Our mission is to share God’s love and hope in a broken, despairing world.  We are also tasked to encourage and equip others to do the same. To live lives of hope requires a transformation of patterns of thought and behavior (Romans 12:2; Hebrews 6:18-19). The imparting of that hope is accomplished by examining and implementing the principles of a hope-filled life and modeling ourselves after the people who illustrate what that hope looks like.

 

God

There is one true God, eternally existing in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These are equal and are one God. God created the world out of nothing and by his power He sustains all He has created. (Romans 8:22-25; Ephesians 1:13-14).

 

Jesus Christ

Jesus was miraculously born of the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35) and became flesh and blood (John 1:1-16; 29-34) without ceasing to be God. He lived a sinless life and performed many miracles to confirm his divinity. He died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice, paying the debt for our sins (Mark 10:45). On the third day after his death He arose from the dead, showing his victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). He appeared to his disciples and then ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God serving as our mediator. (Luke 24:50-51, Colossians 3:1)

 

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son. He makes people aware of their need for Christ (John 16:8-11, 2 Corinthians 6:11). He indwells and empowers the believer (I John 4:13; Galatians 5:16-26). His presence in our life is a seal and guarantee that we are God’s children (2 Corinthians 1: 21-22). The Holy Spirit gives believers spiritual gifts/talents/abilities (1 Corinthians 12:7-11; Romans 12:4-8) to be used to help others. The evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). While the Holy Spirit gives the believer these evidences, we must choose to live in them.

 

Baptism

Baptism is an act of obedience and demonstrates our devotion to Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is also symbolic of the death to our old life and rising again in new life through Jesus Christ. We recognize and respect that some Christian churches also use baptism of infants as a welcoming of that child into the family of faith. Those baptisms do no eliminate the opportunity for the baptized child to be re-baptized once they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 16:33)

 

Bible

The Bible is the inspired Word of God and the final authority in life and doctrine (2 Timothy 3: 16). God’s expectation and our obligation is that our behaviors and beliefs be shaped by the Word of God. We admit that the ability of believers to logically figure out everything the Bible teaches is not possible. Our love for God, and our brothers and sisters in Christ from other traditions, compels us to be open to different interpretations of certain doctrines. This willingness is evidence of the fruits of the Spirit in our lives (Romans 14:1-13).

 

Salvation

Salvation is a free gift of God. The death of Christ on the cross is the only sufficient payment for our sins. All have sinned, but all can be saved. This salvation is available for any who put their trust in Christ as Savior (Romans 3:23, 6:23; John 3:16). Those trusting Christ should confess their need for salvation, repent/turn from sin, confess their faith, be baptized (Romans 10:9; Acts 2:38), and be transformed by the Word of God and the indwelling of the Spirit.

 

Church

The church is the body of Christ on earth, empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue the task of reaching the lost and discipling the saved, helping them become fully devoted followers of Christ (Ephesians 4:1-16).  Denominations are an expression of a certain understanding of God’s instructions, but we are obligated to ally with other believers of different denominations. The standard to determine which denominations are truly Christian is their acceptance of God’s Word as the final authority (Revelation 22:17-19).

 

Christ’s Return

Christ will one day return and judge all people (1Thessalonians 4:13-18). Unbelievers will be eternally separated from God’s presence in hell (regardless of their good works or church attendance) and believers in Jesus Christ will be welcomed in God’s presence in Heaven {Matthew 25:31-46).