WHAT WE BELIEVE

We believe Jesus Christ alone is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

He is God the Son, the King of creation, and the one Lord over the church. Through his incarnation Jesus reveals God, through his crucifixion Jesus reconciles us to God, and through his resurrection and ascension Jesus reigns as God.

God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above every rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Ephesians 1:19-23

We believe God created humanity for relationship with Himself.

Jesus reconciles sinful humanity to gracious God. For us to receive the undeserved gift of forgiveness and new life – without which we are alienated from God for eternity – we must trust Jesus as Savior, entrust ourselves to Jesus as Lord, and surrender to Jesus as King. By giving him our allegiance we become part of the family of faith, the new humanity.

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

 

If, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5:10

We believe the Bible is trustworthy and authoritative.

God’s word, in its particulars as well as in its principles, is the uniquely authoritative witness to the Lord Jesus Christ, and is trustworthy in its entirety. The Scriptures expose the darkness of our sin, reveal the hope of redemption through Jesus, and present God’s intended way for us to live fully.

All Scripture is God-breathed, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

We believe the Church exists to proclaim and live out the love of God.

The kingdom of God exists wherever the reign of Jesus is acknowledged by his subjects. It spreads one heart at a time as individuals give their hearts and lives to him. The local church is a colony of the kingdom in this world (Philippians 3:20) and a foretaste of the new humanity (Revelation 7:9). The church puts the love and presence of God on display and shares the love of Christ in this world. Whether gathered for nurture or scattered for mission, it never stops being his or doing his work.

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

We are affiliated with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) denomination. The EPC motto beautifully captures the spirit of both our church family and our denomination:

 

In essentials, unity.
In non-essentials, liberty.
In all things, charity.

For more information about our theological convictions and about our denomination, visit the EPC website.

CURRENT CULTURAL ISSUES

Because the questions of what it means to be human and what it means to be male and female are some of the most pressing and divisive societal questions of our day, we believe it is helpful to briefly summarize our positions on these issues. Following is a summary of what we believe the Bible teaches. To learn more about our views, please follow the links provided below.

Humanity

We believe that God created each of us in his image. As the pinnacle of creation, our lives as human beings have a unique value in the order of existence. While the way this principle plays out is often difficult in the complex and painful circumstances surrounding the beginning and end of life, we believe life is always a gift and should be protected and honored from conception to death. Artificial intelligence threatens our understanding of what it means to be human, blurring the lines between humans and machines. While machines are helpful tools, they should never be elevated to the level of personal or moral equals, and safeguards must be kept in place that allow humanity as image bearers to retain its God-given call to exercise dominion. Read about EPC views here.

Gender and Sexuality

Questions of gender and sexuality are often profoundly emotional and can be a source of great pain. Covenant desires to be a place of grace where we can wrestle through what it means for us to submit not only our gender and sexuality but all dimensions of our lives under Christ's loving reign. In Scripture and in creation God has revealed his design for human gender and sexuality. We believe that God created each of us male or female. Our genders are neither optional nor flexible. God also invented the covenant of marriage, which He intends to be between a man and a woman, and established the standard of moral purity for human sexuality, which is faithfulness within a marriage between a man and a woman or celibacy outside of marriage. As our creator, God's authoritative standard, not our particular preference, shapes our understanding and determines our conduct. Read about EPC views here.