God

We believe in the one true living God, Creator of heaven and earth. God is almighty in power, perfect in wisdom, righteous in judgment and overflowing in steadfast love. God is the Sovereign who rules over all things visible and invisible, the Shepherd who rescues the lost and helpless. God is a refuge and fortress for those in need. God is a consuming fire, perfect in holiness, yet slow to anger and abounding in tender mercy. God comforts like a loving mother, trains, disciplines like a caring father, and persists in covenant love like a faithful husband. We confess God as eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God the Father is the source of all life. In Him, we live and move and have our being. The Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth and hears the prayers of all who call on Him. In the fullness of time, the Father sent the Son for the salvation of the world. Through Jesus Christ, the Father adopts all who respond in faith to the gospel, forgives those who repent of their sin, and enters a new covenant with them. God gives the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, to all His children. God’s creative and redemptive love sustains this world until the end of the age.

God the Son, we believe Jesus is truly God and truly man, He entered the world through the virgin birth, lived blamelessly to be our example and substitute, and died and rose again as our Lord and Savior. Through whom all things were created and who holds all things together, is the image of the invisible God. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, Jesus took on human nature to redeem this fallen world. He revealed the fullness of God through his obedient and sinless life.  Through word and deed, Jesus proclaimed the reign of God, bringing good news to the poor, release to the captives and recovery of sight for the blind. Jesus triumphed over sin through His death and resurrection and was exalted as Lord of creation and the church. The Savior of the world invites those He calls to be reconciled to God; offering peace to those far and near and calling them to follow Him in the way of the cross. Until the Lord Jesus returns in glory, He intercedes for believers, acts as their advocate, and calls them to be His witnesses.

God the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, is the creative power, presence, and wisdom of God. The Spirit convicts people of sin gives them new life and guides them into all truth. By the Spirit, believers are baptized into one body. The indwelling Spirit testifies that they are God’s children, distributes gifts for ministry, empowers for witness, and produces the fruit of righteousness. As Comforter, Holy Spirit helps God’s children in their weakness, intercedes for them according to God’s will, and assures them of eternal life.

Genesis 1; Exodus 15:2-3; Exodus 34:6-7; Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Psalm 8; Psalm 23; Psalm 139; Isaiah 55:8-9; Isaiah 66:12-13; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hosea 11:1-4; Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 5-7; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 4:18-19; John 1:1-18; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7-15; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4; Romans 8:1-17; I Corinthians 12:4-7; I Corinthians 13; I Corinthians 15:3-8; II Corinthians 1:22; II Corinthians 5:16-21; II Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:15-2:22; Ephesians 3:14-21; Philippians 2:6-11; Colossians 1:15-20; I Timothy 6:15-16; II Timothy 2:11-13; Hebrews 12:7-11; I Peter 2:21-25; I John 2:2; Revelation 5:5-6, 9-10.

God – There is one God, Creator of all things, revealing Himself, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Salvation / Restored Relationship – we believe that for the glory of God, Jesus paved the way for salvation through the shedding of his blameless blood and that salvation is available to all who place their faith in His death, burial, and resurrection. That, though we were separated from God by sin, by the drawing of Holy Spirit, and through Jesus Christ, we can have a relationship with God both here and now and in eternity. Salvation is God’s gift to all those He calls; we cannot earn it but can obtain it through faith in Jesus Christ through His sinless life, atoning death, burial, and resurrection. 

Acts 4:12, Rom 8:30, Rom 10:9, John 14:6, Eph 1:10-11

Spiritual Gifts – we believe that God has and continues to empower all believers to reflect Heaven on Earth through signs, miracles, and wonders. We are gateways of Heaven empowered with spiritual gifts and manifest that power for the purpose of bringing glory to God.

Bible – God’s Word to us. We believe that the Bible, Old and New Testament, is the living, breathing word of God; that it was authored & inspired by God through the Holy Spirit, and written through human hands. It is infallible and in it we find relevant guidelines for daily Christian living.

2 Tim 3:15-17, 2 Pet 1:20-21, Psalm 19:7-9

Healing – We believe in Divine Healing and that divine provision was made for the physical, mental, and spiritual healing of the believer through the prayer of faith and by the laying on of hands. It is provided for by the redemptive work of Jesus and is a privilege for every member of the Church today.

 Christian Baptism

Confession

We believe that when people receive God’s gift of salvation, they are to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism is a sign of having been cleansed from sin. It is a covenant with the Church to walk in the way of Jesus through the power of the Spirit.

Meaning

Baptism by water is a public sign that a person has repented of sins, received forgiveness of sins, died with Jesus to sin, been raised to newness of life and received the Holy Spirit. Baptism is a sign of the believer’s incorporation into the body of Jesus as expressed in the local church. Baptism is also a pledge to serve Jesus according to the gifts given to each person.

Eligibility

Baptism is for those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and commit themselves to follow Christ in obedience as members of the local church. Baptism is for those who understand its meaning, are able to be accountable to Christ and the church, and voluntarily request it because of their faith response to Jesus Christ.

Practice

We practice water baptism by immersion administered by the church.

Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:2-6; I Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 2:12-13; Galatians 3:26-27; Ephesians 4:4-6.

Lord’s Supper

Meaning

The church observes the Lord’s Supper, as instituted by Christ. The Supper points to Christ, whose body was broken for us, whose blood was shed to assure salvation for believers and to establish the new covenant. In the Supper, the church identifies with the life of Christ given for the redemption of humanity and proclaims the Lord’s death until He comes. The Supper expresses the fellowship and unity of all believers with Christ. It is a supper of remembrance, celebration, and praise that strengthens believers for true discipleship and service.

Practice

In preparation for the fellowship of the Lord’s Supper, all believers examine themselves. All those who understand its meaning, confess Jesus Christ as Lord in word and life. They are accountable to their congregation and are living in right relationship with God. The normal pattern in the New Testament was that baptism preceded participation in the Lord’s Supper.

Matthew 26:26-30; Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 10:16-17; I Corinthians 11:23-32.

Discipleship

Following Jesus

We believe that Jesus calls people who have experienced the joy of new birth to follow Him as disciples. By calling His followers to take up the cross, Jesus invites them to reject the godless values of the world and offer themselves to God in a life of service. The Holy Spirit, who lives in every Christian, empowers believers to overcome the acts and attitudes of the sinful nature. Filled with love and gratitude, disciples delight to obey God.

United in a Distinct Community

Christians enjoy fellowship with God and other believers. At baptism believers are joined to the local church, commit themselves to building up the body of Christ, and witness to the good news of the Christian hope. In a community, members grow in maturity as they demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, use their spiritual gifts and practice mutual accountability in the disciplines of the Christian life. Christians confess sin, repent and experience God’s grace in the life of the Christian community.

Demonstrating True Faith

Jesus teaches that discipleship is the way of self-denial and blesses those who suffer for righteousness. Disciples are to resist worldly values and systems, the sinful nature, and the devil. Disciples give generously and reject materialism which makes a god out of wealth. Disciples treat others with compassion and gentleness and reject violence as a response to injustice. Disciples speak honestly to build others up and reject dishonest, vulgar, and careless talk; they seek to avoid lawsuits to resolve personal grievances, especially with other believers. Disciples maintain sexual purity and marital faithfulness and reject immoral, premarital, and extramarital relationships and all homosexual practices. To be a disciple means to be true to Jesus in everyday life.

Psalm 1; Psalm 119; Amos 5:24; Matthew 5-7; Matthew 18:15-20; Mark 8:34-38; John 8:31-32; John 13:34-35; John 15:14-15; Acts 2:41-47; Romans 1:24-32; Romans 8:1- 30; Romans 12; I Corinthians 6:9-11; I Corinthians 11:1; I Corinthians 12:1-13; II Corinthians 8-9; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:16-26; Galatians 6:1-2; Ephesians 4:11-12, 15-16; Ephesians 5:1, 18; Philippians 2:6-8; Colossians 3:1-17; I Thessalonians 4:3-8; I Thessalonians 5:17; I Timothy 1:9-11; I Timothy 2:1-8; I Timothy 4:6-8; II Timothy3:14-17; Hebrews12:1-3; Hebrews 13:4-5; James 1:22-27; James 4:7; I Peter 2:20-25; I Peter 3:15; I Peter 5:8-9; I John 1:3; I John 6-9; I John 2:15-17.

Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct – The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself is the inspired and infallible Word of God. Itspeaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind. It is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of One Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Pastors and/or Elders are One Church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.

Statement on the Sanctity of Human Life – We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Ps 139.)

Marriage Policy – Because God has ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant relationship between a man, a woman, and Himself, One Church, Inc. will only recognize marriages between a biological man and a biological woman. Further, the Pastors and staff of One Church, Inc. shall only participate in weddings and solemnize marriages between one man and one woman. Finally, the facilities and property of One Church, Inc. shall only host weddings between one man and one woman.

Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality – We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27.) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen 2:18-25.) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4.) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10.)

We believe that to preserve the function and integrity of One Church and the affiliate ministries as the local Body of Christ and to provide a biblical role model to the One Church attendees and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by One Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality. (Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 These 5:22.)

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11.) We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be rejected and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of One Church.

Church Membership Agreement – One Church does not have members; as such, attendees of One Church have no voting rights and attendees visit this church of their own volition.