The Bible
The Bible is the authoritative Word of God. It contains the true history of the heavens and the earth, the account of the creation, fall, redemption, and glorification of mankind, and everything that people in any age need to know for their salvation through Jesus Christ.
Creation
In the beginning God created out of nothing (ex nihilo) a world where everything was very good. The relationship between God and mankind (Adam and Eve) and the rest of the creation was good and whole.
Fall
Our first father, Adam, rebelled against God by taking and eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—fruit which Adam had been commanded by God not to eat. Adam’s disobedient act brought sin and death into the world, and resulted in the creation being cursed as well. Thus, sin has contaminated all things. No person, no creature, no institution, no relationship, and no individual action is free from the totality of this contamination. The results of sin are evident in such things as greed, violence, oppression, pollution, sickness, death, and even the presence of thorns and weeds. But the most devastating effect of sin is man’s alienation from God. Still, sin has not obliterated the image of God in us that longs for God and for wholeness.
Redemption
But God did not allow sin have the last word in this story. Because of his great love for fallen sons and daughters of Adam, and indeed for the whole creation, God set out to redeem the world from its sinful condition. God called Abraham and Sarah and their descendants, the people of Israel, to be his agents of transformation in the world, through whom the whole world would be blessed. Finally, he sent his only Son, Jesus the Messiah, to live a fully human life, but without sin, and then to suffer and die, thus paying the price for humanity’s sinful actions. But death could not defeat Jesus. God raised him from the dead to show that he had conquered sin and death. Now God’s kingdom is growing and filling the world, with Christ’s Church being the agent of transformation and blessing, having inherited all the promises that were given to Abraham.
Sanctification & Glorification
One day, Jesus will return to extend God’s reign on earth completely. He will do away with any traces of sin and its effects. There will be no more sickness, no more suffering, no more alienation from God, no more death. Evil will be eradicated. God himself will dwell with humans and all creation will be fully restored. Until then, the Church is called and commissioned by Christ to live out the Great Commandments (love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love our neighbors as ourselves), to fulfill the Great Commission (disciple the nations), and to prepare the world for the return of the King! Praise the Lord!
Our Creeds
We affirm the following three ecumenical creeds, which ground us in Christ’s historical, universal Church:
Our Confessions
We affirm the following three doctrinal confessions, which locate us, theologically, within the larger body of Christ: