DISCIPLESHIP VISION
Reach people who are distant from God so that they will be made alive and included in Christ.
OUR BELIEF
WE AFFIRM THAT THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE IS A PERSON.
WE AFFIRM THAT THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE IS A PERSON.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John14:6).
The only way for us to have a personal relationship with God is by declaring with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. For it is with our heart that we believe and are justified (forgiven), and it is with our mouth that we profess our faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” Because “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” To be a Christian is to personally receive Jesus Christ as Savior and to profess Him as Lord.
The only way for us to have a personal relationship with God is by declaring with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. For it is with our heart that we believe and are justified (forgiven), and it is with our mouth that we profess our faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” Because “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” To be a Christian is to personally receive Jesus Christ as Savior and to profess Him as Lord.
WE AFFIRM THE HISTORIC CREEDS OF THE CHURCH
The early followers of Jesus have condensed the essence of the apostles’ teachings in what is called The Apostles’ Creed. In AD 325, the leaders of the Christian church came together in Nicaea under the pressure of seeing the need to make a statement of belief that is more definitive about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ as a way to safeguard the Church from the increasingly prevalent false teachings about Jesus that were affecting local churches. From that council came The Nicene Creed. In 381, the leaders of the church got together again to add a more definitive statement on the person of the Holy Spirit. The word “Amen” is derived from the Hebrew word emunah, that means faith, which ultimately comes from the root word emet which means truth. When we say “Amen” at the end of each creed, we affirm God’s revealed truth in good faith.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,***
the communion of the saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,***
the communion of the saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.***
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
*** ”Catholic” means “universal.”
WE AFFIRM THIS STATEMENT OF FAITH.
BIBLE. We believe that the Bible is God’s Word, it is truth without any mixture of error; totally sufficient and completely authoritative for matters of life and faith. 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; John 3:16.
GODHEAD. We believe in one eternal God, the all-powerful Creator and Sustainer of all things visible and invisible, who eternally exists in three Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience.
Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; Ephesians 4:4-6
JESUS CHRIST. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ as both God and man is the only One who can reconcile us to God.
He lived a sinless and exemplary life, died on the cross in our place, and rose again to prove His victory and empower us for life.
Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-4 and 1:29; Acts 1:11 and 2:22-24; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:1-4 and 4:15
HOLY SPIRIT. We believe in the Holy Spirit who regenerates and indwells every believer in Jesus, assures us of our salvation, guides us into all truth, glorifies Jesus and convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment. He comforts us, gives us spiritual gifts, and empowers us for service.
John 3:5-8; Acts 1:8 and 4:31; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Galatians 5:16-18; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:6-10
John 3:5-8; Acts 1:8 and 4:31; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Galatians 5:16-18; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:6-10
SALVATION. We believe the importance and promise of ‘new birth’ unto eternal life; eternal life comes by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our lives. By God’s grace, He calls us to repent of our sins and declare with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and belief in our hearts that He died on the cross according to the scriptures; and on the third day He rose again from the dead. We enter into a growing relationship with Jesus as we submit to His will for our lives.
Luke 24:46-47; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23; Romans 10:9-10, 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; Ephesians 1:7 and 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7
BAPTISM. We believe water baptism by full immersion is a disciple’s public declaration of faith in Jesus, in water baptism, a believer symbolically joins Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection. Water baptism is a conscious decision made by a believer who chooses to follow Jesus. Matthew 3:16, 28:19,20; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:41, 8:12, 8:36-38, 18:8, 22:16; John 3:23
CHURCH. The Church is composed of people who have been born again, personally professing Christ as their Lord and Savior. We believe in the power and significance of the local Church and the necessity of believers to meet regularly together for worship, fellowship, prayer and the ‘breaking of bread’. We believe that the call to make disciples of all nation has been entrusted to the Church by the Lord Jesus and it carried out in full obedience until He comes again.
Matthew 28:18-20; John 3:3-17; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-15; 1 Peter 3:15, Acts 2:42-47
SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE. We believe that every believer can be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, who enables us to live for God in obedience to His will. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to all believers that help build the church, allow them to walk in victory and be a strong witness to the world about Jesus for the glory of God.
Matthew 9:35-38; 22:37-39, and 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-15 and 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10; Colossians 2:6-10; 1 Peter 3:15
ETERNITY. We believe that our eternal destination of either Heaven or hell is determined by our response to the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Revelation 20:11-15
