Statement of Faith

  1. The Scriptures accurately reveal the God of the universe as He truly is and His overall redemptive plan through Jesus Christ. The Christian Bible speaks with the authority of God Himself, using the conventions of human language and form; it is the word of God and the basis for addressing all matters of the Christian life and doctrine.
    2 Timothy 3:16‑17; 2 Peter 1:19‑21; Luke 24:25‑27, 44‑47; Ephesians 2:19‑3:1
  2. God exists forever as one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
    John 1:1‑18; Luke 3:21‑22; Matthew 17:1‑8
  3. God, the creator of heaven and earth, made men and women in His own image and His creation was good. (Gen 1 2) But the first humans, tempted by the devil, rejected God’s rule and chose to be their own authority. As a result, sin, evil, and death spread to all creation. Our relationship with God was broken, but God in His love planned in advance to redeem His creation.
    Genesis 3; Romans 5:12, 8:18‑22; Ephesians 1:3‑10
  4. God’s plan to redeem humanity as foretold in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, God the Son, who put on human flesh and blood and was born a descendant of King David.
    Luke 24:25‑26, 44‑49; John 1:1‑5, 14
    1. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived a life of complete obedience to God the Father, doing good works and overcoming evil in the power of God the Holy Spirit. He was rejected by men, put to death by crucifixion and then buried. God raised Jesus to life on the third day and He appeared to many witnesses. He was later taken up into heaven and exalted to the right hand of God the Father, where He intercedes for His people as Lord of all. This same Jesus will come again to judge the world; the dead will be resurrected and all who believe in Him will be saved from everlasting torment. He will fully implement God's kingdom reign and rule forever, establishing a new heaven and earth.
      Matthew 1:18‑21; John 3:16; Acts 10:34‑48; Philemon 2:6‑11; Revelation 21:1‑4
    2. Everyone who hears this message and places their faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ is forgiven of all sin, declared righteous before God, given the Holy Spirit, adopted into His family (the Church) and commissioned to serve Christ in this world.
      Acts 2:38‑41; Romans 3:21‑26, 5:1‑11; Ephesians 1:13‑14, 2:8‑10; Galatians 4:1‑7; John 20:2
  5. The Holy Spirit is Christ’s representative and presence with us today. He convicts people of their sin and gives spiritual birth in anyone who would believe in Jesus. He indwells His church and every believer to preserve and prepare them for eternity. He leads, instructs, comforts and empowers believers to follow Jesus and obey His word.
    Acts 1:8, 2:1‑4; Ephesians 2:22; Romans 8; John 14:16‑17
  6. The Church is God’s redeemed household that is made up of every person who responds in faith to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This global Church is made up of many local churches that gather regularly and are devoted to the apostles’ teaching, the Lord’s supper, fellowship, and prayer. Each local church is ultimately responsible to Christ for its own governance and discipline.
    Ephesians 1:22‑23, 2:18‑22, 3:1‑13, 5:15‑33; Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 3:14‑15
    1. It is Christ’s plan for every believer to become a vital, functioning member of a local church family. Every believer, regardless of their nationality, maturity, or station in life, has a role and function within their local church family.
      1 Timothy 3:14‑16; Ephesians 2:11‑4:16; 1 Corinthians 12, Titus 2
    2. Baptism is for all believers in Jesus Christ. Baptism publicly symbolizes our death, burial and resurrection with Christ to live a new life united with Jesus as part of His redeemed family of faith. In the New Testament, baptism was the first step of discipleship in a Christian’s life.
      Matthew 28:18‑20; Acts 2:38, 41,8:12, 38, 10:47‑48
    3. The Lord's Supper is for all believers in Jesus Christ. It is an act of remembrance, proclamation, and celebration of the Gospel of Christ, as well as a reminder of our unity as a family in Christ. Believers are called to participate in it regularly.
      1 Corinthians 11:23‑26, Luke 22:19‑20
    4. Local churches are central to God’s plan to redeem people in our time. Every local church is called to make disciples, both by calling individuals to follow Christ, and by working to multiply local churches until Jesus returns.
      Matthew 16:18, 28:18‑20; Acts 2:38‑47; Ephesians 3:7‑12
      The devil opposes this work, but his efforts are in vain as he is defeated in Christ and headed for eternal torment in the end.
      Ephesians 6:10‑12; Revelation 20:7‑10
    5. God has revealed His plan for His Church through Christ and His apostles in the New Testament. Every believer is to be carefully instructed in the key principles the Apostles expected every church to follow in order to mature and fulfill their calling.
      Ephesians 3:1‑11; Matthew 28:20; Romans  6:17, 1 Thessalonians 4:1‑2; 2 Thessalonians 2:13‑16; Hebrews 5:11‑13
    6. As believers in Jesus, we are called to:
      • abandon our old ways and learn a new way of life in contrast to the philosophies of this world
        Romans 12:1‑2; Colossians 2:6‑8, 3:5‑1; Ephesians‑4:17‑24
      • pursue character qualities that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives
        Galatians 5:22‑25
      • relate within our own families according to God’s design, honouring marriage between a man and woman as a reflection of how Jesus is one with His Church
        Ephesians 5:22‑6:9; Colossians 3:18‑4:1
      • relate to our local church as a true family in which we each have real responsibility, and
        1 Timothy 3:14‑16, Romans 12:1‑13, Titus 2
      • live responsibly, following a pattern of appropriate submission to authority, while pursuing good deeds and good occupations that benefit society and bring glory to God.
        1 Peter 2:11‑3:7; Romans 13; 1 Timothy 2:1‑4, 2 Thessalonians 3:6‑15, Titus 2:11‑3:8