Beliefs:

“Justification” is the term we use to express our forgiveness in Christ. This means our sinful state of being separated from God has been overcome through the giving of ourselves to Christ.

Sanctification” is the term we use to describe the process of becoming more like the Christ today than we were yesterday, and more like the Christ tomorrow than we are today. Through the study of scripture, regular worship together, and service in the name of Christ, we are moving on toward perfection, a perfection we attain in full when our life is over and we inherit the Kingdom of God.

“Scripture” is the witness of God’s presence in human history. In scripture we see how God’s people strove to understand the presence and will of God in their lives individually and as a community of believers. Scripture is never static, but is dynamic. Scripture is both timely and timeless, showing us how God has moved in human history, and how God leads us as we move forward in human history. Scripture is of supreme importance as our guide into a deeper faith.

“Tradition” is an important part of our faith. It is the living faith of our ancestors, handed down to us as their witness.

“Reason” is the realization that God has given us a mind, and that we are to use our reason, inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, to determine God’s will for us in an ever changing and challenging world.

“Experience” is important to us, for as we examine how the faithful in Christ have experienced his presence in their lives, we begin to understand how our experiences of the Christ can help us, and those around us, grow in faith and confidence.

The Sacraments: We believe a sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. In other words, as we participate in the physical action of the sacrament, God infuses the receiver with grace & faith to the extent God chooses.

Baptism: For adults, baptism is the outward sign of having received new life through the acceptance of Christ into your heart. For children and infants, it marks their inclusion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ, where they are nurtured until they are old enough to proclaim their faith in Christ. Little children were never rejected from Christ’s love, and his love is extended to us through baptism.

Communion:We believe that Holy Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper and the Eucharist, is an act of remembrance of how Christ sacrificed his body and his blood for our forgiveness. As a sacrament, it is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. We participate in the sacrament, but God infuses the receiver with grace and faith to the extent God chooses.