The Gospel

The gospel is the good news that God has entered human history through Jesus Christ to rescue the world. By trusting in Jesus’ work and record (rather than our own) for our relationship to God, we can personally experience God’s transforming power and actively participate in His plan for the world.

Excellence

Because the local church occupies such a central role in God’s plan to renew the world, we want to strive to do everything we do with excellence within the limits of our resources.

Authenticity

Real life is messy; full of highs and lows; joys and sorrows; victories and defeats; beliefs and doubts. We don’t airbrush reality because we believe genuine life change begins with acknowledging the reality of human brokenness.

Cultural Engagement

A correct understanding of the gospel and its implications drives Christ followers to be more engaged, not less engaged, with our culture.

Intellectual Integrity

We value scrutiny of Christian Truth. Though Christianity is certainly more than merely intellectual, a deep understanding of Christian Truth requires and promotes intellectual rigor and spurs people to seek the knowledge of God and the mysteries of the universe He created.

Creativity

Because God first introduces himself to us in the Bible as an artist (Genesis 1:1), we value the creative arts. We encourage artists to use and develop their creative gifts inside and outside the church in ways that enrich the culture. We also utilize creative expression from popular culture to communicate the truth of the gospel and our love for Jesus Christ.

ABOUT GOD

God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. (Gen. 1:1, 26-27,3:2; Ps. 90:2; Mt. 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2Cor. 13:14)

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father and lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate his power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Mt. 1:22-23; Is. 9:6; Jn 1:1-5; Heb. 4:14-15; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rom. 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Tim. 6:14-15; Titus 2:13)

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God and is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation and provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth and guidance in doing what is right. He gives believers spiritual gifts when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under his control daily. (2 Cor. 3:17; Jn. 16:7-13; 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 2:12, 3:16; Eph. 1:13, 5:18; Gal. 5:25)

ABOUT THE BIBLE

The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Tim. 1:13; Ps. 12:6, 119:105, ! 119:160; Pr. 30:5)

ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS

People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like him in character and person. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin.” This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life. (Gen. 1:27; Ps. 8:3-6; Is. 53:6a; Rom. 3:23)

ABOUT SALVATION

Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ and receiving God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith, we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith. (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9; Jn. 1:12, 14:6; Titus 3:5; Gal. 3:26; Rom. 5:1)

ABOUT THE CHURCH

We believe that the universal church, the body of Christ, consists of all believers regardless of organizational affiliation and that Christ commanded for His church the observance of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper until he returns. We also believe the local church should be a witness to the contemporary world. Without compromising biblical absolutes, a church’s ministry, worship, and teaching should creatively adapt to the particular culture it feels called to reach. ! (Col. 1:18; Eph. 4:4-6; Acts 1:5, 11:15-16; 1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; Mt. 16:18, 28:19; 1 Cor. 11:24-26)

ABOUT ETERNITY

People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. (Jn. 3:16, Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:15)