The Bible 
The basis for our belief is the Bible which consists of the 66 books of the Old and New
Testaments.  God gave us all the books of the Bible and His Spirit worked through chosen writers.  The
Bible is God’s authority and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors.
The books of the Bible in their original versions are without error and will never let us down.  The Bible is
our full and final authority over all the practices and beliefs.  No other writings are God-given in the same
way as the Bible.  (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21)
God 
We believe there is one true, holy, perfect God. God has always existed and always will as three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1,3; 4:24; Acts 5:3,4; Romans 1:20; Ephesians 4:5,6; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

  • God is our Creator:  God created, out of nothing, the world and everything in it.
  • God is our Provider:  God continues to be actively involved sustaining all of creation.
  • God is our Savior:  Throughout history and because of His love, God has and will continue to give the way and the means for people to return to God and escape from sin and death.
Salvation
 Rescue and Renewal- In the Bible, God invites all people into a relationship with Him.  People were originally created to know and love God, but we rebelled and chose our own way.  As a result, we are blocked from intimacy with God and we are unable to please God since our entire self is distorted.  Our sinful separation from God took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered the consequences of:
  • Separation from God
  • A corrupted sinful nature

Therefore, we are all in need of God’s rescue from our condition.  (Genesis 1:26-27; 3:1, 24; Romans 3:25; 5:12-18; 1 John 1:8) God offers His salvation as a free gift of His love.  He does not offer it as a result of our goodness or our efforts.  And there is no other way back into a relationship with God except by accepting His gift of salvation by turning from sin and turning to Jesus.  Once an individual has done this, God promises in the Bible that:
  • All sin is forgiven,
  • The individual is made new as a child of God,
  • God will bring the work of renewal to completion

(John 3:3,5; 1:12,13; James 1:18; I Peter 1:23; Ephesians 2:8-9)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is fully God – the second Person of God’s three persons – and fully human – through a miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and a virgin birth.  (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13).  He perfectly obeyed God the Father throughout His life.  By His own choice, he paid for the sins of all by dying on the cross as our substitute.  
His death on the cross:
  • Satisfied the just demands of God
  • Rescued and renewed all who trust in Him alone

Jesus rose from the dead in the same body, though heavenly transformed, in which He lived and died.  He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father.  He serves as the only Mediator between the Father and people, pleading to the Father on behalf of His followers.  He shall return to earth, personally and visibly, to bring to a close human history and tohttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ministrycentered.churchcenter&hl=en_US fulfill God’s biblical plan.
  
(Isaiah 53; Matthew 20:28; John 3:16; Romans 3:24-26; 5:1; I Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:7; I John 2:2; Matthew 28:6; Romans 10:9; I Corinthians 15:14; Matthew 26:64; Acts 2:33-36; Hebrews 7: 25)
The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life
The Holy Spirit was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply Christ’s salvation to the world.  The Holy Spirit:
  • Brings God’s ways to light in the minds of sinners,
  • Wakes them up about their need for a Savior,
  • When they choose Jesus, He gives them a new birth in Christ.

At the point of accepting God’s gift of Jesus as Savior, turning from sin, and agreeing to follow Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in each Christ-committed follower. 
 
In the Christ-follower, the Holy Spirit:
  • Provides spiritual assurance, strength, comfort, help, and wisdom.
  • Plants a unique gift for building up the church.
  • Guides in understanding and applying the Bible.
The natural response to God’s love and a genuine life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ is the pursuit of a life of holiness and obedience to God.  Christ-committed followers develop in these areas only by allowing the work of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of God’s three persons, in their lives.  Through faith, the Christ-follower accesses the Holy Spirit’s power and control.  Only then is it possible for the Christ-follower to lead a life of Christlike character that achieves God’s purposes.
 (John 16:5-15; Romans 8:16, 23, 26, 27; I Corinthians 12:7-31)
Human Destiny
Death fixes the afterlife for each person.  Everyone will be raised into the spiritual world in bodily form.  A judgment will determine the fate of each individual.  Those who have not followed Christ and accepted His gift of salvation will be separated from God forever into everlasting punishment.  Christ-followers will be ushered into a heavenly kingdom and a relationship with God that lasts forever.  
(Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16,17; Matthew 24:42-51; Matthew 25:1-13; John 5:28-29; I Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15)
The Church
When a person agrees to accept Christ’s gift of salvation and follow Him, they automatically join the ranks of all Christ-committed followers.  All believers are members of Christ’s body, the Church.  There is one true worldwide Church made up of all those who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and as their Lord. The Bible commands Christ-followers to meet together and be committed to:
  • Worship
  • Prayer
  • The teaching of the Bible
  • The observance of baptism and communion as established by Jesus Christ
 (Acts 2:28-47; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 8:36-40; 10:47; 18:8; Romans 6:3,4; I Corinthians 11:23-29
  1. Baptism means to totally cover or immerse.  Jesus directed His followers to be baptized which would show them to be totally covered with the Holy Spirit.  His disciples made a conscious decision to be baptized.  They displayed this by being immersed into water.  We believe that this example of baptism hold the richest connection to biblical example and testifies most accurately to others that we are Christ’s and have chosen to humbly identify ourselves with His death and return to life.  Other methods of believer’s baptism are not practiced except in rare instances and where a total water immersion would be dangerous or unavailable.
2.   Communion remembers our need for Christ, our acceptance of His sacrifice for our sins, and our unity in Him and His body, the church.  
We participate together as a church in sharing a communion “meal” of broken bread and juice.  The broken bread reminds us of Christ’s body, which was broken for our sins, and it also reminds us of our unity as we share in one loaf together.  The juice reminds us of Christ’s blood spilled to purify us and make us holy and acceptable to God.  It also represents a victory of celebration of our eternal life in Christ – forever with Him in His Kingdom.
  • Christ-centered community with each other
  • Service to the church through the development and use of talents and gifts
  • The giving and sharing of material resources with each other and the church
  • Outreach to the world 
(Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)
Wherever Christ-committed followers meet regularly in obedience to this command, the church, the body of Christ, is represented locally.  Under guidance and care of pastors and other leadership, the church’s members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of loving God and loving others in Christ.  
(Romans 12:4-6; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:12-16; Hebrews 10:24-25)