Values
Our goal as a church is to emulate the values that were embodied and modeled by Jesus and the early church. We strive to be a faith community guided by Scripture and the Holy Spirit where people can encounter Jesus to experience healing and find purpose and hope.
Love
God is love (1 John 4:16), and He has commanded us to love and express that love through obedience to His commandments (1 John 5:3). Jesus summed up the law and the prophets in two commandments: to love God and love our neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40).
Discipleship
Jesus made disciples and gave us the injunction to continue the mission (Matt. 28:19-20). We focus on the spiritual formation of our members.
Community
Jesus was constantly surrounded by and eating with people. Additionally, the early church practiced fellowship in the temple and homes. We also strive to cultivate community.
Service
Jesus was, first and foremost, a servant (Mark 10:45). He set a clear example of service that He expected His followers to emulate.
Generosity
Generosity was central to the churches of the first century. We are a generous church that gives to meet the needs of people.
Compassion
Jesus and the apostles focused on people’s spiritual needs but did not disregard their material needs. We are a church that expresses God’s compassion in tangible ways.
Our 16 Fundamental Truths
THE SCRIPTURES INSPIRED
The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired by God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (1 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:21).
THE ONE TRUE GOD
The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM,” the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has revealed Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (commonly known as the Trinity). (Deut. 6:4; Isaiah 43:10,11; Matt. 28:19).
THE DEITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. As God’s son, Jesus was both human and divine. He was born of a virgin (Matt. 1:23), sinless (Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22), and a miracle worker (Acts 2:22; Acts 10:38). Scripture teaches about his substitutionary work on the cross (1 Cor. 15:3; 5:21); His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt. 28:6; Luke 24:39); and His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9; Acts 1:11; Phil. 2:9-11).
THE FALL OF MAN
Man was created good and upright, for God said, “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.” However, man, by voluntary transgression, fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Gen. 1:26,27, 2:17, 3:6; Rom. 5:12-19).
THE SALVATION OF MAN
Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Conditions to Salvation: Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Rom. 10:13-15; Ephes. 2:8).
THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH
BAPTISM IN WATER: The Scriptures command the ordinance of baptism by immersion. All who repent and believe in Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. HOLY COMMUNION: The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements—bread and the fruit of the vine—is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ.
THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church.
THE INITIAL PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4).
SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil and of dedication unto God (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Thess. 5:23; Hebrews 13:12).
THE CHURCH AND ITS MISSION
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments to fulfill her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn.
THE MINISTRY
A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the fourfold purpose of leading the Church in evangelization of the world, worship of God, building a body of saints, and meeting human need with ministries of love and compassion.
DIVINE HEALING
Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matt. 8:16-17; James 5:14-16).
THE BLESSED HOPE
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the church.
THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth for one thousand years.
THE FINAL JUDGMENT
There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life will be consigned to the second death.
THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH
“We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21, 22).