Scriptures: God Records
We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word ofGod, fully inspired without error and the infallible rule of faith and practice. The Word of God is the foundation upon which the church operates and is the basis by which the
church is governed. We believe that the Word of God supersedes any earthly law that is contrary to the Holy Scriptures (1).

Trinity: God Is
We believe there is only one true God, who eternally exists as a Trinity of equally divine persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2). Each member of the Trinity thinks, acts, feels, speaks, and relates, because each is a person and not an impersonal force. Each
member of the Trinity is equally God, sharing all the divine attributes (3). Because love and community flow from the Trinity to us through the Holy Spirit, we seek to live in
loving community with God and others.

God the Father: We believe in the person of God the Father, an infinite, eternal, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love; that He concerns Himself
mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ (4).

God the Son: We believe in the person of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings, His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and personal, visible return to earth (5).

God the Holy Spirit: We believe in the person of the Holy Spirit, Who came forth from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower for ministry all who believe in Jesus Christ (6). We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide (7). We believe in the Baptism with the Holy Spirit as a distinct and separate experience to that of regeneration, occurring either subsequent
to or simultaneous with salvation, evidenced by a great dynamic in the Christian's life, enabling that person to be a bold and more effective witness. The supreme evidence of the Spirit-filled life is the fruit of the Spirit, love. We believe in the present-day ministry of
the Holy Spirit in regard to the exercise of all biblical gifts of the Holy Spirit according to the instructions given to us (8).

Revelation: God Speaks
We believe that God reveals Himself to everyone everywhere through general revelation(9). We believe it is only by special revelation that anyone comes to a saving knowledge of God (10). We believe God has supremely revealed himself through Jesus Christ, the Son of God and His incarnate Word. We believe that all of the Holy Spirit inspired, inerrant, authoritative, sixty-six canonical books of the Bible reveal to us Jesus Christ. Because God is a loving Father who speaks, we seek to hear from Him and test everything by the Word of God.

Creation: God Makes
We believe that God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing, and lovingly prepared them as a home in which to worship and enjoy Him (11). Everything in creation and history is dependent on God and is only good when functioning according to His intentions. God, the author and subject of history, will bring history to an end and create a new heaven and a new earth (12). Because God is our creator, we worship Him alone and enjoy His creation gladly.

Image: God Loves
We believe that in love God created the first human beings, Adam and Eve, as male and female, equal in dignity, value, and worth, in order to mirror and reflect God as an act of worship and obedience. We believe that human beings, as God's sole image bearers, are under God and over lower creation, not to be pulled up like gods or pushed down like animals (13). We believe that human life begins at conception and that an unborn baby is an image bearer of God (14). We believe that God created marriage solely for one man and one woman. As such He created them different so as to complement and
complete each other. God created sex only for married couples, instituting monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. Therefore, we perform marriages in accordance with the Bible consistent with the Old and New Testament (15). Because God created human life and marriage, we value the sanity of life and godly marriage.

Fall: God Judges
We believe that God created this world in a perfect state (16). In Eden, Satan tempted Eve to mistrust God's word, and she was deceived (17). The sin committed by Adam, also called "original sin," has been imputed to all human beings except Jesus Christ (18). All human beings are sinners by both nature and choice, falling short of
God's standard and breaking His commandments (19). All fallen people are by nature sinners, children of wrath, and destined to death (20). Because we are sinners in need of a Savior and new nature, we trust Jesus Christ alone for new and eternal life. At the
cross, Jesus Christ died in our place as our substitute, absorbing God's wrath that should have come upon us. Because Jesus died for the sins of the world the invitation to believe is open to all, and whoever desires may come to Jesus for new life and forgiveness of sins. We also believe in the reality of spiritual warfare with Satan and
demons.

Heaven and Hell:
We believe in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell and that all those who place their faith, hope, and trust in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord. Those who reject Jesus' free gift of salvation will spend eternity separated from the Lord (21).

Covenant: God Pursues
We believe that God makes and keeps his covenant promises (22). God 's covenants reveal his loving grace and mercy, because although people deserve nothing but condemnation, God gives gracious, covenantal salvation. Because God welcomed us
into eternal covenant relationship, we seek to live in gracious loving relationship with Him and others.

Incarnation: God Comes
We believe that the eternal Son of God and second person of the Trinity became flesh,adding humanity to his divinity, and entered into human history as the God-man, Jesus Christ (23). Jesus alone is one person with two natures, fully God and fully man. Jesus Christ is the Word, or Logos, of God because he is the personal, eternally existing
Creator of the universe, distinct from, yet equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem to redeem sinful man as the only mediator between God and man (24). We believe that Jesus Christ, during the Incarnation, laid aside the continual exercise of His divine attributes and lived His sinless life by the power of the Holy Spirit (25). Because He is both our Savior and Example, we deeply love Jesus Christ and seek tolive with and like Him by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Cross: God Dies
We believe that Jesus Christ lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life, died in the place of sinners, fully absorbing the wrath of God, paying the just penalty for their sins and reconciling them to God (26). As our substitute, on the cross Jesus Christ suffered and
died in our place to forgive us, love us, cleanse us, and embrace us as the punishment for our sins was diverted from us to Jesus (27). Because Jesus died for our sins we seek to humbly confess our sins to Jesus Christ and one another, put sin to death in our
lives, forgive one another, and happily invite others to do the same.

Resurrection: God Saves
We believe that Jesus Christ, after dying on the cross, arose bodily from the grave on the third day, appearing to many witnesses and proving that he was physically alive (28). Through faith we are united with the risen Christ, raised with Christ, and granted the same Holy Spirit power that raised Christ (29). The benefits of Jesus resurrection include the forgiveness of sins, justification, sanctification, and ultimately glorification(30). We believe that justification through the work of Jesus Christ is possible by grace
alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone (31). Hisrighteousness is imparted to us at the time of saving faith, simultaneous with our justification, and brings us new life
by the Holy Spirit, who regenerates us with a new nature and begins sanctifying us to become increasingly more like Jesus (32). Because Jesus is alive forever, we confidently trust that one day we will likewise rise from our grace to live together asGod's people with Him forever.

Christ's second coming: We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is His personal, visible return to Earth and the establishment of Hismillennial kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgement and eternal blessing of the righteous and endless separation of the wicked (33).

Church: God Sends
We believe that the local church is a community of regenerated believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord, and that the universal church is comprised of all God's people in all times and places (34). In obedience to Scripture, Christians organize under qualified
leadership, gather regularly for preaching and worship, observe the sacraments of baptism and Communion, are unified by the Spirit in love, are corrected for holiness, and scatter to fulfill the great commandment and the great commission as missionaries
to the world (35). Because we are members of God's universal churches and ministries for Kingdom ministry and are devoted to building up the local church family.

Male Leadership in the Church: We believe in the pattern and the principle of male leadership and responsibility in both the home and the church, according to the sacrificial example of Jesus. We believe this limits the roles of pastoral leadership and doctrinal authority to qualified men (36).

Worship: God Transforms
We believe that human beings, made in the image of God the Trinity (who is Himself a worshipping community), are unceasing worshipers created to continually outpour all they are, all they do, and all they can ever become to God. Worship includes praise, proclamation, service, participation, sacrifice, and submission (37). We believe that the corporate worship of a local church is to be God-centered (38). We believe that corporate church worship should include Bible preaching, the sacraments, prayer, Scripture reading, financial giving, and singing and music (39). Because we are
worshippers, we embrace all life, including our corporate church gatherings, as an opportunity to passionately worship God in practical ways.

Stewardship: God Gives
We believe that Christians are to be stewards who gladly acknowledge that they belong to the Lord, that everything they have belongs to the Lord, and that everything ultimately belongs to the Lord (40). Stewards should value both work and Sabbath so that their time and energy are well managed (41). We believe that all spiritual gifts are a special grace of the Holy Spirit, given to us at our new birth to serve the mission of Jesus, and continue to the present age (42). Because God has been generous to us, we seek to live and serve others as generous and wise stewards of God.

Kingdom: God Reigns
We believe that God created humans with a spirit and body tightly joined together (43). Death is not normal or natural, but an enemy, the consequence of sin (44). Death is the tearing apart of these two intertwined parts and the cessation of life on this earth. The body goes to the grave and the spirit goes to face judgement before God (45). Upon Jesus' second coming, there will be a bodily resurrection for everyone, to either eternal salvation or condemnation (46). The time between Jesus' resurrection and our resurrection is a lengthy ministry season of love, grace, and mercy as news of the gospel goes forth, inventing sinners to repent of sin and enjoy the present and future salvation of Jesus Christ (47). Because our eternal home is in the Kingdom of God, as we journey home our mission is to joyfully invite others to join us while we throw parties, have fun, and make friend to practice for eternity.

(1) Isaiah 28:13, Nehemiah 8:8; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25, 2 Peter 1:3-4. Jesus
is God's final Word: John 1:1; Hebrews 1:1-2. The Bible is divinely inspired: 1
Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21. Inerrant: Numbers 23:19; 2
Samuel 7:28, Psalm 12:6, 19:7, 119:140,160; Proverbs 30:5-6; Isaiah 55:11; John
17:17; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 4:12, 6:18. Authoritative and written: Matthew 4:4, 5:18;
1 John 1:1-3. Reveals Jesus Christ: John 1:1. The entire Bible reveals Jesus
Christ: Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:27; Romans 15:3-4; 2 Timothy 3:15.
(2) Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 4:35,39, 6:4-5, 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:2; 2 Samuel 7:22,
22:32; 1 Kings 8:59-60; 2 Chronicles 15:3; Psalm 86:8-10; Isaiah 37:20, 43:10,
44:10, 45:5,14,21-22, 46:9, Jeremiah 10:10, John 5:44, 17:3; Romans 3:30, 16:27; 1
Corinthians 8:4-6; Galatians 3:20; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Timothy
1:17, 2:5; James 2:19; 1 John 5:20-21; Jude 1:25.
(3) Eternality: Psalm 93:2, 102:12; Ephesians 3:21. Omniscience: Job 42:2; Psalm
139:1-6, 147:5; Isaiah 40:12-14, 46:10; Hebrews 4:13. Omnipotence: Job 42:2;
Psalm 147:5; Matthew 19:26l Ephesians 3:20. Omnipresence: Deuteronomy 31:6;
Psalm 139:7-12; Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 23:24; Colossians 1:17.
(4) Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2, 102:27; John 3:16, 4:24, 6:27, 17:1; 1 Corinthians
8:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Timothy 1:17; Titus 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3.
(5) Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 6:9-11, 20:28-29; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23, 26:63-65, 28:9; Mark
16:19; Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-4,14, 5:17-23; 8:58-59, 10:30-39,11:25, 12:37-41,
19:7; Romans 1:3-4, 9:5; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6,15:3-4; Galatians 4:4; Philippians
2:10-11; Colossians 1:16-17, 2:8-9; 1 Timothy 3:16, 6:15; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8;
1 John 1:2, 5:20; Revelation 1:8,17-18, 17:14, 19:16, 22:13-16.
(6) Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:30; Isaiah 40:13-14; Micah 3:8; John 14:16, 16:8-11; Acts
1:8, 5:3-4; Romans 8:26, 15:13,16,19; 1 Corinthians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 3:16-18;
Hebrews 9:14.
(7) John 16:13, 14:16-17; Romans 8:26.
(8) 1 Corinthians 12-14.
(9) Creation: Psalm 8:3-4, 19:1,4, 139:13-16; Romans 1:19-20. Common Grace:
Exodus 31:2-11, 35:30-35; Psalm 65:9, 104:14; Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:17.
Conscience: Romans 2:14-15.
(10) Acts 10:1-7, Romans 2:7,10, 10:15-18.
(11) God the Father's role in Creation: Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6; Hebrews 11:3. God
the Son's role in Creation: John 1:1-3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:13-16.
God the Holy Spirit's role in Creation: Genesis 1:2; Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30. The
earth was created out of nothing: Hebrews 11:3. The earth was lovingly
created: Genesis 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24,26. The earth is a home in which people
can worship and enjoy God: Psalm 19:1-2; Isaiah 43:7; Jeremiah 10:12;
Revelation 4:11.
(12) Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Jeremiah 10:12; Revelation 4:11.
(13) Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7, 5:1-3, 9:6; Romans 1:25; 1 Corinthians 11:7; James 3:9.
(14) Psalm 51:5-6, 139:13-16; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:15.
(15) Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 4:16-18; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 5:11,
6:9-11,18-20, 7:1-3,8-9; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7, 1 Timothy 1:9-11.
(16) Genesis 1:31; Isaiah 2:2-4, 11:1-9, 32:14-20, 43:1-12, 60:1-22, 65:17-25; Joel 2:24-
29, 3:17-18.
(17) John 8:42-47; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14.
(18) Romans 5:19.
(19) Psalm 51:5, 58:3; Isaiah 53:6, 64:6; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8.
(20) Romans 5:12,19; Ephesians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, respectively.
(21) Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:3,22, 18:9, 25:31-34; Mark 9:42-29; Luke 12:5; John 3:18;
Hebrews 12:23; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 14:10-11, 20:11-15.
(22) Genesis 26:28. The covenants of Abraham: Genesis 15:18. Of Moses: Exodus
24:8; Deuteronomy 5:2. Of David: 2 Chronicles 21:7; Psalm 89:3. The New
Covenant: Jeremiah 31:31; Ezekiel 37:26.
(23) Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:30-38.
(24) Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:18-23; 1 Timothy 2:5.
(25) Matthew 3:16, 4:1-10; Mark 2:1-7; Luke 4:1-2,14-21, 10:21; Hebrews 4:14-16.
(26) Isaiah 53:5,12; Romans 3:23-25, 4:25, 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13;
Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:2.
(27) Jesus substituted Himself for sinners: Isaiah 53:6; John 1:29, 3:16-17; 2
Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 Timothy 2:1-6, 4:10; Titus 2:11; Hebrews 2:9; 2 Peter 3:9; 1
John 2:2, 4:14; Revelation 5:9. Sins were propitiated: Romans 3:23-25; Hebrews
2:17; 1 John 2:2, 4:10. Jesus accomplished this by give His blood: Isaiah 59:2;
Hosea 5:6; John 3:16, 15:13; Romans 5:8; 1 Timothy 1:15-16; Titus 3:4-5; 1 John
4:9-10.
(28) Isaiah 53:8-12; Matthew 12:38-40, 27:57-60, 28:9; Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:33-34; Luke
24:36-43; John 2:18-22; 19:34-35, 20:17,20-28, 21:7,12; Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians
15:3-6.
(29) Romans 6:5; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Colossians 2:12, 3:1.
(30) 1 Corinthians 15:3-58; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:20, respectively.
(31) Acts 13:38; Romans 4:3-5, 5:1,16-17; Titus 3:7.
(32) 2 Corinthians 5:21.
(33) Matthew 16:27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:11-15.
(34) Acts 2:36-41; Matthew 16:18, respectively.
(35) Believers organize under qualified leadership, gather for preaching, and
observe baptism and Communion: Acts 2:42. Gather for worship: Matthew
2:11, 4:9, 8:2, 28:9; Acts 2:47; Romans 1:9, 12:1; Revelation 7:15, 19:10. Are
unified by the Spirit: Ephesians 4:4. Are disciplined for holiness: Proverbs
19:11; Matthew 18:15-22; Acts 20:25-31; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, 6:1-
8; 2 Corinthians
2:5-11, 11:3-4,13-15; Galatians 1:6-9, 5:7-15, 6:1-5; Philippians 3:2-3; Colossians
3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6,11,14-15; 1 Timothy
1:4-7,18-20, 4:1-8, 5:19-21; 2 Timothy 2:14-26, 4:1-5; Titus 3:10-11; Hebrews
10:24-25, 13:17; James 3:1; 1 John 2:19; 3 John1:9-10. Fulfill the Great
Commandment: Matthew 5:43-45, 6:24; 22:29; Luke 6:32, 10:30-37; Romans
13:9-10; Galatians 5:14; Ephesians 5:25, 6:1-4; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 2:4; Hebrews
13:2,17; James 2:8; 1 John 3:14; Fulfill the Great Commission: Matthew 28; Acts
1:8, 2:47, 13:43, 17:4,17, 18:4, 19:4,26, 26:1-28, 28:23-24; 2 Corinthians 5:11,20;
Colossians 1:28-29. Act as missionaries for the God's glory and their joy: Acts
2:41-47.
(36) 1 Corinthians 11:1-12; 1 Timothy 2:1-15.
(37) Hebrew 13:15-17.
(38) Matthew 4:8-10.
(39) Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Colossians 3:16; 1
Timothy 2:1, 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:2.
(40) Haggai 2:8; Malachi 3:8; Romans 1:6; 1 Corinthians 4:7; Ephesians 2:10.
(41) Genesis 2:2,15; Exodus 20:8-11; Proverbs 18:9, 21:25; Ecclesiastes 3:22; 1
Corinthians 15:10; Colossians 4:23-24; 2 Thessalonians 3:10.
(42) Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10,28-30; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 4:11.
(43) Genesis 2:7.
(44) Genesis 2:17; Romans 5:12.
(45) Ecclesiastes 3:20-21, 12:7; Psalm 104:29, 146:4; Hebrews 9:27; James 2:26.
(46) Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:46; John 14:3.
(47) John 14:3; Acts 17:30-31.