Beliefs
We exist to glorify God by helping people find and follow Jesus.
Our mission drives everything we do and is at the heart of everything we believe. There are many words we could use to describe ourselves. But ultimately, we are Christians that worship the one true God and are on mission to lead people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. You can discover more about what we believe below.
What we believe.
The Trinity
God in three Persons
With Christians everywhere, we worship the only true God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit– who is both one essence and three persons. God is infinite, eternal, immutable, and perfectly holy, the sovereign Creator and sustainer of all things. God alone is worthy of all worship, and in His triune nature He reveals the fullness of divine love and glory (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).
The Bible
Authoritative and infallible
We receive and trust the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the infallible Word of God and our supreme guide for faith and life. Jesus Christ is the incarnate Word of God. God’s Word stands as His authoritative, saving self-revelation through the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1, 14; 2 Tim. 3:16–17; 2 Pet. 1:20–21).
Jesus
Our Lord and Savior
We confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, truly God and truly human, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. For us and for our salvation, He was crucified, died, and was buried and descended into hell, and on the third day rose again bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead (Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15–20; Heb. 1:1–3; Acts 1:9–11; Rev. 22:12).
Humanity & Salvation
The story of redemption
We affirm that all people are created in God’s image and called to reflect His glory, yet all have fallen into sin and are wholly unable to save themselves. Our only hope is in God’s sovereign grace, fulfilled in Christ alone. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who, by His atoning work, reconciles us to the Father, justifies us, adopts us as God’s children, and makes us new creations (Eph. 2:1–9; Titus 3:5; John 14:6; Rom. 5:1–2; 2 Cor. 5:17–21; Gal. 4:4–7).
The Church
The body of Christ
We commit ourselves to covenant life in the Church, the body of Christ, as a community gathered around the faithful preaching of the Word and the right administration of the Sacraments—Baptism and the Lord’s Supper—which are means of grace and signs of God’s covenant love. Within this community, we mutually encourage, disciple, and hold one another accountable in love (Acts 2:42–47; 1 Cor. 12:12–27; Eph. 4:1–16).
Mission & Evangelism
Make disciples of all nations
We rejoice that God, in sovereign grace, chose us in Christ not only for salvation but for service in the world. By the Holy Spirit, we are called and equipped to bear witness to Christ by proclaiming the gospel to all peoples and serving the world in word and deed (Eph. 1:4–5; John 15:16; Matt. 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; Mic. 6:8).
Life & Marriage
Living into God's design
We believe that God created humanity male and female and established marriage as a holy covenant between one man and one woman. We are called to chastity and fidelity within marriage or to celibacy in singleness, bringing all desires and relationships under Christ’s lordship. We uphold the sanctity of every human life, recognizing and honoring God’s image in every person from conception to natural death, and commit to protect and defend the vulnerable (Gen. 1:27; Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4–6; 1 Thess. 4:3–5; Heb. 13:4; Ps. 139:13–16; Rom. 12:1–2; 1 Pet. 1:14–16; Gal. 5:22–25; Ex. 20:13; Jer. 1:5).
Christian Living
Sanctification and stewardship
We seek, by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, to grow in holiness and Christlikeness, living as faithful stewards of all God has entrusted to us. We strive to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves, to pursue justice, show mercy, and use our gifts to extend Christ’s lordship in every sphere of life (Matt. 22:37–40; Gen. 1:26–28; Mic. 6:8; Rom. 12:1–2).
Our Blessed Hope
The culmination of all things
In all things, we exist to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, rejoicing in the sure and certain hope of Christ’s return. We believe Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead, welcoming the redeemed into eternal joy and condemning the unrepentant to eternal judgment. Until then, we live in joyful obedience and anticipation, longing to see Christ face to face and dwell with Him eternally (Ps. 86:9–12; 1 Cor. 10:31; Rev. 21:1–5; 1 John 3:2; Matt. 25:31–46; John 5:28–29).
This Statement of Faith is a summary of our denomination's doctrinal statement called the ECO Essential Tenets. We gladly receive the Tenets as a faithful exposition of Scripture for life and doctrine.
