WHAT WE BELIEVE

1. God, creator of all things, is the caring God described in the Bible.  God wants to be in a loving, personal relationship with us.
2. Jesus is the Christ, God’s son.  Jesus gave his life on the cross and was resurrected to offer us the opportunity to be made right with God.  When we believe in Jesus and receive him as Lord of our lives, we find forgiveness, a loving relationship with God, life to the full now and eternally in Heaven.
3. The Holy Spirit is God’s continuing way of relating to and communicating with us.  Through the Holy Spirit, God empowers us to extend God’s love to people.  God, the Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit are the Trinity - one God, three persons.
4. People are created in God’s image, which is good.  God created us to be in loving relationships with God and with each other.
5. God gives us freedom of choice.  Sometimes we choose well.  Sometimes we do not.  When we choose to act in ways that hurt our relationships with God and people (sin), we stain the image of God in which we are created.  The consequences are guilt, shame, death, brokenness and separation (hell) from God and others.  Jesus took our consequences upon himself on the cross.  He defeated them in his resurrection, and instead offers us life to the full.
6. Grace (unmerited favor) is the gift of God which allows those who confess Christ as Lord to be made right with God (justified) and to grow from believing in God to living for God (sanctified).  We begin to experience God’s grace even before we know who God is.  This is prevenient grace, God working in our lives before we know it.
7. We are made right with God (saved) through the grace of Jesus and our subsequent faith in Christ.  We cannot earn our way back to God through our actions.  Our actions are affected by our faith, however, and demonstrate the change that Jesus makes in us.
8. The Bible is our primary source for knowing the mind of God, how we can relate to God, and how our lives have purpose and meaning.  The Bible is the ultimate authority for Christian thinking and action.
9. Prayer is the way we communicate with God, both speaking and listening.  Prayer opens the door for God’s will and power to be part of our thinking and behavior.  Prayer changes us and our lives.
10. The church is the body of Christ in the world.  The church is a family where the word of God is proclaimed, the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion are regularly given, and where loving relationships are intentionally developed.  The church is a group of imperfect people seeking to live abundant lives in Christ.