Our Core Values
The glory of God.
Every person is most happy when submitting to God.
The authority of the Scriptures.
We teach the Bible verse-by-verse every week.
The privilege of community.
We are called to follow Christ together.
The responsibility of equipping.
Each of us intentionally trained for ministry.
The joy of witness.
We proclaim the words and works of Christ in what we say and how we live.
Our Affiliation
We are a member of the Evangelical Free Church of America.
The founders of the Evangelical Free Churches of America came to America in the late 1800s to escape the pressure being placed on them by European State churches. The word "Free" means that we are free from government mandates about doctrines and church life.
Additionally, each and every "Free Church" is autonomous, meaning that each individual congregation is free to make decisions about property and church policies, in keeping with the agreed upon Statement of Faith.
Our mutual Statement of Faith reflects a passion for anchoring our every conviction in the Word of God. The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous churches united around the following theological convictions.
Click through the headings below to learn about the beliefs that we hold together with the EFCA concerning these important topics. We are happy to provide a copy of the above with Scripture references.
Our Statement of Faith
God
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
The Bible
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
The Human Condition
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus-Israel’s promised Messiah-was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
The Work of Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
The Church
We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
Christian Living
We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
Christ's Return
We believe in the personal, bodily and premillennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
Response and Eternal Destiny
We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
Communion
As we reflect on Christ's finished work on the cross, we invite all who claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior to take communion together with us.
The Lord’s Table commemorates the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, where salvation was secured. Because of Christ’s finished work regarding salvation, the penalty for sin was paid, the power of sin was broken, and the presence of sin will be abolished. Furthermore, the cross of Christ is the supreme demonstration of God’s love for sinful humanity and is the essential summary of Christian faith (1 Corinthians 2:2).
Baptism
What does the Bible say about baptism and how should we respond?
We believe the New Testament teaches followers of Jesus Christ to be baptized. If you check out Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus instructs us that the mission of the church is to be baptizing new followers as a part of his mission. In fact, baptism is often called an “ordinance” of the church because Jesus “ordered” us to be baptized as a sign to the world that he is our Savior and Lord.
Baptism is a sign. It does not gain us favor or make us right in God’s eyes, but like a sign, points to the One who has won God’s favor. Those who have faith in Jesus will want to tell the world about this life-changing faith as Jesus instructed. Baptism’s sign is one of death, burial and resurrection.
While we respect other baptismal practices, we practice “believer’s baptism.” Those we baptize have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. This often takes place in our Middle or High School years but can take place at any point in one’s life after they have trusted Jesus.
We hold Baptism Classes annually or when we are aware of committed followers of Jesus waiting to be baptized. Please contact a pastor or elder if you are ready to follow the Lord in baptism.
Parent & Child Dedication
"For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him".
1 Samuel 1:27
While we do not baptize infants, we do observe Parent-Child Dedications, which are designed to thank God for the blessing of children and ask God to bring the child to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
The Parent-Child Dedication requires parents who have committed their way to the Lord and who are asking for wisdom, direction and grace in their parenting. In a Parent-Child dedication, we also ask the church family to be actively and faithfully involved in helping the parents raise their kids in the nurture and wisdom of God.
We typically hold Parent-Child dedications at least twice each year.
Church Membership
This Statement of Faith is covered in greater detail during our membership classes, which are typically held in Fall and Spring. For those interested in what we believe, but not necessarily church membership, you are welcome to audit the "Doctrines" portion of the Membership Class.