God must have an IMPACT on each of our lives through the Spirit. Each member IMPACTS the church with his spiritual care and gifts. The Spirit-empowered church then IMPACTS the community and the world. Our vision is seen in this acronym:
IMPACT
Instruct in the Word
Mobilize for Ministry
Pray to our Father
Adore God in Worship
Care for One Another
Tell Others about Chris
The Authority of the Bible
We believe the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the verbally inspired Word of God, it is without error in the original writings, and is the complete, infallible, sufficient and final authority for faith and practice. (Matthew 5:18; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
The Triunity of God
We believe there is only one God, eternally existing in three Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — Who are co-equal in their essential nature, attributes, and perfection; and are worthy of the same worship, confidence, and obedience. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19, 20; John 1:1-4; Acts 5:3-4; Hebrews 1:1-3)
The Person and Work of Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is God the Son, the promised Messiah, conceived in the flesh by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, true God and Man, without sin, and the only mediator between God and Man. (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7; Matthew 1:18-25; Mark 14:61-62; John 1:1-3, 14, 29, 5:18, 8:58, 10:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:2-9, 2:14-15; 1 John 5:20)
Jesus Christ, through His death on the cross, paid for all sin, completely satisfied the righteous wrath of God against sin, and provided redemption and forgiveness for all who believe. After His death, Jesus Christ arose bodily from the dead, was seen by many during a period of forty days, and then ascended into Heaven where He is seated at the right hand of God as our Advocate and High Priest, from which place He will some day return to establish His Kingdom on earth. (Isaiah 53:5-6; Luke 24:36-43; John 1:18, 3:16, 20L25-28; Acts 1:6-11; Romans 3:21-26; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 20-23; Galatians 3:13; Colossians 1:13-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:18-19, 2:24; 1 John 2:1-2; Revelation 20:6)
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is that Person of the Triune Godhead who convicts men of sin, causes spiritual birth, indwells, seals, sanctifies, guides, equips, teaches, and fills the believer, thus enabling him to walk in obedience to God and His Word. We believe that the foundational and authenticating gifts gradually ceased functioning as gifts as the New Testament Scriptures were completed, (John 3:5, 14:16-17, 26, 15:26-27, 16:7-15; Acts 1:8, 5:3-4; Romans 8:9, 14; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, 6:11, 19, 12:4-13; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:16-18, 22-23; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30, 5:18-21; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 13:9-12)
The Creation and Fall of Man
We believe that man was created by God in His own image and is not the product of evolution. He fell into sin through personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, lost his spiritual life, and became dead in sins and corrupt in nature. As a result sin has been transmitted to the entire human race, Jesus Christ excepted, and thus every person born into the world is sinful in nature and practice, is unable to save himself, and faces eternal separation from God. (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:7, 28-24, 3:1-24, 9:6; Matthew 19:4; Mark 7:21-23; John 8:42-44; Romans 1:18, 3:10, 23, 5:1; Ephesians 2:1-3).
The Salvation of Man
Eternal salvation from sin, death and hell is the free gift of God’s grace. Christ voluntarily died as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins and arose bodily from the dead, thus guaranteeing our own resurrection to eternal life. This salvation is not received by, nor based on, any sacrament, merit, or good work on our part. All who trust the Savior pass from death unto life, are forgiven of their sins, are accepted by the Father, and are born into His family by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. (John 1:11-13, 3:16, 5:24, 10:28-30, 14:6; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:23-26, 5:8, 6:23, 8:28, 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5; Hebrew 7:24-45; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 5:11-13), We believe that election is the act of God by which, before the foundation of the world, He sovereignly chose in Christ those whom He graciously regenerates. Divine Election in no way destroys the responsibility of man since it comprehends all the means in connection with the end achieved. (John 6:37, 44; Acts 13:48; Galatians 6:7-8)
The Destiny of Man
At Death, the redeemed pass immediately into the presence of Christ and there remain in joyful fellowship until their bodily resurrection unto life. The unsaved at death descend immediately into hades where they are kept under punishment until their bodily resurrection resulting in eternal damnation. (Daniel 12:2; Luke 16:22-23, 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 3:10, 11, 21; Revelation 20:11-15)
The Nature and Organization of the Church
We believe that all who have placed their faith in Christ are united together immediately by the Holy Spirit into one spiritual body, the church, of which Christ is the Head. This body was formed on the day of Pentecost and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own. In addition, the members of this one spiritual body are directed to associate themselves together in local churches for instruction, worship, prayer, fellowship, service, and the administration of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper. (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:41-47; 1 Corinthians 11:2326, 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:3; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 10:25)
These local independent churches have been given the needed authority and scriptural guidelines for administering that order, discipline, and worship which Christ, the sovereign head, has appointed. The biblically designated officers serving under Christ and over the church are pastors/overseers and deacons. (Acts 6:1-6; 1 Corinthians 14:40; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5)
Future Events
We believe that one of the coming great events in the fulfillment of prophecy is the personal, bodily return of the Lord to remove from the earth His waiting church and to reward them according to their works. (John 14:2-3; Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 15:51-53; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Titus 2:11-13; Revelation 3:10)
We believe that another event yet to come is the seven-year period of tribulation during which the judgments of God will be poured out upon the unbelieving world. These judgments will climax with the return of Christ in glory to the earth. He will destroy His enemies and restore Israel to her land. (Daniel 9:27, 12:1; Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:15-31, 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12; Revelation 16:1-19, 21, 19:1-21)
We believe that Christ will then establish His thousand-year kingdom in which the saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth. (Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Isaiah 11:1-16, 65:17-25; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Revelation 19:11, 20:1-6)
At the close of the thousand year reign the unsaved dead will be raised and committed to eternal punishment and the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God. (Mark 9:43-48; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; 2 Thessalonians 1:9, 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:1-4, 22:5, 11)
Marriage
Believing the Bible to be inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16), it is our church’s conviction that God created man and woman as unique biological persons designed to complete each other (Genesis 2:18, 23). He instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society (Gen. 2:20–24. Jesus Christ reinforces this teaching in Mark 10:6–9).
Thus, in a Christian wedding ceremony, which precedes the marriage relationship, the groom and bride publicly declare their love and commitment to one another before God, family, and friends. Following their exchange of vows (mutual covenant), they are pronounced husband and wife, according to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This Christian tradition honors the truth of Scripture (Genesis 2:24).
Sexual intercourse within the marriage relationship is regarded as good and honorable (Heb. 13:4; 1 Cor. 7:3-5). In their sexual consummation, the two become “one flesh,” whereupon, God joins them together into a permanent relationship (Matthew 19:6). Consequently, marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female. Sexual behavior outside the marriage relationship, including adultery, incest, child molestation, prostitution, and homosexuality, is expressly forbidden (1 Corinthians 6:9; Romans 1:26–27).
Ordinances
We believe that Christ has commanded us to observe two New Testament ordinances, these include water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These are observed in obedience to our Lord as acts of love and devotion, and are not set forth as conditions of salvation. Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the triune God and is an outward testimony of his belief in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Likewise, Christ instituted the Lord’s supper for commemoration of His atoning death. The elements are symbols of his body and shed blood. (Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:41, 10:47-48; 1 Corinthians 11:2329