UNITY
In all essential beliefs - we have UNITY. "There is one Body and one Spirit.there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all." Ephesians 4:4-6
LIBERTY
In non-essential beliefs - we have LIBERTY. "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his master he stands or falls.So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God." Romans 14:1,4,22
LOVE
In all our beliefs - we show LOVE. "If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the Faith that can move mountains - but have no love, I amount to nothing at all." 1 Corinthians 13:2
GENERAL STATEMENT
We are Christian - By this we mean that we believe in the essential doctrines of the Christian faith for salvation. You can find these beliefs below in our Christian Essentials statement.
We are Reformed - By this we mean that we appreciate our Christian heritage, but we conform to Scriptural truth apart from tradition when reform or change is necessary. We believe in the sovereignty of God in all things and that nothing happens outside of His control.
We are Charismatic - By this, we mean that of the gifts that are still functioning today in the church, we express our love for God by fully expressing ourselves individually and corporately through them. We do not believe that tongues, prophecy, or new revelation (divine knowledge) have functioned beyond the first century in the Church (Daniel 9; 1 Corinthians 13).
We are Apostolic - By this, we do not mean that we are empowered with the same abilities of the original 12 Apostles, nor is our ministry purpose exactly the same, but that we carry on the tradition of the original 12 and believe in using our gifts to evangelize our world, plant new churches, provide healing to all nations, and continue the missional work that the original Apostles carried out. We do recognize that of course the original twelve Apostles were unique, and that the cannon of Scripture and the establishment of the church was completed through them. Thus, apostles today are master builders helping to establish foundations in local communities, in churches, for individuals, and for guidance, counsel, correction, leadership, and training.
We are Preterist - By this we mean that all prophecy related to the "end of the age" of the Old Covenant (Matthew 24) was fulfilled in the first century, and that all prophecy related to the New Covenant has arrived with the coming of Jesus and His Kingdom and has existed since the first century, and will continue to exist forever. We celebrate Jesus on His throne, fully, completely, lacking nothing, and we take part in His ever expanding Kingdom when we enter into a relationship with Him.
We are Evangelistic - We believe that it is our purpose and mission on earth to continually bring about the increase of God's eternal Kingdom through the healing of all nations and making new disciples and followers of Christ. As God's extended, outstretched arms and hands the Church is the manifestation of God's healing to the nations through the fruits of the Spirit (Revelation 22:2, Galatians 5:22-33). We are to express God's character and image through love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
CHRISTIAN ESSENTIALS (The Majors)
The Bible
We believe that the Bible is from God, has no mistakes, and contains no errors in its' original autographs.
God
We believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
The Father
The Father is the unseen, omnipresent Source of all creation, revealed in and by the Son, experienced in and by the Holy Spirit. The Son proceeds from the Father, and the Spirit from the Son. With reference to God's creation, the Father is the Thought behind it, the Son is the Word calling it forth through whom all things were made, and the Spirit is the Deed making it a reality.
Jesus
We believe that Jesus Christ is God, and in His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His death in our place, His bodily-physical resurrection, His defeat over all the powers of evil, and in His ascension to the right hand of the Father to take His eternal throne as King and Lord, and in the completed fulfillment of His coming to establish His eternal Kingdom once and for all.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is God, standing out as a person in His own right, being the eternal love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that the Father and the Son have had toward each other for all eternity. Being the Spirit of God and of Christ, He is the very presence of God dwelling with the Church. Thus, all who are alive in Christ, having the Spirit within them, have the fruit of the Spirit within them to produce works for the glory of God. Being freed from the death of Adam and made alive in Christ, the Holy Spirit perpetually multiplies our joy in God as we continually pursue knowledge of Him for all eternity. It is through God's Spirit that we are gifted for the work of ministry, service, and love.
The Church
We believe the church consists of all those who come to believe in Jesus Christ and His atoning death and resurrection, and who come to embrace Him as their Lord and Savior. We believe that God works through individual believers, local churches, and other ministries to forever expand His Kingdom through the Church.
The Kingdom
We believe that the Church makes up the subjects of a spiritual Kingdom where Jesus reigns as King and Lord forever and where the outworking of this Kingdom is seen in the world and through the Church, and whose increase shall have no end. Thus, believers are members of this Kingdom and exist for the primary purpose of expanding God's Kingdom, bringing healing to all nations, and making new disciples without end.
Unity of Believers
We believe in the spiritual unity of all who come to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. This unified collection of people is called the "body of Christ." All people, regardless of gender, race, creed, nationality, color, ethnicity, and social or economic status may become members of this body of Christ with him as the head and having all authority over the members.
Salvation
We believe that salvation is the result of the grace and gift of eternal life that each believer has received from God and is demonstrated by those who genuinely come to believe and turn to follow Jesus. Thus, salvation for each believer means that they are a new creation or creature in Christ.
