Who we are
We are an Evangelical, Reformed, Baptist congregation that proclaims the fullness of Christ, the freeness of the gospel, and the doctrines of grace to the glory of God.
1. Evangelical– We believe the Scriptures are our only and full authority in all matters. We believe in the Trinity, one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one in essence yet three distinct persons. We believe that the Scriptures teach a seven-day creation and that Adam and Eve were real persons who fell into sin. Because of Adam’s sin, the whole race is now fallen and alienated from God. The only way of salvation is through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone. We preach the gospel of free grace as good news that Jesus Christ has come into the world to save sinners. The church is Christ’s grand design to bring all of the lost to a saving knowledge of Himself and has given the church the authority and responsibility to make disciples throughout the world (both in foreign lands and in our local communities). We believe that Christ in His Word has ordained the preaching and teaching of the Word of God as the primary means by which men come to a saving knowledge of Him.
2. Reformed– We believe with our spiritual forefathers of the Reformation that the law and gospel are distinct, yet they sweetly comply with one another. We also wholeheartedly agree with the five solas of the Reformation:
- Sola Scriptura– the Word of God is the only inerrant, sufficient, and final authority for the church. We believe that the Scriptures are sufficient for life in the family, in the church, and in the world.
- Solus Christus– Christ alone is the only basis on which the ungodly are justified in God’s sight.
- Sola Fide– a believer receives the redemption Christ has accomplished only through faith.
- Sola Gratia– salvation, from beginning to end, is by God’s grace and God’s grace alone.
- Soli Deo Gloria– only God receives glory for our salvation and our lives are now lived wholly to Him and for His glory.
We believe that the doctrines of Scripture are not to be merely confessed but rather believed, experienced, and applied for communion with God.
3. Baptist– We believe that baptism is a sacrament reserved for credibly professing believers in the Lord Jesus Christ under the New Covenant. In reference to the authority of the church, we believe that there is no authority (denomination, bishop, or presbytery) outside the local church.
What we do
In light of what God has done for us in saving us through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ in saving us by His grace, we want to live lives in thankfulness to Him. We are ambassadors of this saving message to a dying and watching world. Everything we do is intended to reflect our gratitude and in everything to follow scripture as faithfully as possible.
1. Marks of a True Church– We seek to practice the marks of a true church taught in the New Testament and outlined by the Protestant Reformation. Those marks are:
- Faithful preaching of the Word– We seek to preach/teach the whole counsel of God’s Word
- Faithful administration of the sacraments– We seek to celebrate and observe baptism and the Lord’s Supper as commanded in the New Testament.
- Faithful exercise of church discipline– We seek to maintain the peace and purity of the church with a gracious spirit and with a desire as a church body to live godly lives in response to the gospel.
2. Corporate Worship– We believe the Lord’s Day is a day set apart for the public worship of God, private communion with Him, and the fellowship of Christians. The Lord’s Day is the marketplace of the soul where God’s people gather around the means of grace (singing, praying, preaching, and the sacraments) that God uses to nourish and strengthen our faith as the Spirit of God works through the Word of God.
- We believe corporate worship’s shape and content should be determined by Scripture and grounded in Scripture.
- We believe corporate worship should be centered on Christ and the gospel and aimed at the glory of God.
- We believe that the songs in corporate worship must be biblical, theologically rich, and singable by the congregation.
- We believe the prayers in corporate worship should be corporate (leading the congregation) and should include the various sorts of prayers found in Scripture (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication, etc.).
- We believe that expositional preaching must be the primary diet of the church.
- We believe that it is important for families to worship together. Parents are to instruct and teach their children in family worship and prepare them for corporate worship (nursery is provided for children three years old and younger).
3. Life Together– We believe that the “work of the ministry” belongs to the congregation. As the congregation is equipped through the preaching/teaching of the Word, they are equipped to serve the body (Eph. 4:12).
- The heart of this congregational ministry is fulfilling the Christian duties we are called to exercise towards one another (ex. Gal. 6:10; Eph. 4:3, 22; 5:20; Col. 3:16; 1 Thess. 5:11; Heb. 10:24-25; 13:17; 1 Pt. 1:22).
- Congregational ministry includes serving in various areas and ministries in the life of the church as the need arises.
- A congregation’s humble heart and desire to outdo one another in love is a mark of the transforming power of the gospel and a testimony to the world of what true gospel fellowship looks like.
We believe that fellowship amongst the body of believers should extend beyond the gatherings of the church. We seek to live life together as we grow in the gospel- depending on one another, praying for one another, sharing our homes with one another, encouraging one another, and discipling one another as we walk the path of the Christian life to and from the Lord’s Day gathering
4. Teaching/Discipleship– We seek to proclaim Christ, warning, and teaching from all of Scripture, so that “we may present everyone mature in Christ (Col. 1:28). In addition to corporate worship, we seek to do this by:
- Adult and Children School Classes– We believe that age-based Sunday School classes are important tools for discipleship. We see our children’s Sunday school classes as a supplement that enriches family worship and helps equip children to participate and listen in corporate worship
- Men and Women’s Bible Studies
- Wednesday Evening Study/Prayer
- Individual Discipleship
5. Mission– We believe and preach the gospel of free grace as good news that Jesus Christ has come into the world to save sinners. We believe our primary mission as a local church is to make disciples of the nations (Matt. 28:18-20) so that the glory of God might cover the face of the earth (Hab. 2:14). This is the heart of our Savior (Matt. 9:36) and the nature of our God (Jonah 4:2). We desire to do this corporately as a church body in the training, supporting, and sending pastors and missionaries into various mission fields and local churches locally and globally. We desire to do this organically, as individual Christians, as we scatter each Lord’s Day as ambassadors of Christ taking the gospel message wherever we go, proclaiming the excellencies of the God who has saved us.