13, Luke 24:48-49, Acts 1:4, Acts 2:32-33, Ephesians 5:18, 1 Corinthians 12:11, Acts 2:39

THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS

We believe in the personal, glorious, bodily, and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ where He will consummate His kingdom. We trust in God’s promise that a day is coming when He will banish sin, sickness, death, decay, and Satan. Those who have rejected God will be eternally separated from Him in Hell, while those who have accepted the immeasurable gift of His forgiveness will receive eternal life with Him in Heaven. When Jesus returns, He will usher in the New Heavens and New Earth where we will live peacefully and joyfully in harmony with God and one another forever.

Revelation 19:11-16, Acts 3:20-21, Revelation 21:1-5