We believe in the Triune God: God is our Creator; God is our Redeemer (Jesus Christ); and God is our Sustainer (Holy Spirit). This is not to say that we worship three separate gods, but rather one God in three persons – as each person of the Trinity shares the same essence, substance, and will. A limited analogy of this is that H20 can be liquid, ice, and steam. All three are very different in characteristic, but all three still remain H20.
Given that the very nature of God is relational, we believe God created humanity to be in relationship with us. We believe God is always for us, never against us.
It is in this relationship, though, that we find we fall short of God’s expectations for us. We often live for ourselves at the expense of both God and neighbor, and this would be one definition of sin. Sin distances us from God and each other.
We believe that the historical Jesus of Nazareth is both fully human and fully divine – the promised Christ (Messiah) who came to save all people from their sin. It is through his faith alone that God overlooks humanity’s sin and considers all to be children of God.
We believe that this justification is solely the result of God’s grace. Grace is unmerited favor. There is nothing we can do to deserve it or earn it. It is a divine gift.
We believe in God’s sovereignty. God is the Authority and Power in all of creation. Nothing else comes close. God is neither at war with nor competes with anyone or anything. God doesn’t have to.
We believe in the providence of God – that God is continually active in the world – creating, sustaining, redeeming, and ruling the world in righteousness and love.
We believe that God is continually active in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our sanctification is our growth in God’s grace, marked by holiness and good works for all God’s creation.
We believe in Election. God has chosen certain individuals to serve the world and to work with God in God’s mission of restoration.
We believe that, through the Holy Spirit, the bible is the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ and God’s Word to us. Though God speaks to us through the bible, we do not believe that God is limited to only speaking through it. In other words, we do not believe that the bible itself is God.
We believe in only two Sacraments of the Church: Baptism & Communion. Baptism marks one’s initiation into the universal Church; Communion is when we share bread and cup with our risen Lord.
We believe in the afterlife – life everlasting – as exemplified in the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Death is not the final answer.
We believe God calls us to follow the ways of Jesus Christ in obedient discipleship – to be compassionate, to spread the gospel (the Kingdom of God is here!), and to work for social justice.
Of course, there are many more. To dig deeper in our denomination’s beliefs and stances, click HERE.
