1 · Foundational Creeds

We gladly receive the historic witness of the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, confessing them as our own.

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth;

and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead; on the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church,

the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Nicene Creed (AD 381)

We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages,

Light of Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of one substance with the Father; through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became human.

He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried;

the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son

who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke through the prophets.

We believe in one holy universal and apostolic church.

We confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come. Amen.

2 · God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

God is the creator of all that exists. The Bible is our fully inspired and trustworthy guide for who God is, what God is doing in the world, and how we can live as God’s people. Scripture also exposes the sin that holds us and our world captive to the forces of evil. In every page we meet the Father’s steadfast love, the Son’s redeeming grace, and the Holy Spirit’s transforming power —one eternal God worthy of worship. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, God now makes his home among us, filling us with gifts and power so that Christ’s living presence is proclaimed in word, deed, and sign.

3 · Humanity

Human beings were made in God’s image, male and female, as a reflection of his goodness, called to cultivate the earth and walk in fellowship with their Maker. Yet in turning from the Lord we unleashed captivity to sin and the powers of evil, so that desires became disordered, relationships fractured, and exploitation, violence, and abuse took root in every culture. Estranged from God and neighbor, we cannot heal ourselves, destined for hell and eternal separation from God. Still, the Lord pursues us with grace, calling each heart to repentance and offering restoration of true identity and vocation. When grace is received, the image of God is renewed and women and men are freed to steward creation, serve the common good, and live in joyful communion with their Creator.

4 · Salvation

We can find salvation through Christ alone. Through the atoning and victorious work of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection we may be reconciled to God. All who open themselves to the Holy Spirit’s transforming power can experience forgiveness, healing, new life, and a new community of peace and joy. In response to this grace, we enter believers’ baptism in water, confessing Jesus as Lord, dying and rising with him, and being joined to his people. As baptized believers, we proclaim and live out Jesus Christ’s good news in a broken world.

5 · The Church

We gather regularly to worship and celebrate, discern God’s will, give and receive counsel, bear one another’s burdens, and be sent into God’s mission in the world. Though we often fall short of God’s plan, the church is the foretaste and instrument of God’s reconciling activity in the world. At the Lord’s Supper, we break the bread and share the cup in remembrance of Christ, receiving the sustaining grace of his presence and proclaiming his death until he comes. Following Jesus’ example, we value the humble act of washing one another’s feet. Our maturity in Christ causes us to become peacemakers and wise stewards of the resources God has given us, standing with those who are abused, helping survivors find care and offenders find a path of repentance. Servant leaders, accountable to one another and to the wider body of Christ, equip the saints for ministry, while the Spirit joins diverse cultures into one household that prays, forgives, and perseveres for the glory of Christ. Recognizing God’s presence in the global church, we partner across nations for mutual encouragement and witness.

6 · Life with Jesus Through the Holy Spirit

We submit our bodies and our desires to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture, nurturing communal and individual well-being according to our original design and intentions. We examine our own cultural and social practices so that we can remove barriers to knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior. We adopt a lifestyle consistent with the biblical teachings of respect for all life, including peacemaking, non-violence, compassion, and stewardship of creation. We embrace sexual wholeness, reserving sexual activity for holy matrimony, a covenant between one male and one female for life. By the Holy Spirit, we practice self-control, refraining from pornography, substance abuse, and other addictive behaviors; committed to helping others find healing and freedom. In all of life, we commit to walk in the non-violent way of Jesus, practicing contentment, generosity, and care for creation.

7 · Witness in Society

We participate in a local fellowship as a place of service and in the wider body as a place of equipping, desiring to co-labor with and serve the local community. Recognizing God’s presence in the global church as well as in individual caring communities, we invite people to faithful living in Jesus Christ by forming and enabling congregations to be healing and sending communities through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Our citizenship is in the Kingdom of God and our total allegiance always remains with Jesus Christ, whose peace we embody in word and deed. Jesus has set us free and we will not compromise that freedom by taking oaths to lesser authorities.

8 · Hope

We look forward to the day when Jesus Christ will return to make all things new. Until that day comes, we live in his presence through the Holy Spirit while we persevere in worship, witness, peacemaking, and wise stewardship, confident that God will complete the reconciling work begun in Christ. For now, we continue in fellowship as we gather as a community of believers being drawn into unending joy. Amen.