As the ancient church father St. Augustine once said, "In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In everything, love."

The idea behind this quote is of significance to us as a community. We deeply understand that there must be unity on the essential teachings held within Scripture, otherwise it will be impossible to experience the life of God in the family of God.

However, we also deeply understand that the Church has spent centuries dividing itself over non-essentials, leading us to NOT fulfill the prayer of Jesus and the instructions of Paul. Therefore, when it comes to non-essentials we believe there should be liberty within the church family, honoring the continual process of belief that we each experience over a lifetime of walking with Jesus. This is not to take anything away from the importance of these topics, however, we believe that the most loving, dignifying way of holding these teachings in the church is by liberty.

In all of these things, love must be central. Right belief without humility is not love. Wrong belief without correction is not love. What Jesus embodied and desires for us is right belief that is always expressed and championed by love. This is what we desire to live out as His followers.

The Essentials

God

We believe in the one, eternal God revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Inspiration of Scripture

Scripture is written by man but inspired by God. We look to these Scriptures for enlightenment on life, training and good works. Ultimately, it is the Scriptures that tell us of the good announcement of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel

The Gospel is the good announcement that God's plan to restore all things has been launched through the life, death, and resurrection of Messiah Jesus, with a promise of future fulfillment. Jesus has overcome sin (through the cross) and death (through the grave), effectively ushering in His kingdom of love, joy, and peace. We can now enter this kingdom through belief in Him, taking on His purpose of restoring all things as an ultimate pointer to New Creation.

Salvation

We are saved by grace through faith. It is not a work of our own, but a gift of God. Through genuine belief and confession we are held in Christ and made new through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and sealed for the day of Christ's return. We believe that salvation is about being made whole (body, mind, and spirit). Being saved signifies a complete transformation of a person to be a true image bearer of God.

Read More