MISSION STATEMENT

Faith Baptist Fellowship exists to honor God by making more disciples for Jesus Christ and equipping them for growth and service.  We aim to be a vibrant, healthy, family of Christ-like believers proclaiming a cross-centered gospel, living cross-centered lives.

OUR AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

1.         THE WORD OF GOD – We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.  (John 17:7; Romans 15:4; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21)

 2.         THE TRINITY – We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.  (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-4; I John 5:7)

3.         GOD THE FATHER – We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love.  We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of each person, that he hears and answers prayer, that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.  (John 3:16-17; John 4:24; John 17:5)

 4.         JESUS CHRIST – We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit.  We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings.  We believe in His substitutionary atoning death on the cross, bodily resurrection from the grave, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.  (Isaiah 7:14; John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:2-3; I John 1:7)

5.         THE HOLY SPIRIT – We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ.  We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.  (John 14:26; John 16:7-15; Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 1:13-14)

6.         REGENERATION – We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation.  We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.  (John 1:12-13; John 3:3, 16-17; Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:1-9; Titus 3:5)

7.         THE CHURCH – We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members.  We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship.  We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.  (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:38-41; Ephesians 2:19-22; Ephesians 5:25-27)

8.         CHRISTIAN CONDUCT – We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well being of others; that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.  (II Corinthians 9:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 2:14-16; Colossians 3:17-23; I Thessalonians 5:17-18)

9.         THE ORDINANCES – We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the triune God.  We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death.  We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-42; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-32)

 10.       RELIGIOUS LIBERTY – We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by an ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.

 11.       CHURCH COOPERATION – We believe that our church can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with the Heartland Baptist District (a.k.a. Converge Heartland) and the Baptist General Conference (a.k.a. Converge Worldwide).  These district and national organizations exist and function by the will of the churches.  Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time. Churches may likewise cooperate with inter-denominational fellowships on a voluntary independent basis.

12.       THE LAST THINGS – We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom.  We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.  (John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:1-15; Matthew 25:31-46)

OUR MEMBERSHIP COVENANT

With great delight in the grace of God, who has called us out of darkness and into the light of His Son, Jesus Christ, as God’s holy people

-having been born again to a living hope through the gospel,

–having been baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, upon profession of our faith,

–and having found a home with the faith, mission, vision, ordinances, doctrine, and discipleship of this church,

 we do now affirm our covenant together.

(Ephesians 2:8-10; I Peter 2:9-10; John 3:3, 16; Acts 2:38; Titus 1:9, 2:1)

 Humbly seeking God’s help by the power of the Holy Spirit, we will protect the testimony and unity of this church by acting in love toward one another, refusing to gossip or slander one another, and graciously following those who lead us. (Ephesians 5:18; Romans 14:19; I Peter 1:22; Ephesians 4:29; Hebrews 13:17)

Our sincere desire is to contribute to the health and vitality of our church by praying regularly for its growth, warmly inviting others to attend, and joyfully welcoming all who visit. We will apply the truth of the gospel in our homes, teaching our children to love the gospel, God’s word, and prayer. (Colossians 4:2; James 2:1-4; Luke 14:23; Romans 15:7; II Timothy 1:5)

We will serve this body in the strength which God supplies, discovering and using our spiritual gifts and talents, actively sharing the gospel, entering into the discipleship and growth of others, and cultivating the heart of a servant.  We will joyfully sit under the preaching and teaching of God’s word, desiring by it to grow stronger, deeper, and more devoted in our faith and service to Christ.  (I Peter 4:10-11; 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8; II Timothy 3:14-16)

With God as our witness, we will endeavor to faithfully attend worship services, live a life pleasing to our Father in heaven, humbly confess when we have failed to do so and receive His discipline.  We will lovingly care for others in their spiritual journey and share the Christian life with them.  As God provides, we will happily give our resources so that the needs of this church and its wider kingdom ministry are met.  Together we long to see our city, region, nation, and world reached with the gospel, and confident of God’s promises we will labor side-by-side until this great work of grace is accomplished.  (Hebrews 10:24-25; Philippians 1:27; Hebrews 12:7-11; I Corinthians 16:2; Philippians 4:14-20; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)

To God be the glory, Amen.