Our Beliefs

These are some of the things God has taught us over the last few years that we believe are important.  We do not like doctrinal statements in the traditional sense, but we do consider beliefs to be important and they will ultimately affect our actions.  They affect how we view and relate to God and others.  However, let's avoid the temptation to put each other in a box - we all see through a glass dimly and cannot understand God fully.

• We believe in the Apostles Creed
• We believe in keeping the main thing the main thing(Love).  Allowing God to love us, loving Him, and then demonstrating that love to others. 1 Cor 13
• We believe that knowing about God in our heads is inadequate, we must also know God experientially in our hearts and in our everyday lives.  Matthew 7:21-23 and Experiencing God
• We believe doctrine, even good doctrine, without personal experience is shallow and devoid of life.  It is not enough to ascribe to a set of beliefs mentally without allowing God to be Lord of our life.  We are called to living in a close, personal relationship with God so we can let His life flow through us.  See 2 Timothy 3:5-7
• We believe that Christians can hear God's voice for themselves.  The Bible contains God's words, but God also speaks through other means than the Bible.  Yes, God spoke through the Scriptures and they cannot be changed, superceded, or added to.   All new revelation must be judged and interpreted through what has already been written in the Scriptures.  We do not ascribe to "Sola Scriptura" (scripture alone) as many today believe it. We do believe in "Prima Scriptura" (Priority of Scripture).  See John 5:38-40 and John 10:4
• We believe in the work of the Holy Spirit within and through the lives of believers, and we believe spiritual gifts are for today.  We do not believe spiritual gifts passed away with the death of the last Apostle.  Spiritual gifts are to be eagerly desired. 1 Corinthians 14:1 and Cessationism is Dead
• We believe there are Apostles and Prophets today, although we realize there has been much abuse from the self-proclaimed vs the genuine. Ephesians 4:11
• We believe in bodily healing and soul/spirit healing.
• We are not Calvinist, Arminian, or Open Theist.  However, if we were to pick a perspective that we disagree with most - it would have to be Calvinism.  Having 100% certainty on these issues is beyond our limited understanding.  No perspective has all the answers.  We believe God is close, relational, and involved deeply in our lives.  We do not believe he has predestined some for hell and some for Heaven, or that everything that happens in our lives is God's will.  We do not believe God hates some people and loves others. We believe God loves everyone.  
• We are not set on any one End-times theology or point of view.   All perspectives have valid points, but to pick one perspective too often divides the body of Christ.  End-times discussions may be interesting, but when they become dogmatic, too often lead to distraction from the main thing.  Those who have predicted Jesus would return during a certain day or hour have all been wrong, and have led many astray.  See Matthew 24:36.  We lean towards any perspective that brings Hope and encourages personal responsibility to bring change to this world through the power of the Holy Spirit.  By experience, we have found that certain theologies can cause a strong desire to escape this world rather than be world-changers through the power of God.  We know God has made it clear to us personally that we are not to focus on end-times theology during this season of our life.
• We do not believe the Church is a building, but is made up of Christians, the body of Christ.
• We believe Christianity must be lived relationally.  First with God, then with each other.  We have seen first-hand the lack of relationship in traditional Churches through top-down leadership models and busy-ness of doing things that God is just not in.  However, we also know Organic Churches, or house-churches are prone to the same errors. The core issue is selfishness, not whether we sit in a living room or on a pew.  We know that since we left the traditional church system, it has been good for us personally to be free from all the stuff that doesn't really matter to God so we could learn to focus on what matters most: Loving God and people.
• We do not believe that Tithing should be taught or practiced as in the Old-covenant.  We believe giving is to be relational and from the heart.  We believe we are to be unselfish with our finances, not restricted to 10%. We are to be giving, generous people with time and money.
• We believe Christians are Saints, not sinners with evil, corrupt hearts.  Christians no longer have an old, adamic nature as some have taught.  Sinner or Saint?
• We believe the cross is central to Christianity in the sense that we are called to die with Christ, giving up our own agendas, our self-life, and having things our own way.  As we grow in relationships, the cross is the only way to deal with conflict in a healthy way.  Be a door-mat, no - just absolute obedience to the Father.
• We believe that to spiritually retire, die, and use our ticket to heaven is not the ultimate goal of Christianity.  We are called to a life of love, sacrifice, death with Christ, and representation of him while on this earth.   Non-Negotiables for disciples of Christ