What We Believe

 God is the Creator and Lord of the universe – all that was, is, and ever will be. There is one true and living God, eternally existing in three co-equal persons — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

 Humans are created in the image of God and created for relationship with God. But we are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called sin. This attitude separates humans from the relationship with God we were intended to enjoy. 

 Salvation comes through believing and receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, who was both fully God and fully human, lived a sinless life on earth and then gave his life for us by dying on the cross. His sacrifice pays the punishment for our sin and restores our broken relationship with God. After dying on the cross, Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, continues to live and reign, and will someday return to establish the Kingdom of God forever. This gift – God restoring our eternal relationship through the love and sacrifice of Jesus - is what we call the gift of God’s grace, a gift that we must receive to enjoy fellowship with God forever. God's saving grace — not our human effort — is the way to a God-filled life and eternity. 

 The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, draws people to Christ, enables people to believe, grows people in faith, and equips believers for service in the Church and world. The Holy Spirit is present in the Church, which is the community of believers who seek to follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Through the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit, the Church's role is to make and grow disciples of Jesus, as well as serve and bring hope to a broken and hurting world. 

 The Bible is God's eternal Word to humanity. It was written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is the source of truth, the basis of our beliefs, contains all we need to know about salvation, and is the authoritative rule and guide for our lives.