There is one and only one living and true God. He is self-existing, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, eternal, and unchanging. He is Spirit and a personal Being. He alone is the Creator of everything, He rules the universe without rival, He is supreme Judge over all, and He is the Redeemer of His people. He is infinite and holy, and He is the source of all that is good. He alone is worthy of all glory, and to Him we owe our devotion, affection, and obedience.

We believe in the Trinity—the Tri-Unity of God. There is one God who eternally exists in three Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each member of the Godhead is fully God sharing the same essence, substance, nature, will, and glory, and each possessing all of the same divine attributes. Each member of the Godhead is distinct from the others: the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. All Three always work together in harmonious, loving unison to accomplish all of God’s glorious purposes. Three distinct Persons, each fully God, but one and only one God.

Genesis 1:1-2; Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 6:3; Isaiah 44:6; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; 

2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Peter 1:2

God the Father reigns with providential care over His universe and over the affairs of His creatures. He governs over time and space and He makes history to move in accordance with His purposes. It is God the Father who, out of love, sent His Son to earth that all who believe in Him may be forgiven of sin and adopted as His children to the praise of the glory of His grace. 

1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 118:1-6; John 17:1-5; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 

Ephesians 1:3-12; Ephesians 4:6

Jesus Christ is God, the second member of the Holy Trinity, the eternal Son of God. At the time of the Father’s choosing, the Son was supernaturally conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Through the miracle of the Incarnation, Jesus was born into this world fully God and fully man. Being God, Jesus was able to be our Savior for only God can remove our sin. Being man, Jesus was qualified to be our representative (the 2nd Adam). During His time on earth, He was tempted in every way yet never sinned. In obedience to the Father’s will, Jesus sacrificed Himself on a cross. He substituted Himself on our behalf, took our sin upon Himself, paid the price for our sin, and received the divine judgment we deserve. He died and was buried, but on the third day He was raised from the dead, demonstrating His power over sin and death. He ascended into heaven, now sits at the right hand of God the Father, and He will one day return to judge the world and to reign as King. He is our Lord and our Savior.

Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1-4; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 

Hebrews 1:1-4; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Revelation 5:2-10

The Holy Spirit is God, the third member of the Holy Trinity. He is co-equal with God the Father and God the Son. He is active in the hearts of individuals making us aware of truth, of sin, and of our need for Jesus Christ. At the moment a person places their faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells them and grants unique spiritual gifts to be used for the health of the local church and for the advancement of the gospel. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher and Counselor providing us with spiritual discernment, godly wisdom, and empowerment for living life as a follower of Christ. 

John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 

1 Corinthians12:3-13; Ephesians 1:13-14

What makes human beings unique in all of creation is that we alone were created in the image and likeness of God. As God’s personal image bearers we have the honor and responsibility of reflecting His character and glory. As image bearers we have an obligation to treat our fellow man with the dignity and love that is due to an image bearer of God regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, nationality, or socio-economic class. 

The fact that humanity was made in the image of God explains why God chose to love us despite our rebellion and sin against Him.

Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 9:6; Psalm 139; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:21-24; Colossians 3:10

In the beginning man was innocent but our first forefather, Adam, sinned against God. He chose to disobey God's instructions and through his sin death entered the world. This is known as the Fall. Because of Adam’s sin, we are born spiritually dead having inherited a sinful status before God and a sinful disposition against God. Everyone born since Adam, with the exception of Jesus Christ, is guilty of disobeying God's commands. The terrible news is that all sin (both willful and negligent) is an offense against our holy and all-powerful God. The frightening truth is that the consequence for any and all sin is death, condemnation, and eternal punishment, and no amount of good works on our behalf can reverse the situation.

Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 6:5; Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12;

Ephesians 2:1-3

The word gospel means good news. The good news is that forgiveness of sin and salvation from sin’s eternal consequences is available. God lovingly makes His grace available through His Son, Jesus Christ. Salvation is a free gift given by God to those who repent from their sin, trust in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and submit their lives under His Lordship. Salvation is accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, and is in no way dependent upon human works of any kind.

Salvation was made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. On the cross He appeased the holy wrath of God by substituting Himself on our behalf, taking our sin upon Himself and receiving the punishment due to us. It is only by God's grace afforded to us by God's Son that we can be made acceptable to God and fulfill the purpose for which we were created.

Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. 

Matthew 16:21-26; John 3:16; John 14:6; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-13; 

Ephesians 2:4-9; Titus 3:4-7; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Peter 1:3-5

At the moment of conversion, not only does the Holy Spirit bring a person into an eternal union with Christ but also brings them into a permanent union with all fellow believers, past and present, in heaven and on earth. This is known as the universal church. The church is the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the people of God, the temple of God, the family of God. 

The majority of New Testament teaching about the church is in reference to local churches. A local church is an autonomous body of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and the fellowship of the gospel, who are governed by God’s Word and led by Christ as the Head, who observe the Lord’s Supper, who help one another grow as followers of Jesus, who use their individual spiritual gifts and talents for the good of the church, and who together strive to further the gospel in this world. 

Jeremiah 31:33; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 5:25-27; 

1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 2:9-10

God has entrusted His church with His mission: to make disciples of all nations. Since Genesis 1 the Lord's desire has been for the earth to be filled with His image bearers - with people who reflect His glory and His character. While humanity has spread throughout the planet, God's plan was delayed because sin entered the world. After Jesus dealt with sin, He then re-instituted the command of Genesis 1. Christ charged His disciples to go to all nations, share the gospel, and teach people to live a life that reflects the character and glory of God. The Great Commission is a call to fill the earth with image bearers who worship the Lord their God.

All Christians are called to be witnesses for Christ and ambassadors of the gospel. All true believers are missionaries while on earth.

Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 1 Peter 3:15; Matthew 5:16; 

1 Peter 2:9; Psalm 96:2-3

Believer’s baptism is one of two ordinances given by Jesus to the church. In baptism the believer is immersed in water in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as a public demonstration of that person’s faith in Christ. Baptism is the ceremonial means by which a Christian identifies with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Participation in believer’s baptism is an act of obedience to God post conversion. The act itself does not result in salvation but indicates that salvation has already taken place. It is an external sign of an inward reality. 

Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; Romans 6:3-7; Colossians 2:9-12

The Lord's Supper is the second ordinance given by Christ to the church. It is a celebration by which the local church memorializes the death of Christ. Also known as Communion, the Lord's Supper serves as a reminder to Christians of the benefits received through Christ's death and as a reminder to look forward expectantly to His return. The bread and the wine/juice used during the ceremony are simply symbols that represent the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. The Lord’s Supper foreshadows the great fellowship we will enjoy with God and with all of God’s people for all eternity. Unlike baptism, which is a one time event in the life of a believer, the Lord’s Supper is meant to be observed repeatedly. Participation in the ceremony is limited 1) to those who have trusted in Christ and have professed Him as Lord and Savior, 2) to believers who are not living in deliberate sin having earnestly repented of it, 3) and to believers who are pursuing to live in peace with other believers fostering unity where there is division.

Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30; Matthew 5:21-26; 1 Corinthians 10:17-22

Jesus Christ is the Head of each local church, and as the Head He prescribes how His churches are to be organized and led. The Bible teaches that each local church should be led by a plurality of elders. Biblically, the terms elder and pastor are synonyms. Elders are men who are called by God and who are recognized by their church to be godly and spiritually gifted. Elders serve as equals working together in leading their church to grow in holiness and to further the gospel mission. The role of the elders is to shepherd God's people: to equip, to lead, and to defend the church.

1 Timothy 3:1-7; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5-9; Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17; 1 Peter 5:1-4

There are two offices within the church. The first is that of elder, and the second is that of deacon. Unlike the elders, deacons have no ruling authority over the church. The word deacon means servant. Deacons serve at the pleasure of the elders and the congregation. Their function is to perform specific delegated administrative duties for the church. Deacons are recognized by the congregation to be spiritually mature individuals who are capable of carrying out duties in a biblical manner. 

1 Timothy 3:8-13; Philippians 1:1

God’s will for our lives is sanctification. Sanctification is the process of becoming less sinful and more godly - becoming more and more like Christ in our character, attitude, behavior, speech, affections, and virtues. This is an ongoing transformation that begins the moment of our conversion and that involves our entire being (mind, heart, body, and soul). While sanctification is primarily the work of God in us, it involves our own humble effort and takes place in the context of Christian community (the local church).

Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:14-16; Colossians 1:21-22; Ephesians 5:25-27; Romans 6:19-22; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Philippians 2:12-13; 

2 Timothy 2:22

People are natural born worshipers. All people worship at all times. God created humanity for His glory and to direct worship toward Him and Him alone. However, the great sin of mankind is to direct worship at created things rather than toward our Creator.

The gospel redirects our worship toward Him who is worthy of all honor and praise. By grace through faith the Christian gives glory to God. Worship takes place through singing and living. We were created and saved to sing anthems of God's glory and to be living, breathing anthems of God's glory.

Matthew 4:10; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17; Psalm 96:1-3; Psalm 34:1-3