Our Statement of Faith

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

First Step

Do you believe that Jesus is your Lord and Savior? At Staunton First Christian, we believe this is the most important question you will answer in your lifetime.

 

Why should I join Staunton First Christian Church?

Membership is a demonstration of your commitment to Jesus and to the church’s core beliefs, values and mission.  Becoming a member allows you to serve in more ways in the church.

Membership shows who can be counted on.

 

How do I become a member?

An opportunity is available at the close of each service for any believer to walk forward, talk to our minister or an elder, and become a member of the church. You can also call the church office to schedule a time to discuss your decision.

 

Requirements for Membership

We do not require that members subscribe to a formal creed. In a very real sense, “we have no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.” The twin basis of our unity is our faith in Christ, the Son of the living God, and our adherence to the Bible as the inspired text for our teaching and the one sufficient guide for governing church life. That context leads us to require the following for membership:

Believe in Christ as your Lord and Savior. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9)

Confess your faith. (Romans 10:9)

Repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19)

Be baptized by immersion. (Acts 2:38)

Agree with and abide by our church’s mission and core values.

 

STATEMENT OF FAITH

 

Essential Truth - these things do not change at Staunton First Christian Church. This is what we believe, and it’s who we are at the core as a church.

 

We believe in one God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17; John 14:9-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; I John 5:1-2)

 

*We believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible. (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 5:16; 6:1, 4, 8-9; Acts 17:24-28; James 1:17)

 

*We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the eternal Word, the one and only Savior. (John 1:1, 14; 3:16; 20:24-31 ; Matthew 1:18; Philippians 2:6-11 ; Colossians 1:15-19)

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, both fully human and fully divine; Who lived a sinless life; Who suffered and was crucified as an atonement for sin; Who rose again bodily trom the dead on the third day; Who ascended into Heaven; and who will return in victory to rule forever. (Luke 1.26-35, 22:47-24:53; Romans 5:15-17; ICorinthians 15:3-8; Acts 1:1-9; Revelation  1:7-8)

 

*We believe in the Holy Spirit.

Who convicts of sin; Who indwells every Christian; Who helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us in prayer; and Who empowers us to a fruitful Christian life. (John 16:5-15; I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; 2 Timothy 1:14; Romans 8:26; Galatians 5:22-23) Note: We are a spirit filled church seeking to do God’s will and to become more like his Son, Jesus Christ. While we do not presume to dictate one’s private worship practices, we have agreed that for the sake of unity of the body, in our public worship and other church meetings, we will not teach or practice what is commonly called speaking in tongues or spontaneous words of prophesy.

 

We believe in the Bible - God’s Holy Word, Scripture

*We believe God inspired the original writings of the Scripture and those original writings were consequently without error. (John 14:26, 16:12-15; Acts 1:16; 2 Timothy 3:14-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

 

*We believe that the Bible is the final authority for all matters of faith, truth, morality, and Christian living. (Romans 15:4; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 119:11,105)

 

*We believe the Bible teaches that God is the Creator and Sustainer of human life; that God creates each person in His image; and that life is therefore sacred, from conception to natural death. We believe that God creates each person as male or female; that these two distinct , complementary genders together reflect the “image of God” in humankind; and that each person’s biological gender is an intrinsic, immutable aspect of his or her nature and identity. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7, 21-22; 9:7; Psalm 139:13-18)

 

“We believe the Bible teaches that God established marriage in the beginning as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman; that He has reserved sexual intimacy as an expression of love and commitment between married couples; and that any intimate expression of sexuality outside of Biblical marriage is sin. (Genesis 2:24; Exodus 20:14,17; Matthew 19:6; Romans 1:18-31 ; I Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; I Timothy 1:8-11 ; Jude 7)

 

We believe in the Gospel - the Good News of Salvation.

*That man, created by God, willfully sinned against God and is consequently lost and without hope apart from Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23; IJohn 1:7)

 

*That salvation (the forgiveness of sins) comes by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ.  (Matthew 26:28; Romans 5:8-11;

Ephesians 2:8-9; I Peter 1:18-19)

 

’That one receives salvation by putting faith in Christ, repenting of personal sin, confessing Christ as Lord, and that the Bible commands every believer in Christ to be baptized by immersion. (Luke 24:45-47; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-7; 10:9; 2 Peter 3:9; Colossians 2:12;

Galatians 3:27)

 

*That those who have received salvation through faith faith in Jesus Christ are sent into the world to proclaim the gospel and to love and serve the world just as Jesus Himself did. (2 Corinthians 5:11-21; Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 2:10)

 

*That death seals the eternal destiny of each person. The saved will inherit eternal life; the unsaved, eternal separation from God. (Romans 8:10-11 ; Daniel 12:2; John 6:47)

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We believe the church is the body and bride of Christ, founded on the Day of Pentecost, consisting of all Christians everywhere, and organized into local assemblies, called churches. (Matthew 16:13-18; Acts 2:14-47)

*We believe the Bible teaches that every Christian should be an active member of a local

church. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

 

*We believe that the elders of the church are the overseers of its affairs and the shepherds of its members; that they are the final interpretive authority of the Bible's meaning and application for the church; and that they are responsible for the oversight, instruction, edification, discipline, and restoration of church members. (Matthew 18:15-17; Acts 20:28; I Timothy 3:1-7; I Peter 5:1-4; I Corinthians 5:11-13)

 

*We believe the Bible instructs church members to:

Meet together regularly for fellowship, worship, teaching and the Lord's Supper. (Acts 2:42; I Corinthians 11:23-26; Hebrews 10:25)

Use our natural abilities and spiritual gifts to serve one another. (Romans 12; I Peter 4:10; I Corinthians 12:7; Galatians 5:23)

Love one another, bear with one another, accept one another and forgive one another. (John 13:34-35; I John 4:7; Romans 13:8; Ephesians 4:2,32; Colossians 3:14; Romans 5:7)

Seek unity, agreement and peace with one another. (Romans 12:16,18; I Thessalonians 5:13)

Encourage and build up one another. (I Thessalonians 5:11)

Bear one another's burdens and pray for another. (Galatians 6:2; James 5:16)

Spur one another to love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24)

Submit to the authority of the elders of the church. (Hebrews 13:17)

Support the church financially. (2 Corinthians 8:7; Malachi 3:10; I Timothy 5:17-18)

Pursue personal holiness and obedience to God's Word. (2 Corinthians 7:1; I Thessalonians 4:7; I Peter 1:15

Strive together to fulfill the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:18-20)