What We Believe

The Fall of Humanity

Humanity was created to worship God through stewardship of God’s Garden including all living things in it and to multiply their number, filling the earth through procreation between man and woman. (Genesis 2:15-25)

Deception led to temptation, which led to rebellion, sin, spiritual death and physical death. This spiritual death also ruined the pristine state of man’s soul. Man’s rulership of the earth was transferred to satan. (Genesis 3)

The destructive contamination of sin severed humanity’s spiritual and physical connection to God making humanity unfit for fellowship and communion with God.

Jesus, Messiah

We believe that Jesus is The Christ – virgin-born, fully God and fully man who in the days of His flesh preached, discipled, and performed miracles causing many to believe.

We believe He was crucified to death, buried, and resurrected to life. We believe that His was the sacrifice acceptable to Almighty God for our reconciliation and that He has become our high priest, now making intercession in Heaven and preparing a place for us to join Him upon His return.

Galatians 4:4, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18:25, John 2:19, Mark 16:6, Acts 1:1-10

The Bible

We believe The Bible is the Word of God and the ultimate authority on the state of the heavens and Spirit Realm, the universe and eternity.

All things past and all things present and all things to come.

Salvation

We believe salvation requires believing and confessing by mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, God’s ransom for sin, and Savior of the world by His shed blood, death, burial and resurrection (Hebrews 11:1-6).

Following that, one must repent. We must realize our sinfulness and need for redemption before a holy and righteous God through faith in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, and turn away from this world system, satan, and this untoward generation (Acts 2:38-41).

Baptisms

Water - We believe a faithful response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being baptized (full immersion) in water in His Name (Acts, 2:38-41, Romans 6:4, Hebrews 10:22 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 19:1-2).

Spirit - We believe that God wants all those who have confessed, repented and been baptized to be filled with the Holy Spirit as promised to all believers.

(Acts 2:39, Joel 2:28-32, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Hebrews 6:1-2, Act 8:14-18)

Communion

We believe in remembering Jesus’ atoning sacrifice in the way He instructed.

(Mattthew 26:26-29, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25)

The Godhead

We believe that scripture does not require characterizing the distinctions among Father, Son and Spirit as “Trinity,” so we don’t use that terminology. Nor do we see a need to authoritatively declare this characterization for believers to understand what scripture declares about the nature of God. We find it sufficient to declare that God is amazing and past finding out

(John 10:38; 14:10-11; 17:21; John 14:7-11, Colossians 1:9-20 and John 1:18).

Miracles, Signs, Wonders and Spiritual Gifts

Yes, yes, yes and yes!

We believe miracles, signs and wonders follow believers and that God equips us with spiritual gifts for edification, equipping, and encouragement.

(1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Mark 16:17-18, Hebrews 2:4, Romans 15:19)

Leadership Model

We believe elders should be cultivated to lead within a body of believers via ordination. These elders exercise oversight, shepherding, teaching, correcting, and provide an example to God’s flock.

Elders are servants who lead with a servant’s heart showing humility, restraint, and a good temperament, and receive oversight from a senior elder in the local assembly or a group/council of senior elders in a network.

Elders would also receive instruction from an apostle/planter.

Regarding the 5-fold ministry gifts to the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13), these roles were given by Christ to help unify us in the knowledge of Christ, and mature us into the fullness of Christ so that we can be sound in doctrine (Titus 1:1-9, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Peter 5:1-4).

Holiness & Sanctification

We believe the continuance and cultivation of a godly life filled with righteousness and holiness is Christ’s expectation for His bride, i.e., subjects of His kingdom, royal priests, ambassadors, brethren, children, and harvest.

(Titus 2:1-12, Ephesians 4:17-32, Ephesians 5:8-14, 1 Peter 1:15-17, Philippians 2:12-13, Colossians 1:21-23)

Our Values

We value equipping disciples for the role(s) God intends for them.

We value youth being trained, equipped, and activated for God’s glory.

We value discipleship. Disciples are born on their salvation day, and they are developed through implementing God‘s truth daily.

We value holy, righteous, and sober living in the present world.

We value deep fellowship, a.k.a. authentic relationship within a body of believers. We see deep fellowship as effective for disciple-making by lowering the resistance to accountability, admonishment, and correction that is necessary for spiritual growth and development.

We value welcome and hospitality in our places of worship, where we reflect the abundant love we receive from God.

Godly Love Christian Fellowship WORSHIP (7)

We value the effectiveness of a plurality of eldership.

We value seeking, manifesting, and exercising the Gifts of the Spirit.

We value Spirit-led learning and scholarship through immersive evangelistic, teaching experiences.

We value limited application of, and no reliance on, reason over the revelation of Scripture.

We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, so personal answers of faith offered in submission to the Holy Spirit are sound and acceptable answers. To the extent that the work of apologetics can provide some support for what Scripture declares and what our faith should hold firm to be useful, then, amen!

We value expansion through the cultivation of new house churches over increasing the size, scale, and influence of a single church, body, or edifice.