Our Beliefs
God
We believe in one God, eternally existent and manifested in three co-equal persons as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God created man in His own image, and called him to manifest and reflect holiness through obedience to His commands, but mankind failed. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love, has initiated a plan of redemption and reconciliation for mankind, the pinnacle of which is found in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.
Jesus
We believe that Jesus is the incarnation and only begotten Son of God. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, being at the same time fully God and fully man. He lived a sinless life, was crucified, died, and was buried. On the third day after His death, He rose again and ascended into heaven. He now sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and He will come again to judge the living and the dead. Jesus is the only way to God.
The Holy Spirit
The Bible
We believe the Holy Spirit, as the supernatural and sovereign Agent in regeneration, indwells all believers at the moment of salvation. He serves as our comforter, guide, intercessor, and advocate; empowers and seals us until the day of redemption; and convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
We believe that the Bible, in its entirety, is divine revelation. We acknowledge it to be inerrantly inspired by God and carrying the full weight of His authority; and therefore it alone is the standard for faith and practice. The totality of Holy Scriptures comprises our full statement of faith and we submit to its authority.*
Mankind
Reconciliation
We believe that mankind was purposefully created by and in the image of God. God called mankind to holiness, but man failed in this responsibility and refused to honor God as God. Because of this rebellion, man has fallen into a state of moral corruption and has become alienated from his Creator.
We believe that reconciliation is through Jesus Christ, through His substitutionary, atoning death and bodily resurrection. He provided the only basis of our justification which, by God's grace, we receive by faith alone. God initiates this reconciliation by regenerating our hearts, as evidenced by our repentance and confession of faith in the salvation and lordship of Jesus Christ. Our faith, which is a gift of God, naturally results in and is evidenced by obedience and good works in the life of the believer. Our great hope is the redemption of our bodies through resurrection to eternal life, which will effect our full inheritance as sons.
Baptism
We believe in water baptism by immersion in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as Jesus commanded and set the example. Baptism is a symbol of the union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is a celebration and testimony of the new spiritual life of the believer, and therefore must be a conscious choice of the individual being baptized.
Leadership
We believe that the appointed church Elders are leaders in the church and are the ones who provide direction and oversight to the church. They implement, as required, church discipline according to Matthew 18, 1 Corinthians 5, and Titus 3 for those who live in unrepentant sin.
*NOTE: This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of FCC's faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Senior Pastor and Elder Board are FCC's final interpretative authority on the Bible's meaning and application.
