Beliefs

What we believe is grounded in the sixty-six books of the Bible, God’s Holy Word, which is our only rule of faith and practice. The Holy Spirit spoke through men of God so that they wrote down exactly what we need to trust, know, worship, obey, and follow Jesus. The Bible is inspired, inerrant, clear, and sufficient for doctrine and life. In submission to the Scriptures, we are Christ-Centered, Reformed, Baptistic, Continuationist, Missional, Complementarian, and Connected.

It’s all about Jesus. From beginning to end, the Bible points us to the amazing reality that God has been merciful to sinners in Jesus. Salvation is found only through faith in the work of Jesus Christ in his perfect life, sacrificial death, and powerful resurrection. Having ascended to his Father’s right hand, he now intercedes on behalf of his people. One day, he will return to rescue his people graciously, to judge his enemies justly, and to be glorified and exalted as Lord of all, to the glory of God the Father. All his redeemed will worship and serve him forever in the new heavens and the new earth.

On the basis of the Scriptures alone, we believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. God has marked out a people for mercy from every tribe, tongue, and nation—we are glad recipients of his marvelous grace.

The Triune God created all things for his glory and made man in his own image. Adam’s disobedience plunged humankind into sin, death, and God’s just judgment; and now each person is a sinner by nature and by choice. God, in his kindness, provided salvation for sinners through Jesus Christ. Even now, God is working out his plan to reconcile all things to himself. All creation waits for the day of full redemption through Jesus, when all God’s people and creation itself will give God the glory he is due in the new heavens and new earth for all eternity.

In accordance with Christ’s command, everyone who trusts in Jesus should be baptized by immersion in water, identifying with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism signifies cleansing from sin and passing safely through the waters of God’s judgment. Through baptism, followers of Jesus publicly declare that they belong to Jesus and demonstrate their commitment to follow Jesus as part of the believing community, the church.

To do what Jesus has commanded us to do as his followers, we need power. Thankfully, God himself provides this power through the Holy Spirit, who lives in every believer to empower them for life & mission and who gives supernatural gifts to build up the church, just as He did in the book of Acts. The Spirit has been sent by the Father and the Son to regenerate, sanctify, seal, indwell, guide, instruct, comfort, and empower God’s people. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is the guarantee of eternal life with God. Christians must not grieve the Spirit. Instead, we must walk in the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, be filled with the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit, and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit.

We believe Jesus has sent the whole church to do the whole mission of making disciples to the ends of the earth until he returns. Embracing our identity as sent by Jesus is essential to understanding that all of life (at work, at home, on our block, in our church community) must be lived for God’s glory and the good of our neighbors near and far. Jesus calls us to love God and our neighbor in dependence on the Holy Spirit. Believers are to seek their neighbors’ physical and spiritual good by caring for them, body and soul, in Jesus’ name and with Jesus’ gospel. It’s our joy to participate in planting churches locally and to support church planting globally.

God created men and women in his own image to display his glory. Therefore, men and women are equal in dignity, worth, and standing before God in Christ. In his infinite wisdom and goodness, God designed men and women to play complementary roles in the home and the church.

In the home, husbands and wives are to reflect the relationship of Christ to the church. The husband is called to lead his wife and family to know and love God. The husband must lead in humble service, following the example of Christ’s love for the church. The wife is called to respond with joyful submission and respect for her husband.

In the church, men and women are both called to the same Christian life, follow the same Master, are empowered by the same Spirit, and are equal heirs of the same promises. In God’s plan, only men should exercise pastoral authority in the church as Christ’s undershepherds. Healthy churches will have men and women as full participants in the life and activity of the church.

God is at work in the world today through his church, which consists of all those who belong to Christ from every tribe, tongue, and nation. A local church is a particular expression of Christ’s body in which the Bible is preached, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper are practiced, and members encourage and exhort one another to live for God’s glory in obedience to Christ’s commands. In the church and through the indwelling Spirit, we are connected with God and with one another.

We stand in solidarity with other faithful followers of Jesus through the centuries. We gladly affirm the Apostles’, Nicene, and Chalcedonian Creeds as authentic expressions of the Christian faith. Specifically, we are connected with other like-minded churches for fellowship, accountability, and mission through our denomination, Trinity Fellowship Churches. Further, we partner with churches proclaiming the gospel in other parts of the world.