Beliefs

·         The Bible is the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  The First Christian Church always returns to God’s word seeking His will in matters of doctrine and Christian living.  Many of our members use the New International Version of the Bible while some use the New American Standard Bible, the King James Version and other quality translations.

·         Jesus Christ is the son of God who became a man when he was born of a virgin (Philippians 2:6-8).  While living in the flesh, Jesus did not sin (Hebrews 4:15) and was therefore able to become the perfect sacrifice for a sinful humanity.  We believe that Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins and that he was raised to life three days later.  We believe that it is only through a relationship with Jesus that one can be saved (John 14:6).

·         Salvation is experienced through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9).  One must believe that he or she is a sinner in need of salvation.  One must believe that the death of Jesus on the cross was a sacrifice for sin (1 Peter 2:24).  And one must believe that Jesus was raised from the dead three days later (1 Corinthians 15:16-17).

·         Baptism is by immersion and is an act of faith and repentance for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).  We believe and teach that baptism is a part of the salvation experience when faith and repentance are present (1 Peter 3:21).

·         We believe that the Holy Spirit is the indwelling presence of God in the life of a Christian.  The body of a Christian is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).  The Holy Spirit has been given to the Christian as a deposit on heaven (Ephesians 1:13-14).  As a Christian submits himself to the Holy Spirit, He (the Spirit) will produce fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). 

·         We believe that Satan (the devil) is real and that he leads this world in rebellion against God (Revelation 12:9).  We believe that there are evil forces waging war against the church (Ephesians 6:10-12).  We believe that as Christians we have been equipped with armor and weapons which will aid us in this spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:13-18).

·         We believe that one day Jesus will return to earth to rescue his church out of this world.  At that time there will be a judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).  Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior will spend eternity with Jesus.  We believe that heaven is a real place.  Those who have never accepted Jesus as their Savior will spend an eternity in hell outside of the present of God.  We believe that hell is a real place of eternal suffering and punishment.

·         The First Christian Church partakes of the Lord’s Supper (communion) every Sunday in order to honor the death and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).  We believe it is important to spiritual growth to remember every Sunday Christ’s death and resurrection through the communion meal.

·         We believe that Christ is the head of His church (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:23) and we believe that Jesus assigned the leadership of the local church to men called elders (1 Peter 5:1-4).  Each local congregation is to be led by elders as they seek guidance from the Spirit of God and the Word of God.  The First Christian Church is an independent church.  While we enjoy fellowship and ministry ties to other independent Christian churches, this congregation is governed by our local body of elders.

·         We believe that the mission of the church is to honor Christ by sharing the message of salvation with the world (Matthew 28:19-20).