GOD’S WORD – OUR AUTHORITY FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY
The Bible, as God’s Word, is the ultimate authority over humanity, and we embrace it as our final authority for life and ministry. It is the only infallible, inspired without error, word of God. It speaks to every issue of life for God’s people (1 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12).
SALVATION – GOD, THE AUTHOR FROM START TO FINISH
Salvation is a work of God, received by grace (unearned favor) through faith. Through believing and receiving Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in our place, we are saved and sustained unto eternal life. Because of the sinful condition of man’s heart, God has to initiate, accomplish and sustain the salvation of individuals (Ephesians 2:1-10, John 6:44). We hold to a Reformed view of God’s sovereignty in salvation.
SANCTIFICATION – THE FRUIT OF TRANSFORMING GRACE
The life that is genuinely transformed by the gospel will show the growing fruit of obedience empowered by the Holy Spirit as he permanently indwells Jesus’ followers. Because God saves us apart from any works (Titus 3:5), and because of the promises in Scripture regarding God’s character, we believe once a person is truly born again, he is eternally secure (John 10:26-30, Romans 8:29-39). The reality of a person’s salvation will be shown through the progressive transformation of their lives into greater likeness to Jesus (Galatians 5:16-25,1 John 2:3-4).
THE LOCAL CHURCH – A COMMUNITY ON MISSION
God’s design is for local communities of growing believers to be intimately involved in one another’s lives as they intentionally live out the mission of Christ. The local church is the biblical context for the Great Commission of Matthew 28. The New Testament demonstrates God’s strategy for evangelizing the world is to empower individuals in the local church to live on mission and multiply churches. The local church is the primary community through which God accomplishes His plan on earth (Matthew 9:37-38; 16:13-18; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-3; Acts 1:8; 2:41-43; 8:1-3; 11:22-26; 13:1-3; 14:21-28; 15:2-4, 22-36; 18:22; 20:17, 28, 32; 21:18-19; Philippians 1:27; 2:12-16).
THE LOCAL CHURCH – PLURALITY IN LEADERSHIP
God’s design for leadership in any local church is a plurality of biblically qualified (in character and competence), mutually accountable men who shepherd, equip, and oversee the spiritual health of the body (Acts 14:23; 20:17, 28; Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9). We believe that the terms overseer, elder, pastor, and shepherd are used interchangeably in scripture and all refer to the same office or role. These men understand they are simply under-shepherds of the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Peter 5:1-5). The pastors are accountable to God for their shepherding care (Hebrews 13:17) and the church is called to voluntarily come underneath their shepherding authority (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, Hebrews 13:17).
SPIRITUAL GIFTS – SPIRIT EMPOWERED AND BIBLICALLY GROUNDED
The scriptures teach the Spirit gives every believer supernatural gifts for the purpose of building up his church and expanding his kingdom (1 Corinthians 12:27). God demonstrates his supernatural power through imparting spiritual gifts for the purpose of putting his glory and grace on display in advancing and affirming the gospel message and messenger. (Matthew 19:23-26; James 5:13-18; Romans 8:28; 12:3-8). Spiritual gifts are not for self-edification or self-expression but for the edification of others (1 Corinthians 12:7; 14:3, 12, 17, 20-25, 26, 31) and much of the misuse and confusion surrounding “sign” oriented gifts is based upon a wrong view that spiritual gifts are for performance, when in reality they exist for service (1 Peter 4:10-11). While we do not believe supernatural gifts have ceased, we do believe their prominence in the New Testament was due to the unique role they played in authenticating the gospel message being handed down by the apostles (2 Corinthians 12:12, Hebrews 2:3-4).
We do not believe the Scriptures teach a “second blessing” or “baptism of the Spirit” that is subsequent to salvation. There is only one baptism of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13). The baptism of the Spirit takes place at salvation, where the Christian is indwelt (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), sealed (Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30), and adopted as God’s child (Romans 8:9-18; Ephesians 1:5). Then subsequent to being born again or saved, there is a daily commitment to be filled, empowered, and yielded to the Spirit’s control (Ephesians 5:18; Colossians 3:16, 17; Romans 12:1,2).
COMPLEMENTARY DESIGN OF MEN & WOMEN – EQUAL IN VALUE, DISTINCT IN ROLES
God has created men and women equal in value yet complementary in design. We celebrate the beauty of this design and believe that God desires that we promote and exemplify it in our families, church , and culture. However, because of the sinfulness of mankind, God’s design has been perverted and used to justify abuse throughout history. The church should be a place where the wonder of his design is rediscovered, enjoyed, and put on display to the watching world. God’s created design is articulated at the dawn of creation in the first two chapters of Genesis before the fall of mankind into sin.
The complementary design of men and women starts with God creating us equal (Genesis 1:27) but with different roles (Genesis 2:18). Men and women are equally, wonderfully, and uniquely gifted by God for His glory through the church, including in different areas of leadership and teaching. We champion women’s ministry where mature, gifted, and qualified women are leading and teaching other women, coordinating and teaching children’s ministries, and/or engaged and serving in many other areas of significant influence for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 12:4-7; Titus 2:3-5).
Our commitment to biblical complementary design recognizes that God has made men and women different and distinct for his glorious kingdom purposes. A man is called to intentionally embrace biblical headship in his home through sacrificial leadership, humility, and self denial that guides in God-glorifying direction (1 Corinthians 11:3, 8-12, 1 Corinthians 14:33-40; Ephesians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Peter 3:1-7). In addition, leadership over the church family as a whole is to be through men who are gifted, qualified, and called to be the church’s pastors (1 Timothy 2:8-15, 3:1-2, Titus 1:5-6). See above.
CHURCH DISCIPLINE – PROTECTION AND RESTORATION
God has provided instructions for church restoration to lovingly keep individual believers from being ensnared by Satan and to maintain the purity of Jesus’ Church. The Bible teaches that church discipline is to be used as a process to carefully and lovingly shepherd individuals who are stuck in unrepentant sin (Matthew 18:15-18). The goal of church discipline is two-fold. First, it aims to restore the individual who persists in unrepentant sin. Second, it protects the church family (1 Corinthians 5:1-8, Galatians 6:1, Hebrews 3:12-13).