1. We value God’s Word. We believe the Bible is inspired by God and that it is
   infallible. As the absolute truth, it is the basis for all we do. Everything is to be evaluated by the Word of God. ( “All scripture is inspired by God...” 2 Timothy
   3:16, NASB )
2. We value all people. All people are important to God and therefore important to
   us. We categorize people as did the apostle Paul—Christians, and potential Christians.
   1. We value people who do not know Christ. We believe that Jesus Christ died for the lost. Therefore loving, seeking, and ministering to the needs of the lost is a high priority for the church. We are concerned about the physical and the spiritual needs of people without Christ and, as Jesus did, we will use every opportunity to share the gospel. We seek to build relationships with the unchurched to help bring them to the Lord. We also believe that people outside our culture are also important and that we must participate in reaching them through missions.
   2. We value Christians. Establishing and building relationships with members of the Body of Christ is vital to the spiritual growth of each Christian. The support, encouragement, and fellowship received from other Christians is a continuous source of strength. ( “ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...” John 3:16, NASB )
3. We value prayer. Prayer is the expression of our faith in God and the promises
   of His Word. Valuing prayer means that it is central and vital to all we do.
   (“ If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:14, NASB )
4. We value the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We believe the filling of the Holy
   is a necessity for believers to appreciate God’s power and resources for daily liv-
   ing and ministry. We believe that every believer is gifted by the Holy Spirit, and
   therefore is to be a contributing member of the Body of Christ.
   By His Holy Spirit, God calls all His people to be ministers.Thus we will en-
   courage people to minister in ways that are consistent with the scriptural beliefs of
   this church and in line with our church’s stated purpose. (“ Not by might nor by
   power, but by My Spirit...” Zechariah 4:6, NASB. “ Be filled with the Spirit.”
   Ephesians 5:18, NASB )
5. We value unity. We believe the unity of the Body of Christ is a reflection of our
   love for God and other members. As we value unity, we place the needs of others
   before our own. Unity grows out of our spiritual growth and maturity. Unity is evidence that Christ is at work in our hearts and in our church. Unity means lack of division, but not lack of diversity. (“ Being diligent to preserve the unity of the
   Spirit...” Ephesians 4:3, NASB )
6. We value excellence. This means that we seek to have a standard of highest
   quality in all that we do. Our motivation is not to bring praise to ourselves, but
   to our Lord. As a result, we will establish clear written goals and standards in all we do. We will evaluate our progress. ( “ Whatever you do, do your work heartily,
   as for the Lord”... Colossians 3:23, NASB )
7. We value sacrificial living and servanthood. We believe God has a mission
   Here on earth and He wants us to join Him in it. This includes oursevles, our spiritual gifts, our time, talents, and resources.
   We believe tithing is the biblical stanard for giving, and that God’s church is to be supported solely by the free will offerings of its members. We believe that the church must be a good steward of its resources. ( “Bring the whole tithe into the
   storehouse....” Malachi 3:10, NASB ) ( “Present your bodies a living and holy
   sacrifice...” Romans 12:1, NASB )
8. We value integreity. We commit to ministry with transparency, openness in
   thought, finances, and motives. It is our desire never to bring reproach to the cause of Christ or to prevent the Gospel from receiving a hearing. ( “ ...In speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”
   I Timothy 4:12, NASB )
9. We value Bible teaching and preaching. We believe that the anointed teaching
   and preaching of God’s Word is an effective catalyst for transformation in individuals’ lives and in the church. It is the gospel that has the “power of God unto salvation,”
   and we believe that to deliver the gospel effectivly, the church should be cultural-
   ly relevant while remaining doctrinally pure. ( “ And how will they hear without a
   preacher?” Romans 10:14b, NASB )
10. We value Christian maturity. We believe that Christ’s followers should be gen-
    uine and yearn for contagious growth. Every believer should have the desire to become more Christ-like. ( “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6, NASB )
11. We value small groups. We believe that life-change happens effectively in small groups, such as Sunday School classes, Bible study groups, fellowship groups, and
    youth and children’s groups. The small group is also the most efficent vehicle of personal ministry for the church. ( “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals to-
    gether with gladness and sincerity of heart.” Acts 2:46, NASB )

 

Scripture – The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. It was uniquely, verbally, and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and was written without error in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and final authority in faith and life in every age.

God – There is but one God, infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness and love, the Creator of the universe, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit- each of whom possesses all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality.

Man – God created man in his own image, and man, as he was originally created, was innocent before God. But man chose to sin by disobeying God, and therefore was alienated from his Creator and came under divine condemnation. Thus all human beings are born with a corrupted nature and without spiritual life, and are totally incapable of pleasing God in and of themselves.

Jesus Christ – God the Father, by His own choice and out of love for sinful men and women, sent Jesus Christ into the world to reconcile sinners to Himself. Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He was God in the flesh, both true God and true man.

Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and voluntarily suffered and died as our substitute to pay the penalty for our sins, thus satisfying God’s justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. The body in which He lived and died was raised from the dead in glorified form. He bodily ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, makes intercession for His own. He will return to earth personally, visibly and bodily to judge all mankind and establish His kingdom.

Salvation – Men and women are freed from the penalty for their sins not as a result, in whole or in part, of their own works, goodness or religious ceremony, but by the undeserved favor of God alone. God declares righteous all who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation. Salvation is accomplished by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit and is evidenced by a changed life.

Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ, to convict men and women of their sins, and to impart new life to all who place their faith in Christ. He indwells believers from the moment of spiritual birth , seals them until the day of redemption, allots spiritual gifts to them for ministry, and empowers them to live a life pleasing to God.

Assurance- All who are born again of the Spirit can, through the sure promises of God, be fully assured of the eternal life from the very moment they put their faith in Christ. This assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit, but upon the finished work of Christ, who completely paid for their sins, and upon the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who is the deposit guaranteeing their inheritance.

Resurrection of the Dead – At physical death, the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his or her body to everlasting glory and blessing. At physical death, the unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his or her body to everlasting suffering, judgment and condemnation.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper – Jesus Christ has instructed those who believe in Him to be baptized in water as a symbol of their new birth in Christ. Baptism is only for those who have personally believed in Christ. Our practice is to baptize by immersion. The Lord also instituted the Lord’s Supper as a remembrance of His suffering, death, and resurrection. Neither baptism nor the Lord’s Supper have any merit in helping a person obtain eternal life.

Church – All true believers make up the church worldwide and should assemble together in local churches for worship, prayer, fellowship, and teaching to become conformed to the image of Christ and to become equipped to carry out the Great Commission that Christ gave His followers in Matthew 28: 19-20.