Our Beliefs and Practices

Our Beliefs

Scripture

We believe Scripture, both the Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error when they were initially penned by their authors. We believe it to be the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of all people, the divine and final authority for the Christian life and faith.

Godhead

We believe in the Trinity, the Triune God, one God who has always and will always exist as three distinct persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They all share the same essence or substance, but have distinct personalities and roles.

God the Father

We believe in God, the Father, Creator of all things visible and invisible, who is true holiness, all powerful, infinite love, absolute truth, all knowing, and all present.

God the Son

We believe Jesus Christ is simultaneously 100% human and 100% divine. We believe He was born of a virgin, that His death was a pleasing and acceptable sacrifice for the sins of all, and that He ascended to heaven. We believe He will return in bodily form to gather all Christ followers. We believe Jesus is the only way to have a personal relationship with God, and that by personally accepting His death and resurrection, anyone can be spiritually birthed (born again) into this relationship.

God the Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit’s goal is to bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ. We affirm He is actively involved in the lives of Christ followers. He is not only responsible for their new birth, He also instructs and empowers them to live the Christian life. He grows fruit in their lives as evidence of character development. He gifts them in ways that enable fulfillment of their God given destiny of being God’s teammate in reaching the world. We affirm He is also active in the lives of unbelievers, whether skeptics or inquisitive seekers. He is at work prodding them about sin, pointing out their distance from God, and heightening their sense of emptiness that only God can fill.

Humanity

We believe that all people are created in the image of God. Through the fall of Adam and Eve, all were separated from God. We remain in that state until the moment of new birth by the Holy Spirit. Only through the work of the Holy Spirit can this eternal life be received.

Salvation

We believe that God, in His great love for all people, provided the ultimate sacrifice for sin in His Son, Jesus Christ. Salvation can come through Him alone. Only through His shed blood, and resurrection are there any grounds for justification and reconciliation to God. Salvation is, therefore, received as a free gift of faith.

Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security.

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 in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.

Our Practices

Following Jesus requires us not just to believe, but to act. These core practices help us learn to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. We want to do whatever we can to help you learn these practices, so that you can experience the fruit of a healthy relationship with Jesus and others.

Church Community

Nearly all of the change and transformation we experience with God happens in community and meaningful relationships. Small groups provide you a safe place to experience the freedom and redemption that Jesus came to give you—and help others experience the same. We meet regularly in small groups with other believers to encourage, challenge, and love each other as the family of God.

Sabbath

Jesus places a clear emphasis on finding rest and peace in Him. The practice of Sabbath teaches us to release control and to leave behind the idols of productivity and image. We rest weekly to remember that our identity is about more than just what we do for God. Taking time each week to stop working and to rest and connect with God teaches us that God is in control and we were made for a relationship with Him, not just productivity for Him.

Solitude

We are influenced by what we surround ourselves with. Solitude helps us silence all the voices in our lives to more clearly hear God and connect with Him. When we can find quiet and solitude, we develop a greater understanding of our emotions, our thoughts, and God’s perspective on our lives. We practice solitude to eliminate unhealthy influences and more clearly discern God’s will for our lives.

Bible Study

Reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on the Bible gives us the ability to hear God’s voice, understand our relationships, discern His will and purpose for our lives, and discover the truth. We believe that before you begin your day, God has something to say. We study the Bible daily to connect with and learn from God.

Prayer

Prayer allows us to learn God’s heart for us and to share our hearts with Him. Prayer is powerful and often changes our circumstances, our perspective, or both. We pray daily to express our emotions to God (the good and the bad), allow Him to address our thinking, and ask God to move in our lives and our world.

Fasting

Fasting teaches us to put aside our desires (both good and bad) for a season for something better. We learn to hunger for the things of God more than what our flesh wants. It prepares us to fight temptation and strengthens our spiritual resolve. We refrain from eating (or consuming things like tv, social media, news, etc.) for set periods of time throughout the year to hear God’s voice more clearly and renew our spiritual hunger for His purposes in our lives.

Evangelism

We share our faith with others because if we’ve truly experienced God’s grace and love others, we will want them to experience the same. Sharing our faith sharpens our understanding of the Word, reminds us of everything that God has done for us, and helps others experience His love. We share the Gospel (that Jesus came and died so we could have a relationship with Him) wherever there is an opportunity to introduce others to the same love that changed our lives.

Serving

Jesus modeled servant leadership better than anyone who has walked the planet and then challenged us to live the same way. When we serve, we are reminded that our issues are not the only issues, that the world is bigger than our problems. We find joy in helping others overcome their struggles. We serve because through serving, we find life, and we help others find life.

Giving

The story of the Gospel can be summed up in two words: God (the subject), gave (the verb). If we are to reflect our Creator's image, we must be willing to live lives of extravagant generosity. We must be willing to give of our time, skills, and finances. We reflect our Creator's generosity and share the love and hope of the Gospel with others through our giving.

Our Mission & Values

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