 |
 |
| Who are we |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Statement of Faith
- There is only one God, creator of heaven and earth, who exists eternally as three persons - the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each fully God yet each personally distinct from the other.
- Jesus Christ, second Person of the Trinity, was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless human life, willingly took upon Himself all of our sins, died and rose again bodily, and is at the right hand of the Father as our advocate and mediator. Some day, He will return to consummate history and to fulfill the eternal plan of God.
- The Holy Spirit, third Person of the Trinity, convicts all humanity of sin and draws us all to Christ. He also indwells all believers. He is available to empower them with all necessary strength and wisdom to lead Christ-like lives, and gives them spiritual gifts with which to serve the church and reach out to a lost and needy world.
- The Bible is God's unique revelation of God's truth to people. It is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and the supreme and final authority on all matters upon which it teaches. No other writings are vested with such divine authority. We commit ourselves to regular Bible study and to preach and teach only that which is in accordance with Holy Scripture.
- All people are created in God's image and matter deeply to Him. Central to the message of the Bible is that God loves people, and invites them to live in communion with Himself and in community with each other. As image-bearers of God, each person is created to be a unique reflection of Gods’ glory here on earth.
- All of us though suffer from the consequences of sin and fall short of the glory of God. Except for Jesus Christ, all people are separated from God and are spiritually lost and, because of sin, deserve the judgment of God. All of creation suffers from sin and groans for restoration/salvation. However, God gives salvation and eternal life to anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ and in His sacrifice on his or her behalf. Christ’s offer of eternal life—the “Kingdom of God”—is both a present and future reality: “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [God has] sent. (John 17:3). Salvation cannot be earned through personal goodness or human effort. It is a gift that must be received by humble repentance and faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross.
- The Biblical story—from Genesis to Revelation—is God’s continual offer of forgiveness and mercy to bring wayward, rebellious people back to Himself. In Christ, both the mercy and judgment of God has been fully revealed. Believers will be received into God's loving presence and be fully united to Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. At that time God will wipe away every tear, death shall be no more and there will be no more mourning nor crying nor pain. Sin is a choice to disobey God and results in a fractured relationship with Him. The church is to welcome all sinners and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the community of believers, assist all in turning from sin and return to a whole relationship with God. The church is to follow the guidelines in Holy Scripture in dealing with unrelenting sin patterns in the lives of members.
- All believers are members of the body of Christ, the one true church universal. Spiritual unity is to be expressed among Christians by acceptance and love of one another across ethnic, cultural, socio-economic, national, generational, gender, and denominational lines.
- The local church is a congregation of believers who gather for worship, prayer, instruction, encouragement, mutual accountability, and community with each other. Through it, believers invest time, energy, and resources to fulfill the Great Commission - reaching lost people and growing them into fully devoted followers of Christ.
This statement reflects a contemporary summary of the central doctrines in the Bible, which are also presented in the historic creeds of the Christian church.
Statement on the Sacrament of Baptism:
We believe that Christ established both baptism as a sacrament and commanded all believers to be baptized. The Bible defines the church as the gathering of baptized believers. Our fellowship encourages parents to examine the scriptures regarding Baptism and to discern whether they choose to baptize their children as infants or make the choice of to dedicate them to the Lord and leave the ultimate Baptism choice to the child upon maturity - we make room for both practices. We commit as a body of believers to stand alongside parents to assist in raising up the children in our fellowship in the way of the Lord.
We also practice adult baptism. Baptism does not equal salvation, but it is a commandment that all believers are to follow.
Statement on the Sacrament of Communion:
We celebrate the fact that the God of the universe invites us to dine with him at his table. Christ himself invites us to remember him in partaking of the sacrament of Communion. We celebrate Communion at least weekly as part of our worship recognizing that it is a significant event in the life of our church as well as our lives as individuals. In doing so, we seek to be inclusive of all and sensitive to children and others by offering both wine and grape juice as part of our celebration of Communion.
Statement on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
We celebrate all gifts described in scripture and welcome them in our fellowship. We believe that the Holy Spirit uniquely gifts each believer to play a role in the life of the church. Christ is the focus of our worship and the gifts are not the focus of worship but enable the church to glorify God.
Statement on Women's Roles:
There are very few subjects that cause more controversy in the church than that of the nature and roles of men and women. When we study the Bible, we see that God didn't create men and women so that one gender would reign over the other. Rather, He made us to enjoy community. When God created human community, He proclaimed the mandate that both men and women were to share dominion over the earth. There are numerous examples of biblical women leadership including prophets and judges. Jesus displayed a revolutionary attitude towards women. From the woman at the well to his friendship with Martha and Mary, Christ ushered in a new day for women. We are to remember His example for the present Church. Women serve, teach and lead at Redeemer Community Church.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
