beliefs

THE GODHEAD

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We believe in one God who has revealed Himself in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all co-eternal, all stand equally superior to time, free from the temporal distinctions of past and future.

 

We believe in God the Father, creator of all things visible and invisible. We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, who came into the world to reveal the Father, and was the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person; that Jesus Christ was the Creator of everything, for by Him all things were made. We further believe that in Christ dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and that He was very God and very Man.

 

We believe in Jesus Christ’s pre-existence, incarnation, virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, substitutionary and atoning death, bodily resurrection, bodily ascension into heaven, exaltation, present rule at the right hand of God, coming personal return in power and great glory, and in His everlasting Kingdom and dominion. We acknowledge His Lordship – that Jesus Christ is Lord over all things in heaven and on earth, and under the earth.

 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, His present ministry, His indwelling, His empowering, His impartation of gifts for today, and His transforming power in the lives of all believers (Romans 1:20; Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2; Psalm 102:27; 1 Timothy 1:17; John 1:1-2; John 8:58; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 1:2; Revelation 1:8; Hebrews 9:14; Colossians 1:15-16; John. 1:1-2 & 14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Acts 7:37-38; Acts 1:11; 3:19-21; Daniel 7:14; Revelation 20:4; Philippians. 2:9-10; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Galatians 5:22-23).

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JESUS CHRIST

 

In Jesus’ name(s), we see a lot of why he was sent and how he lived... 

Jesus: The Lord is salvation.  This shows that God is FOR US… he’s come to save us and restore us. He’s on our side!

Emmanuel: God with us.  That’s the incarnation part, and it shows God wants to hang out with us… we are not a hassle or nuisance to God.

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God in Christ shows that he is both for us and wants to be with us.

 

Jesus Christ is God incarnate. He is the only one who sustains us spiritually. Through Him we obtain understanding and spiritual wisdom to be able to live. He has given us a free entrance into the Kingdom of God, having paid the price of our entrance with His life. He is the only one who can reconcile us to God. We love Jesus. We want to help you to know and follow it.

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THE BIBLE

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We believe that the Bible is the inspired, authoritative, living, eternally reliable Word of God equally in all parts and without error in its original manuscript, absolutely infallible, and our source of supreme revelation from God, superior to conscience and reason, though not contrary to reason; and it is therefore our infallible rule of faith and practice and necessary to our daily lives (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12).

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THE FAMILY

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God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his companion in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage (Genesis 1:27-28; Genesis 2:20-25; Genesis 1:27; Ephesians 5:25; Ephesians 5:24; Genesis 2:20-21; Titus 2:4-5; Psalms 139:13-15).

 

COMMUNITY

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We commit ourselves to each other. We believe that God calls us into his mission together, never alone. We value mission and ministry done in community. We believe that God did not intend for us to be alone, and that isolation, fear of each other, and spiritual competition are cancers in the church. We believe that moral and theological failures, controlling leadership, and many of our emotional struggles stem from a lack of community. We value free, committed and loving friendship. Whenever possible we will lead through teams and the sharing of life at every level with trusted friends who are an extension of the grace and presence of God in our lives. (Matt 18:20, John 15:13, Acts 2:44, Romans 12:4-8 and10, Romans 13:8, Romans 15:7, 1Corn 10:24, Gal 6:2, Eph 4:11-13, Eph 5:21, Phil 2:3-4, Heb 3:15 and10:24-25, Hebrews 6:10-11, 1 Peter 3:8).

 

MAN & SALVATION

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We believe that man was created by a direct and immediate act of God. We believe that man by transgression fell from a state of righteousness and holiness in which he was first created into total spiritual depravity, a state of death in trespasses and sins in which he is held as a slave of sin and an enemy of God. As such, he is unable to attain divine righteousness by his own efforts but must be redeemed and delivered by the power of the gospel.

We believe that repentance and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ is an integral part of God’s work of justification of the believer. Through faith in the shed blood of Christ, he or she is justified and made a partaker in the death of Christ. We believe that “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast”. We further believe that the emphasis for a continuous walk in grace should be on demonstrating righteousness and purity of heart, believing in the keeping power of God, walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh, living a lifestyle that demonstrates the character, standards and convictions of Jesus Christ, and not being conformed to the world.

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We believe that repentance is dependent upon the convicting action of the Holy Spirit in the lives of sinners and believers and their response. The conviction of the Holy Spirit, which often accompanies the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, will result in the revelation of the sinfulness of self, which should lead to godly sorrow. Remorse, or worldly sorrow, is a feeling of deep regret, hopelessness or even despair. It does not lead to constructive change. On the other hand Godly sorrow produces repentance that causes us to turn away from sin and selfishness and to receive faith for change. Repentance is evidenced by an earnest desire to change. Repentance changes the way we feel and act about sin, self and God. Repentance is a total change of mind, will and emotions.

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We believe that in the final judgment, which will accompany the return of Christ, every person will give an account to God of every aspect of this earthly life. The Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema Seat) is the judgment of believers in reference to rewards or lack thereof. The Great White Throne Judgment is the judgment of unbelievers who will be eternally separated from God and in torment (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:4; Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 5:1,9; Ephesians 2:8-9; Jude 24; Romans 8:25; Galatians 5:16-25; Romans 4:1-5; 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Psalm 51; Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25; Romans 1:18-32; Matthew 9:12-13; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15).

 

THE CHURCH

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The Church is God’s instrument for revealing His purpose on the Earth. We believe that the Church (the people of God) is God’s instrument to distribute His glory on the Earth. The Church is defined as a gathering of believers, meeting and experiencing God together in order to display His goodness wherever they go (Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Peter 2:4-5; Acts 9:4-6; Ephesians 3:14-19, 5:25-31).

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THE LORD'S COMMANDS

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We believe in the Lord’s Supper and believer’s baptism as acts of our obedience and a testimony of our faith.

 

We believe that water baptism is necessary in obedient response to the command of Jesus. Baptism is to be performed only upon repentant believers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

 

We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We hold that the real evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is one’s response to the Word of God, a Christ-like life, showing forth Christ’s character, and experiencing and manifesting the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:6; Mark 16:16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6; John 16:13; John 15:26; 16:14; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11).

PRAYER AND DEPENDENCE ON GOD

 

We commit ourselves to live a life of prayer because we believe that only God can accomplish what He calls us to do and that God should receive the glory. For this reason, we believe the church should be committed to night and day pray for the world, the coming of the kingdom and a deeper revelation of God. Without prayer and dependence on God for all things we are destined to either fail or become conceited in our success. We value constant prayer because we desire to know God, to deepen our understanding and revelation of his love for us and the world. We value prayer because we believe we are all called to the ministry of intercession and we want to see his kingdom come. We believe that can only happen if we ask the Lord of the harvest to send us and other laborers in to the harvest field. (2 Chronicles 7:14, Ezra 8:23, Psalm 17:6, Psalms 91:1-2, Isaiah 26:9, Jeremiah 29:12, Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 9:38, Mark 1:35, Luke 11: 9-13, Luke 18:1,7, Acts 2:42, Acts 6:4, 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 4:6, Colossians 4:2, I Thessalonians 5:17, 1 Tim 2:1-2, Hebrews 5:7, James 5:13-16, 1 Peter 4:7, Jude 20).

 

CULTURE AND ETHNICITY

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Similarly, we affirm that every culture and ethnicity, while imperfect, reflects the mosaic of God’s own image and together we better glorify and serve the God of creation. We value every people, language and culture in our city and in the world. We believe that the church of Jesus Christ was meant to demonstrate the power of the gospel through reconciliation, unity, and the beauty of a multi-ethnic community. For that reason we do not just admire multi-ethnic communities, but purpose to become one. We do not believe in being color blind. Rather, we hope to accept and include the beauty and wisdom of every culture in our city and in our communities.(Genesis 1:27, Psalm 67:2-3, Isaiah 56:7, Daniel 7:13-14, Joel 2:28, Hag 2:7, Malachi 1:11, John 17:20-22, Acts 10:34-35, Acts 17:26-27, Romans 14:11, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Ephesians 2:14-22, Philippians 2:10-11, Revelation 5:9-10, Revelation 7:9).

 

THE POOR

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We will remember the poor because we believe that God does. We believe that they are central to his mission in the world. It is our conviction that God is always on the side of those who have no one on their side. For that reason we believe the church should also stand on the side of the poor, and in so doing stand in solidarity with the heart and work of God. Jesus’ own ministry is our model. We welcome all people but prioritize the poor in our ministry concern, allocation of resources and advocacy. We do this, not because the rich and middle class are less important to God, but because they already have access to resources and are able to advocate their own cause. It is our belief that the church should therefore prioritize and remember those who have less, and access to less, so that in all things there might be equality. (Deut 15:7, Psalm 82:3, Psalm 140:12, Isa 61:1, Jer 8:21, Jer 22:16, Matt 11:5, Matt 25:40, Mark 2:17, Luke 4:18, Luke 6:20, Luke 7:22, Luke 14:23, Luke 18:22, 2 Cor 8:9, 13).

 

SHARING AND GIVING

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Because we value community and simplicity, we commit ourselves to both sharing and giving. We will share because it promotes relationship and breaks the bondage of possessiveness. We believe the western doctrine of personal property is imperfect and needs to be tempered with the more biblical value of generosity and sacrifice. In sharing what we have with others we confess that God is the true owner and that we are only stewards in his vineyard. We will also give, because in giving we destroy the grip of materialism over our hearts because we release the resource, wealth, or possession completely into the control of another. For that reason we will pursue relentless generosity and the holding of all things in common. For this reason we encourage our people to give as often and as generously as they can, and to consider themselves stewards of the rest. Likewise, the collective finances of the church and ministries should set an example in this regard. (Matt 25:40, Luke 3:11, Acts 2:43, Acts 4:32, Acts 20:35, 2 Corinthians 8:7, 2 Corinthians 9:10-13, 2 Corinthians 8:13, Ephesians 4:28, 1 Timothy 6:18).

 

BIBLICAL JUSTICE

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We will live for the biblical concept of justice. We have to take a prophetic stand against all kinds of evil, not only spiritual, but also societal. All sin and injustice is the enemy of the church and the kingdom of God. The search for the kingdom of God is also a search for justice. They are the same longing. In the kingdom we find ultimate justice, and biblical justice is more than just punishment for wrongdoing and oppression, it is also the restoration of wholeness, equality, and peace between people and with God. Our value of justice is a call to seek the welfare of every person in our city and in the world that we can influence. It is to hope and work for the kingdom of God to come to bare on the place where we are. For that reason, our value of justice will mean action in the places where we have power, as well as the pursuit of justice in the proclamation of the kingdom wherever we have voice. (Psalm 9:8, Psalm 96:10, Proverbs 31:9, Isaiah 1:15-17, Isaiah 56:1, Jeremiah 29:7, Ezekiel 34:16, Hosea 12:6, Amos 5:15 and 24, Micah 6:8, Matt 5:6, 6:10, Matt 6:33, Matt 12:18, Matt 18:5, Matt 25:40, Luke 11:42, Luke 18:7-8, Luke 19:8-10, John 2:14-17, Acts 6:1-6, Eph 6:12, James 1:27, 1 John 3:17,18).

 

MISSION AND DISCIPLESHIP

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While we understand that our most transforming ministry will take place where we are planted and in our own city, we commit ourselves to the mission of God to reach the whole world. We believe that Jesus came as the savior, not of one people, but of the whole world. We value the world because we believe that God is a global God. We assume responsibility for the world, not because we believe we can reach it alone, but because we accept the mandate of the great commission and the heart of God to love and sacrifice for the discipleship of the whole world. We accept this apostolic mandate to send and be sent into every part of the world and our place in partnership with the global church. (Psalm 22:7, Psalm 24:1, Isaiah 41:9, Matt 24:14, Mark 16:15, John 1:29, John 3:16-17, John 4:42, John 6:33, John 6:51 John 8:12, John 12:46-47, John 17:21, Romans 5:18, 2 Corinthians 5:19, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:14, Revelation 14:6).

 

HUMILITY

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We commit to pursue humility as one of the chief virtues. We expect it in leadership, in community and relationships, in our theology, in the contextualization of our mission, in our prayer, and even in our appraisal of ourselves and others. We are convinced that humility is necessary for following Jesus as an individual and as an organization. In individuals we hope for humility in all our relationships and leadership roles. As an organization we hope to be a flexible learning organization, looking always to refine our commitments and expand our understanding and revelation of God and His call upon us. We believe in the living prophetic word of God, that it can be heard and obeyed, yet we also believe that we are flawed listeners and should always listen and follow with humility. (Psalm 25:9, Psalm 51:17, Psalm 147:6, Psalm 149:4, Proverbs 11:2, 18:12, 22:4, Ecclesiastes 5:2, ISA 29:19, 57:15, 66:2, Matt 5:3, 11:29, 18:3-4, 20:26, 23:12, Luke 1:52, 6:20, 10:21, 14:10, 17:10, 18:13-14, 22:26-27, John 13:14, Rom 11:20, 12:3, 10, 16, 1 Corinthians 1:28, 3:18, 10:12, 13:4, 2 Corinthians 11:30, 12:6, 10, Galatians 5:26, 6:14, Ephesians 4:2, Colossians 3:12, James 1:9, 3:1, 4:6, 1 Peter 3:8, 1 Peter 5:5-6).

 

END TIMES AND ETERNAL STATES

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We believe at the appointed time Christ will return to earth bodily in order to judge the world and establish His rule on earth forever.  We believe this will occur after the church has fulfilled God’s purpose and a period of great suffering and deception.

We believe that in the final judgment, which will accompany the return of Christ, every person will give an account to God of every aspect of this earthly life.  The Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema Seat) is the judgment of believers in reference to rewards or lack thereof.  The Great White Throne Judgment is the judgment of unbelievers who will be eternally separated from God and in torment.

 

We believe that God will create a new heaven and new earth after this present age passes away.  We believe in the bodily resurrection of believers, the final destruction of Satan, the eternal reign of Christ for the ever-increasing joy of all whom in this age would call upon His name (Matthew 24; 1 Thessalonians 4-5; Revelation 19-20; I Corinthians. 3:10-15; II Corinthians. 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15; Isaiah 65: Revelation 21-22).

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