Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
For…Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now…the church submits to Christ…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish…For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore…the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:22-32)
GOSPEL
The Gospel is our fundamental message. It drives everything we do, from worship to friendship to mission! It is not merely the doorway into Christianity, but instead its heartbeat. In the Gospel, we begin to understand God and learn to receive his presence as we are transformed by his grace.
Bible
The Scriptures are our rule and standard for doctrine and worship and for the knowledge and experience of God. In the Scriptures, God reveals himself to us and offers us his perfect and powerful word. We believe that the best way to understand the Bible is not alone, reading in isolation, but instead by reading in concert with the universal Church, and thus we seek to listen to the Church of all ages as we read the Scriptures.
Life of Jesus Christ
All of Scripture is illuminated and explained by the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Although we cannot ever fully understand what it means that God became man, died, was raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven, these realities nevertheless are the key to all of our theology as well as our understanding of our place in God’s story. The incarnation, death, resurrection and ascension reveal the unknowable God, and because they were his eternal purpose, they enable us to see creation and God’s activity rightly.
CHURCH
The Church is not merely the gathering of individual Christians, but instead the body of Christ and his bride. This is more than metaphor or symbol; instead, the images of body and bride reveal to us the reality of the Church’s unity with Jesus Christ. The Church itself is the physical presence and embodiment of Jesus Christ on earth, and is made one and given its life by the presence of the Spirit of God. There is only one Church, which has existed in all ages, as there is only one body of Christ. As Christ’s bride, the Church is not simply a means of bringing individuals to salvation, but instead God’s glorious purpose from the beginning.
HOLY SPIRIT
Without the Spirit, a church is merely a gathering of people. The life of God is given through the presence of the Spirit, who is the seal and promise of what is to come. The Spirit guards the Church and guides it into truth, working through the proclamation of the Scriptures and the participation in the Sacraments to create and strengthen our faith.