Core Beliefs
We believe God loves us and desires relationship with us.
Human beings are not perfect, and we tend to make choices that do not reflect God’s loving guidance for our lives. These choices are called “sins”. Sins make it hard for us to be in close relationship with God. Through grace, God desires to reconcile people to himself.
God is actively involved in our lives even before we are aware of God’s activity. We call this activity God’s “prevenient grace”. In the beauty of nature, in the words of friends and family, and in unexplained tugging in our hearts that help us make good choices, God’s prevenient grace whispers “I am here”.
God is actively involved in our lives even before we are aware of God’s activity. We call this activity God’s “prevenient grace”. In the beauty of nature, in the words of friends and family, and in unexplained tugging in our hearts that help us make good choices, God’s prevenient grace whispers “I am here”.
We believe Jesus Christ is God-made-human.
He was born and lived among us teaching, preaching, healing, and empowering his disciples. He was crucified and on the third day was resurrected so we may have abundant life through faith in Him and everlasting life in Heaven.
We believe Jesus becomes Lord of your life when you believe in him,
ask him for forgiveness of your sins, and give him authority over your daily life.
We believe once you let Jesus become Lord of your life, God’s forgives your sins. We call God’s offer of forgiveness “justifying grace”. Many Christians call the experience of justifying grace “getting saved”.
We believe in the Holy Spirit as God’s loving
and encouraging presence in our daily lives.
The Holy Spirit works in willing hearts and minds to remind us of God’s guidance for our lives and to lead us to live as followers of Jesus. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control within us are evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in believers, as is a deepening concern for the poor and powerless in our midst. God’s grace and the work of the Holy Spirit is unleashed in our lives when we share in the “means of grace”, including worship, the study of God’s Word, prayer, acts of generosity, acts mercy and justice, communion, baptism, and Christian fellowship.
We believe the Bible is the Word of God.
In the Bible we find comfort in times of trouble, correction for self-centeredness and sin, and inspiration for godly, joy-filled living. The Bible tells us everything we must do to be right with God.
We believe the “church”, a gathering of believers
to celebrate Jesus, is God’s idea.
Jesus spoke about the church in scripture as a group founded on the truth of who Jesus is. The Holy Spirit is present in a special way when believers gather together as the church. God’s Holy Spirit is especially present in the church in baptism, when we are welcomed into the care of the church, and in Holy Communion, a sacred “meal” that reminds us of all Christ did for us.