BELIEFS
Committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
What is the Gospel?
The gospel is the good news of God’s grace invading the darkness of this world. It is the grand narrative of creation, fall, redemption and consummation ordained by God and orchestrated through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Christ’s crucifixion is the heart of the gospel. His resurrection is the power of the gospel. His ascension is the glory of the gospel.
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Christ’s death is a substitutionary and propitiatory sacrifice to God for our sins. It satisfies the demands of God’s holy justice and appeases His holy wrath. It also demonstrates His mysterious love and reveals His amazing grace. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name by which men can be saved. At the heart of all sound doctrine is the cross of Jesus Christ and the infinite privilege that redeemed sinners have in glorifying God because of what He has accomplished. Therefore, we want all that takes place in our hearts, churches and ministries to proceed from and be related to the gospel.
Basic Beliefs
We believe:
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the Scriptures are true, authoritative and sufficient.
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there is only one true God, Creator of heaven and earth, who eternally exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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all things exist for the glory of God.
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all humanity—Christ excluded—is sinful by both birth and action.
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the deserved penalty for sin is physical and spiritual death.
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Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, was born of a virgin and is both fully God and fully human.
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Jesus Christ died as the sacrificial substitute to pay the penalty for sin.
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Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and will one day physically return.
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there will be a future physical resurrection of the dead. Only those who turn from sin and to Jesus in faith and repentance will be raised to eternal reward. Those who do not turn from sin and to Jesus will be raised to eternal punishment.
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only through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ and repentance from sin can one be reconciled to God and experience true life and joy.
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For more read the Baptist Faith and Message
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Theological Distinctives
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Salvation
God is sovereign over all things such that there is no aspect of reality outside of His ultimate control. Though God’s rule extends to all things, it is particularly His sovereignty over the work of salvation that is a theological distinctive. We believe that it is exceedingly good and glorious news that salvation is not dependent on the desires and deeds of man, but is grounded instead in God’s eternal decree of election. Though man is responsible for his sin, God is ultimately and entirely responsible for drawing those He would save unto Himself and overcoming their natural resistance to the gospel.
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The Complementary Roles of Men and Women
Men and women are absolutely equal in essence, dignity and value and are different by divine design. As part of God’s good created order, men and women are to have different yet complementary roles and responsibilities in the home and church, especially as it comes to teaching and authority. These role distinctions are God’s grace to man and woman and are to be protected, preserved and practiced for His glory and our joy.
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Believer’s Baptism by Immersion
Baptism is intended only for those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ and can give sufficient testimony to the basics of Christian beliefs. Also, we baptize by immersion because it is not only the original significance of the word, but also best symbolizes the reality to which baptism points—our death and resurrection in Christ.
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The Relationship of God’s Glory to Man’s Joy
We believe that man’s greatest joy is found only in faithful obedience to God and that our enjoyment of Him is one of the chief means by which He is glorified.
Baptism FAQs
We want to make sure that you understand the meaning of baptism and know how to prepare for this special time.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF BAPTISM?
Baptism is a symbol of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is a visual picture that we have died to an old way of life without Jesus and are alive to a new life in Christ, giving us the hope and promise of eternal life in Him. It identifies us with Christ and with His body, the church (Romans 6:3-9 and Ephesians 4:4-6).The Bible gives account in the book of Acts when the believers were baptized. Again, the first baptisms on record are in the book of Acts and took place with the local body of believers. The church family celebrated them together, and this ties us to Christians of all times all over the world!
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WHO IS BAPTISM FOR?
Baptism is for believers in Christ. Salvation is by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. Belief in Jesus Christ is what makes you a believer, not baptism. Baptism is for believers AFTER they have put their faith in Christ. In the book of Acts, every person baptized did so after he/she believed.
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WHY SHOULD I BE BAPTIZED?
Baptism is obedience to the Bible. Baptism is mentioned 70 times in the New Testament. Jesus Himself was baptized as an example for us (Matthew 3:16-19) and He commands all believers to be baptized (Matthew 28:19).
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WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT I BE BAPTIZED BY IMMERSION?
Believer’s baptism by immersion was the method used in the early church as described in the Bible. Through descriptions such as “plenty of water” (John 3:23), “came up out of the water” (Mark 1:10), “went down…came up out of” (Acts 8:36) and others, it is clear that immersion was the practice. In addition to the examples and the symbolism (described above), the word baptism (Greek language) means to immerse.
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WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ABOUT INFANT/CHILD BAPTISM?
In some churches, infant christening or infant baptism is practiced. Though many times this represents a decision by parents to raise their children to know and follow God, it is important to note that it does not demonstrate the infant’s or child’s own personal belief. It is also important to know that if you were christened or “baptized” as a baby that does not make you a Christian. While we recognize the heart and intent of infant baptism or christening, we understand from the Bible that only professing believers in Christ qualify for baptism. We recognize the desire of parents to commit to raise their children to know God, and we want to partner with parents in doing so. For that reason, we practice “Parent/Child Dedication” as a celebration and milestone for parents and families, as well as for our church family. For more information, please contact our Kids Ministry.
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