WHAT WE BELIEVE
GOD
We believe that God is the creator and author of everyone’s story.
We believe in one God existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe that God is a loving Father who is for His people and there is nothing we can do to escape from the unconditional love of the Father.
THE CHURCH
We believe that God created humanity for community. God never intended for us to do life alone.
Through the church, we experience the fullness of God’s intent for us to share and experience the love of Christ despite our own imperfections. We share life experiences – from our greatest joys to our deepest fears. We celebrate our individual spiritual gifts – from music to mountain climbing, painting to parenting. We serve others with consistency and extravagance. And we deeply encourage each other to consistently pursue Jesus in uniqueness and unity, not uniformity.
BAPTISM
We believe that baptism is a practice that symbolizes our commitment to following Jesus.
In baptism, we unite ourselves with the three major events of the Gospel – the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Through baptism we surrender our lives to God by emulating His death in repenting and putting to death of our old habits/desires and proclaiming Jesus as Lord, by emulating His burial in being immersed in water following the example that Jesus himself set for us, and by emulating His resurrection in being raised from the water just as Christ rose from the grave, the ultimate symbol of hope in the Christian faith. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. We were once dead in our sin (death/burial), but through Christ we have been made new and raised into a new life. Baptism is the starting line of our journey with Christ not the finish line.
JESUS
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, fully divine & fully human, whom God sent to earth to exemplify how to live a fully surrendered life.
In his humanity, Jesus became a model of compassion, kindness, justice, and leadership and showed us how to live in communion with God and each other. In his divinity, Jesus taught with authority, modeled discipleship, and ultimately sacrificed himself on the cross to close the gap that sin creates between humanity and God. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we are given access to God and we are invited into a new life, free from the penalty of sin, to experience the fullness of life Jesus promised when we surrender to his will.
THE BIBLE
The Bible speaks life into two fundamental questions every person asks themselves – who is God and who am I?
The Bible, the living, inspired word of God, tells the story of God and his relationship with humanity throughout history. Each narrative within the larger story has it’s own context and author that provides depth and insight to the experiences of God’s people. The Bible gives us direction, allows us to grow in intimacy with God through increasing our knowledge of who He is, and allows us to deepen our faith by putting into practice what it says.
COMMUNION
Communion is a meal that we share together every Sunday.
During this meal, we celebrate and remember Christ’s work on the cross – the ultimate sacrifice made on our behalf for the forgiveness of our sins. The bread and the cup represent the body and blood of Jesus. All are welcome around the table and free to take the bread and cup. You can participate each week by reflecting and praying on your own or you can gather into groups with friends and family, sharing stories of how God is working in your life, encouraging and praying for one another.
HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is God’s presence living inside of those who have surrendered their lives to God.
The Holy Spirit serves as a counselor, as a guide, and as a catalyst for God’s will to be done in the world through us.
SALVATION
We believe that salvation is not just about escaping the punishment of sin, but is about entering into a new life that is made whole through the sacrifice of Jesus.
Throughout scripture, salvation is described as a past experience, a present reality, and a future promise that is woven into our individual stories. While our journeys into the arms of God may be vastly different, we all proclaim that Jesus is the Savior and salvation is the process of making him the Lord of our lives.