Beliefs

Please note: this page represents the core of our beliefs as a congregation. As a member of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), we officially adhere to the Baptist Faith and Message. That document has a more in-depth explanation of our beliefs. If you wish to read it (and we encourage you to do so, as it is an extremely good resource) a link has been posted at the bottom of this page. 

GOD

• GOD is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is the creator and preserver of the universe and everything in it. God is the sole deity over all creation — there are no other gods but Him. He is eternally alive and always present, and His power knows no bounds. God is triune, meaning that He reveals Himself to us as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three persons of the Trinity have distinct personal characteristics, yet they are all one and the same – similar to how ice, liquid, and vapor are all forms of the same life-giving compound: water. 
• THE FATHER. God the Father is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving. He acts as a father towards creation, going so far as to send His only Son – Jesus Christ – into the world as a sacrifice for sins. God the Father reigns with care over the entire universe, purposing everything according to His great plan. 
• THE SON. Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation on earth, Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary and lived a perfectly sinless life, being both fully man and fully God. Christ came into the world to be the sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, so that through Him men and women might be saved for eternal life in the kingdom of God. Jesus was crucified – broken for our sins – and, three days after his death, raised to life again to forever sit at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. Today, Jesus Christ is the only way by which we can be saved. He offers every person eternal life and forgiveness of sins. 
• THE HOLY SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit is fully divine. He inspired men to write the Bible. The Spirit allows us to understand scriptural truths, bringing illumination to those who believe. At the moment a person becomes a Christian, the Spirit takes up residence within him or her and begins to change that person. The Spirit is our comforter, our sustainer, our leader, and our guide. He conforms us more and more to the image of Christ – a process known as sanctification – and grows us in our love and desire for God. The presence of the Holy Spirit in a Christian is a guarantee that God will one day bring that believer into perfect conformity to the person of Jesus Christ. 

THE BIBLE

• THE BIBLE is the inspired Word of God. It is absolutely and totally infallible, without error or contradiction. It is entirely trustworthy and reliable. The Bible is God’s revealed word for us, and God’s will can be found by reading and understanding the Scriptures.

MAN

• MAN is created in the image of God as the crowning work of His creation – both male and female. God created man as an eternal creature, with a soul that will exist for all eternity. Created with free will and freedom of choice, mankind fell from glory when Adam and Eve – the first man and woman, respectively – sinned by disobeying God. With sin introduced into the human race, all those who have descended from Adam and Eve are subject to the curse of sin. Our sin is what separates us from God and produces our need for a savior, who is provided to us as the person of Jesus Christ. 

SALVATION

• All people, including you and me, have sinned. This sin separates us from God. On our own, we cannot do anything to change this – we are entirely incapable of saving ourselves. Without salvation, we will be forever separated from God in a place known as Hell. However, God sent Jesus Christ to be the sacrifice for our sins. He alone was perfect, and it was through His death, burial, and resurrection that our sins were paid for. To be saved, a person must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. When one does that, his/her sins are forgiven and a new life is created! 

THE CHURCH

• The Church is made up of born-again believers in the Lord. The purpose of the church is to glorify God, with members always building one-another up in spirit and in truth. The Church is a place where disciples of Jesus are made, trained, supported, encouraged, and utilized. Although there are offices within the church – pastor, deacon, and elder – a person is ultimately accountable to God and God alone for their own personal walk. One’s faith is not determined by his church attendance, but by that which is in his heart.