We are a theologically conservative church that liberally loves and invites everyone to follow Jesus.
Our confession has two parts. The first section, entitled “What We Believe,” is what members sign when they join our church (click on the "What We Believe" heading for printable version). The second section, “What We Teach,” describes each doctrine further. To access “What We Teach” for each doctrine, click on its subject heading.
We believe in one sovereign God who eternally exists in three majestic and coequal persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father directs and sustains all things through his Son and by his Spirit. The Son is the mediator through whom God creates, governs, and redeems the world. The Spirit powerfully accomplishes the works of God, bringing honor to the Son who glorifies the Father, so that God is wholly satisfied within himself. This triune God from love and for his glory created all things out of nothing and pronounced them good. 1
God necessarily exists, and he necessarily exists as he is: both transcendent and immanent, hidden and known, holiness and love, glorious and beautiful, all-powerful and everywhere, all- knowing and wise, truth and grace, unchanging in his perfections and overflowing with compassion. He is righteously repulsed and angered by sin, yet patiently gives time for sinners to repent and receive his mercy. He is the good, the truth, and the beautiful. 2
We believe that God reveals himself to all people in three general ways: through nature, providence, and our innate knowledge of him. However, sinners suppress this common knowledge of God and so deserve to be separated from him forever. God powerfully rescues us from the darkness of our sin by his saving revelation of the Old and New Testaments. He inspired every word of these sixty-six canonical books and the human authors so that they wrote precisely what the Holy Spirit wrote with and through them. 3
Our supremely well-preserved and infallible Scriptures contain no errors in the original writings and are our final authority for every subject they address. The Scriptures are sufficient for knowing how to please God and their gospel message is clear enough for a child to understand. These sacred texts lead us to Jesus Christ, the fullness of God’s revelation, and enable us to rightly interpret God’s general revelation in humanity, nature, and history. 4
We believe that God directly created Adam and Eve as the historical parents of the human race, distinct from and superior to the rest of earthly creation. God created them in his image as male and female, so all people should gratefully embrace their unchangeable maleness or femaleness from birth. Adam and Eve’s union as man and woman models God’s design for marriage and perpetually stands as God’s loving and righteous will for all sexual intimacy. 5
God created us in his image so that we might love him, serve our neighbors, steward this world on his behalf, and regularly rest to worship him and enjoy the fruit of our labor. However, our first parents forfeited their original righteousness when they fell for Satan’s temptation and rebelled against God’s revealed will. As a result, every human is born in sin, leaving us depraved, alienated from God, spiritually dead and physically dying. Our sin has corrupted God’s good creation, bringing discord and disaster to society and nature. We would immediately perish if not for God’s common grace, which restrains sin and preserves creation so that God’s special grace can save it. 6
We believe that the Son of God became human to save the world from sin. Our Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus is the promised Messiah of Israel who, as the mediator of the New Covenant, fulfilled God’s promises to Abraham and David. Jesus is the center of history, the defining life that determines the destiny of all other lives, and the gloriously beautiful object of our affections. 7
Jesus lived a sinless life in perfect obedience to his Father; proclaimed God’s reign in word and deed; satisfied the just wrath of God by dying on the cross in our place and on our behalf; arose bodily and triumphantly over sin, death, and Satan; and ascended to heaven where he reigns over all things at the Father’s right hand, intercedes for his people, and sends his Spirit to gift, fill, and lead his church. 8
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a fully divine person who is sent by the Father and the Son. He descended at Pentecost to rescue lost sinners and establish Christ’s church. The Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; persuades us through the proclamation of the gospel to cherish Jesus as Lord; transforms our lives by his Word; groans with us as we pray to our Father; and abides within us as our comforter, helper, and guide. 9
We believe that salvation comes only through repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ. All who turn from their sin and trust solely in Christ's finished work are by God’s grace united with Christ, justified by his life, death, and resurrection, reborn and adopted into the family of God, forgiven of all their sin, indwelt and gifted by the Spirit for Christian service, kept and assured of their salvation, and added to the church. 10
We believe that the one, holy, and universal church is the body and bride of Christ. The true church consists of all believers in heaven and on earth who have been justified by grace through faith in Jesus and is manifest in local churches who assemble in the name of the Lord. The local church gathers to worship God and experience his presence through the preaching of his Word, believer’s baptism, the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and fellowship. It disperses to proclaim the gospel to a sinful world which must hear the good news of Jesus to be saved. The church makes disciples of Jesus who, through persevering faith, embody the kingdom values of righteousness, peace, and joy. By loving God, serving others, and caring for creation, we anticipate the redemption of all things at Christ’s return. 11
We believe that angels are spiritual beings created by God to serve and worship him. The good angels are God’s messengers who promote his rule and protect his children by battling Satan and the fallen angels who joined his rebellion. Satan and his demons are the sworn enemies of God. They gained a foothold in this world when Eve fell for Satan’s temptation, but they have been defeated by Christ and will be forever punished in the lake of fire when he returns. 12
We believe that our Lord Jesus will personally, bodily, and gloriously return at any moment to deliver this world from Satan’s power and consummate his kingdom. He will raise the dead to stand with the living for final judgment; condemn the impenitent and unbelieving to everlasting, conscious punishment in the lake of fire; reward his followers for their faithful service; and live forever with his redeemed people in the unhindered joys of the renewed creation. 13
1 Gen 1:31; Matt 3:16-17; 28:19; John 15:26; 17:21-23; 1 Cor 12:4-6; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 4:4-6; 1 Tim 4:4; Tit 3:4-6; 1 Pet 1:2.
2 Gen 1:1; Exod 3:14; Deut 4:35; 6:4; Ps 62:11-12; 73:25-26; 139:1-18; 145:3; 147:5; Isa 6:3; 44:6-7; Acts 17:24- 25; 1 Tim 1:17; 1 John 4:8.
3 Ps 19:1; 104:13-14, 27; Jer 26:18; 36:20-32; Dan 9:2; Matt 23:35; Acts 14:17; 17:27; Rom 1:18-32; 2:14-15; 1 Tim 5:18; 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21; 3:16.
4 Matt 5:18; Luke 24:25-27; John 1:14; 3:33; 10:34-35; Rom 3:4; 1 Cor 11:2, 23; 15:2-5; Eph 1:17-19; 2:20; 3:17-19; Heb 1:1-3; 2 Thess 2:15; 3:6; 2 Tim 3:17; 4:2; 2 Pet 1:3-4.
5 Gen 1:26-28; 2:7, 18-25; 9:6; Mark 10:6-9; Rom 5:12-21; Eph 5:21-33; 1 Cor 11:8-9; 15:21-22; Heb 13:4; 1 Tim 2:13-14; Jas 3:9.
6 Gen 1:26-28; 2:1-3, 15; 3:1-24; 4:2-8; 20-22; 6:5; Deut 5:12-15; Ps 8:4-8; 51:5; 115:4-8; 104:1-35; Isa 64:6; Jer 17:9; Matt 5:45; 22:38-39; Rom 3:10-12; 5:12-21; 8:22; 1 Cor 5:1; 15:21-26; Gal 5:13-15; Col 3:17, 23-24; Heb 4:1-11.
7 Matt 1:18-21; 4:2; 26:63-64; Mark 13:32; Luke 1:35; 2:40, 52; 24:37-43; John 1:1-18; 8:58; 10:30; 14:9-11; 19:7, 38; Phil 2:5-11; Col 1:19; 2:9; Heb 1:3; 2:17-18; 4:15-16; Rev 2:12-17; 22:13.
8 Gen 12:1-3; Isa 9:2-7; 11:1-16; 42:1-17; 49:1-26; 50:1-11; 52:13-53:12; Mark 1:15; 5:35-43; Luke 4:31-44; 11:14- 20; John 1:29; 10:37-38; 12:31; 14:16-18, 25-27; 15:26; 16:12-15; Acts 1:3-11; 2:33; 10:45; Rom 3:25; 5:9-11; 4:25; 1 Cor 5:7; 2 Cor 5:19-21; Gal 3:13; Eph 1:20-23; 2:14-17; Col 1:13, 19-22; Heb 2:14-15; 4:14-16; 9:22-28; 10:1-14; 1 John 2:2; 3:5, 8; 4:10; 1 Pet 1:19; 2:21; Rev 5:12-13.
9 Matt 3:16-17; 12:28, 31; 28:19; Luke 1:35; 4:14-21; John 3:5-8; 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:8, 13-14; Acts 1:5; 5:3-4; 11:16; Rom 1:4; 5:12-21; 8:9-11, 26; 12:4-11; 15:19; 1 Cor 2:10-16; 3:16-17; 6:19; 12:4-6, 11-13; 2 Cor 1:21-22; 4:4; 13:14; Gal 3:26-28; 5:16-26; Eph 1:3-4, 13-14; 4:30; Col 2:12; 1 Tim 3:16; Tit 3:5; Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 3:18; 4:10-11.
10 John 3:3-8; 10:28-29; 15:5; Rom 3:22-28; 4:3, 6, 8, 22, 25; 5:9, 18-19; 6:1-14; 8:15-17, 28-30; 12:4-8; 1 Cor 1:30; 12:13; 15:17; 2 Cor 5:17-21; Gal 2:16, 20; 3:13; 4:5-7; 5:16-26; Eph 1:3-14; 2:1-10; 4:15-16, 30; Phil 1:6; 2:12-13; 3:9; Col 1:27; 2:13; Tit 3:5; Heb 6:4-6; 10:26-31; 12:2; 1 Pet 1:13-16; 2:4-5; 2 Pet 3:18; 1 John 2:24; 5:20.
11 Matt 13:24-30, 36-43;16:18; 25:31-46; 28:20; John 17:20-23; Acts 2:38, 42-47; 6:1-7; 20:17-38; Rom 6:1-14;12:4-8; 1 Cor 3:16-17; 10:16-17; 11:23-26; 12:1-31; 2 Cor 6:16; Gal 3:26-29; Eph 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 4:4-6; 5:19-20, 25-32; Col 2:11-12; 3:16-17, 23-24; 1 Thess 4:12; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 5:17-21; 2 Tim 4:1-5; Tit 1:5-9; 2:10; Heb 12:22-24; Jas 1:27; 1 Pet 2:4-12; 4:10-11; Rev 19:7; 21:2; 22:17.
12 Gen 3:1-6; 19:1-13; Exod 12:13, 23; 1 Kgs 6:15-17; 22:19-22; Neh 9:6; Job 1:6-2:10; Ps 34:7; 78:43, 49; Isa 6:1-7; 14:12-15; 37:36-37; Ezek 28:11-19; Dan 10:1-11:1; Matt 1:20-23; 4:1-11; 18:10; 22:30; Luke 1:26-28; 9:1; 10:17-18; John 12:31; Acts 8:7; 16:18; Rom 16:20; Eph 2:2; 4:27; 6:10-12; Col 2:15; 2 Thess 2:8; 1 Tim 3:6; Heb 1:14; 2:14-15; Jas 3:14-15; 4:7; 1 Pet 5:8; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; 1 John 4:4; Jude 6; Rev 4:1-6:17; 12:1-17; 14:1-16:21; 20:1-10.
13 Eccl 12:14; Isa 60:3-11; 65:17-25; 66:24; Zech 14:1-21; Matt 3:12; 5:11-12; 6:19-21; 8:12; 11:21-24; 16:27; 24:1-25:46; Mark 9:48; 13:32; Luke 12:47-48; 16:19-31; 19:11-27; Acts 1:11; Rom 2:16; 8:30; 14:10; 1 Cor 1:8; 3:14-15; 15:1-58; 2 Cor 5:1-10; Eph 1:4; 1 Thess 4:13-18; 1 Tim 5:24; Tit 2:13; Heb 7:25; 9:24-28; Jas 3:1; 1 Pet 4:17; 5:4; 2 Pet 3:10-13; 1 John 3:2; Jude 24; Rev 14:11; 19:1-22:5.