What We Believe
GOD
We believe that there is only one living and true God, who exists in three distinct persons — God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three, the Trinity, are equal in essence and distinct in function. He is the creator of the universe, never changing, eternal, all-powerful and unending in love.
Genesis 1:1, Matthew 3:16-17, 1 John 5:7-8
The Father
The first person of the Trinity orders and directs all things according to His purpose and pleasure. He has created humanity to bring Him glory and honor, through His grace. While He is transcendent, He is also actively involved in His creation — offering an eternal relationship with us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6:9, John 5:19-24, Ephesians 1:3-6
The Son
Jesus Christ is both the eternal Son of God and virgin-born Son of man. Fully God, fully man, He surrendered nothing of His deity during His earthly life. His sinless, sacrificial offering on the cross satisfied the Father’s justice, offering atonement for all of humanity’s sins, for all time. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His physical ascension, and His visible return back to earth to establish His earthly kingdom.
John 1:14-18, 1 Corinthians 15, Hebrews 1:3
The Holy Spirit
The third person of the Trinity executes the will of God in this world through humanity, by leading, guiding, filling, teaching, and convicting. The Holy Spirit is not merely an impersonal force, but a person, displaying the qualities of personhood (intellect, emotions, and will). He equips believers upon conversion by giving the gifts to be used for the building up of the church, and by bearing fruit through their yielded lives.
John 3:1-8, John 16:5-16, 1 Corinthians 12
SALVATION
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts.
John 1:12, John 14:6, John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10, Titus 3:4-7
Humanity
We were created in the image of God, destined to enjoy an intimate relationship with God, fulfilling His will here on earth. But because of Adam and Eve’s willful sin in the garden, sin entered into the world, and has infected all of humanity. Therefore, because of our inherent sinful nature received from our father Adam, we are all separated from God, spiritually dead, and destined for physical death and an eternity removed from God.
Genesis 1-3, Romans 1:18-32, Romans 3
The Scriptures
We believe that every word in the original writings is inspired by God and is without error. The Word of God reveals God’s nature and will for all of humanity, and, because of this, it is to be the foundation of faith and practice. We affirm that while the Scriptures are accurate in all matters, they were never given to be an end in and of themselves, but rather a means to a relationship with God. Because of this, the authority and teaching of Scriptures will have a preeminent place in our church.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21
The Church
For all who have placed their faith in God through His Son Jesus Christ, they are a part of the universal body of believers known as the church. This placement of the believer into the universal church requires an association of the believer with other followers of Christ in a local assembly. The purpose of the local church is to lead people to Christ and to bring them to maturity in Christ. The members of the local church are to live their lives in humble submission to other Spirit-led believers, and to the God-appointed leaders of the church Worship Encounter Church is an autonomous local assembly that is led by Jesus Christ, who gives direction as the head of this body through a body of appointed elders.
Hebrews 10:24-25, Acts 2:41-47, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Matthew 28:18-20
Non-Essentials
We affirm that the doctrines of the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection, the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and salvation by grace through faith make up the essential, distinctive nature of Christianity. In regards to these essential doctrines, there can be no conflicting opinions of those who call themselves true followers of Christ. However, we do acknowledge that there are peripheral or non-essential doctrines that are important, but not critical to the follower of Christ as it relates to our salvation. Some of these topics include the exact timing and nature of the rapture, the extent and use of certain spiritual gifts, and the relationship between election and free-will in salvation. While our church will be diligent to establish positions as it relates to these non-essentials, we will not allow these peripheral doctrines to cause division within the church. We will accept into our body those who have differing views on the non-essential doctrines, but will not allow those of a different opinion to fracture the church. While we celebrate diversity along all lines (racial and theological), we will ultimately pursue the unity of the church.