What We Believe

We believe in one God, creator of all things, infinitely perfect, all-knowing, holy, and eternally existing in three persons -- God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 36:9; Psalm 139:1-4; Matthew 28:19; 1 Timothy 1:17)

We believe in Jesus Christ as One having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary and given His life as a sacrifice for our sins by dying on a cross.  He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father, as our High Priest and Advocate. His death and resurrection is the basis for salvation. Whoever confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that God raised Him from the dead are born of the Holy Spirit and are children of God.  (Isaiah 7:14, 53:4-7; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14, 3:16; Romans 10:9-19; 1 John 4:10)

We believe in the Holy Spirit, a gift from God, Who dwells with us, guides, convicts, regenerates, instructs, and empowers the believer for Godly living and service.  (John 14:16, 17, 26; John 16:7-11; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18)

We believe in the Bible, as originally written, to be verbally inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled authors.  Therefore, it is truth without error in the original writings. We believe the Bible is the complete revelation of God's will for the salvation of humankind, and the standard by which all humans should live.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter1:19-21; Psalm 119:89, 105)

We believe that humankind was created in the image of God but fell, through sin, and is therefore spiritually dead and separated from God.  (Genesis 1:27, 3:1-24; Romans 3:10-12, 23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:4-5)

We believe that salvation is a free gift, by God's grace, received by placing faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that in salvation there is complete forgiveness of sin and the unmerited gift of eternal life.(Ephesians 1:13-14, 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7)

We believe that all true believers who are born again by the Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ are assured of their salvation.  (John 3:16; Romans 8:1-2, 35-39; Philippians 1:6;  I John 5:1; Jude 1)

We believe in the personality and reality of Satan, and that he is the originator of sin and is ceaselessly and ruthlessly attempting to destroy God's church and thwart God's plan for the world.  (Genesis 3:1; Job 1:6, 2:7; Mark 4:15; John 10:10; Revelation 12:9)

We believe that the local church exists to help people know and glorify God, to make believers mature in their faith, to empower and unleash people for the work of the ministry.  (Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 2:19-20, 5:25-27; 1 Peter 2:9)

We believe that Jesus Christ will return, in bodily form, and take His people to himself to spend eternity in heaven.  We believe His return is imminent and thus gives hope to all believers. (Mark 13:26; Acts 1:11; John 14:1-6; Philippians 3:20; Revelation 1:4-8)

As a member of the Reformed Church in America (RCA), we hold to the long-standing creeds and confessions of our heritage.  They include the ancient creeds known as the Apostles', the Nicene and the Athanasian Creed, as well as the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession and the Canons of the Synod of Dort out of the Reformation era.  For copies of those, please see the RCA website.

How We Live                                                                   

God has called us to bear witness to the sure foundations of the faith, but not to break fellowship with other Christians who hold slightly different understandings.  In the words of Martin Luther: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity"

In Essentials - Unity
Eph. 4:4-6  "There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

In Non-essentials - Liberty
Rom 14: 1, 4, 12  "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.  Who are you to judge someone else's servant?  To his own master he stands or falls.  And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. So then, each of us will give an account of
himself to God."

In All Things - Charity
I Cor. 13:2  "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." 

 Our Core Principles

In addition to statements of belief, our understanding of the faith is reflected in these core principles...

 1.       The Covenantal Understanding of Scriptures - Between both testaments and throughout all ages of history there is one covenant of grace revealed and applicable to God and His people.  It may take different forms in different periods of biblical history, for instance, the covenants of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and Christ.  But the one promise that is repeated throughout is "I will be your God and you shall be my people."
 
2.       The Sovereignty of God in our Calling - Our salvation, from beginning to end, is God's work.  God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) and will bring that good work in us to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:6)  We respond to God's calling (Rom 8:30) by the wooing of the Holy Spirit, not by our own ingenuity.
 
3.       Justification by Grace through Faith - Known as the great rallying point of the Reformation, this statement claims that out of no merit of our own do we receive salvation, but only through the atoning and loving work of Christ on the cross.  Even faith is a gift (Eph. 2:8-9)and through it we are awakened to a life of service and good works.
 
4.       The Priesthood of All Believers - The Reformers recognized the role of all believers in the ministry of the church, and that ordained offices (minister of the Word and Sacrament, elder, deacon, and professor) are functional in nature.
 
5.       Engagement with the World - Each person is called (vocatio) by God not only to service in the church, but in the world in whatever role he or she is assigned, and are each doing the work of God every bit as much as the preacher.  The Reformers believed that God's people are called into areas of art, science, government, health, etc. in order to redeem culture and witness to the Lordship of Christ over all of life.
 
6.       A Lifestyle of Gratitude - The Bible is clear - all that we are and all that we have belong to God.  Therefore, we are called to live our lives gratefully, following the commandments and teachings of Christ, knowing that we exist to bring glory to Him.