Ordinances - Baptism and Holy Communion

We practice Believer's Baptism, in that a person accepts Christ as their personal Savior and wants Him to be the Lord of their life and is baptized as a symbol of their decision.  Baptism is symbolic of one's commitment to Christ and by immersing individuals into the water symbolizes their old nature dying as well as Christ's own death, and the rising symbolizes one's new life in Christ as Christ was resurrected.

We celebrate Holy Communion (The Lord's Supper) on the first Sunday of every month.  It serves as a reminder to us of Christ's life and sacrifice for our sins.  It is a memorial meal, a new covenant, a celebration of the Lord's death and resurrection.  The broken bread symbolizes the broken body of Christ on the cross, and the grape juice symbolizes the blood of Christ shed for our sins.  The Lord's Table is open to all who have accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, and they are invited to partake of the bread and the cup.

God

We understand God as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  All three equally divine, equally authoritative, and all three co-existing and being one God.

A. The Father

God the Father is self existent, eternal, immortal, invisible, immanent, transcendent, and sovereign.  God is unchangeable, wise, holy, just, merciful, all knowing, all powerful, and ever present.  God is also a personal God, who is loving, caring, gracious, and continually is showing compassion to His people.  God seeks to be in relationships with His people as evidenced by the covenants He has made with them.

B. The Son - Jesus Christ

Jesus is God incarnate, fully God and fully man.  Jesus was born of a virgin, taking on human flesh, therefore, feeling and experiencing life as we do, yet without committing sin.  He taught on earth with authority, healed and performed miracles in the name of God, and showed compassion and love to all people.  He humbled Himself and lived a life of servant hood in obedience to God.  He willingly went to the cross for us, was crucified innocent of the charges, suffered and died and arose victorious on the third day.  Jesus has restored and reconciled our relationship to God.  He is the mediator between God and man, therefore we can relate to God through Jesus.

C. The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Great Comforter, instructor, advocate, and guide.  The Spirit serves as God's presence within our lives, leading, guiding and directing us to do God's will.  God's Spirit works in our lives enabling us to grow, and is displayed in the fruits and gifts it bears.

Humanity

Created in God's image and in close relationship to God, Adam and Eve live in the Garden of perfection.  However, this did not last long, because of their disobedience resulting in Satan's temptation, brought sin into the world.  Therefore, alienating them from God, corrupting their perfect image, and leading to physical death.

Redemption

We, as human beings could have continued to live separated from God because we have no way of reconciling ourselves to Him.  Fortunately for us, God could reconcile and did restore our relationship to Him through His only Son, who served as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  Only God could wash away our sins, and its through faith in Christ through the grace of God we can have salvation.  Christ brought new life for all of mankind. 

Judgment

Christ has been given the authority to judge, because He is the Son of Man (John 5:27).  God is patient and wants what is best for all of us.  "God will give to each person according to what he has done", (Romans 2:6) on judgment day.  That day is coming.  No one knows the day or the hour.  We must live each day as Christ would have us live, following His example, sharing His good news of salvation, testifying to His name and all the while giving God glory.

Scripture

The Bible is God's Word.  It is divinely inspired by God, authoritative, and serves as the rule of faith and practice.  It not only provides historical stories, but provides a record of God's works throughout history as well as instructions for today.  God inspired His people to write down all that He told them and all that they saw, each writer using his own style, language or vocabulary and personality.  We too, go to Scripture with various understandings, backgrounds, and personalities.

The Church

Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, the Church is active today; carrying out the mission of Jesus Christ, not only within the community but throughout the world.  The Church is the "body of Christ", and the people of God.  People come into membership by regeneration, i.e. those who are "born again", new creation in Christ, or those who have accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.  The Church is the people of God united in faith.  Its purpose is to do God's will here on earth as it is in heaven.  The rules of the church are separated from the laws of the state.

Marriage

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.  Both are created in God's image, and thus are of equal worth before God.