Articles of Faith

The Scriptures
 

1. We believe in the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, inerrant in their original writings, and the final authority in all matters of doctrine and conduct.
 

The Godhead
 

2. We believe in one triune God eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
 

3. We believe in God the Father, almighty Creator of heaven and earth, eternal in His being, perfect in holiness, omniscient, and omnipotent. We rejoice that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, hearing and answering prayer, and that He saves those men from sin and death who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
 

4. We believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal and only Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, of virgin birth, sinless in His life, making atonement by His death for the sin of the world. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension, and His promise to visibly return to this world.
 

5. We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from God to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit regenerates, indwells, sanctifies, teaches, empowers for service, and comforts those who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that spiritual baptism occurs at conversion, resulting in union with Christ and placement into His body.
 

Sin, Satan & Salvation
 

6. We believe that all people by nature and by choice are sinners, but that "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
 

We believe in the resurrection of the dead and that those who refuse to accept Christ as Lord and Savior will be forever separated from God. We believe that every human being is ultimately responsible to God alone in all matters of faith and practice.
 

7. We believe in the existence of Satan, the adversary of God and His people. We believe that he is the god of this present world and Christians properly armed through the power of the Holy Spirit may successfully resist him by the blood of the Lamb.
 

The Church
 

8. We believe in the church as a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head, and of which all regenerate people are members. We believe that the church is a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized as a credible confession of faith, and they associate for the purpose of worship, teaching and equipping Christians for the work of ministry and fellowship all to the glory of God.
 

Our church is committed to the observance of the ordinances of baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper and we believe that God laid upon His church the task of proclaiming to the lost world the need for repentance from sin, the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior from sin, and the enthroning of Him as Lord. We recognize no spiritual distinction or social preference of persons of differing national origins, race, or economic status.
 

9. We hold this church to be independent and autonomous; free from any interference by external ecclesiastical or political authority. We believe the church and state have different functions and must be separate to fulfill their respective duties free from the dictation or patronage of the other.

Priorities

Worship
 

Believing that God seeks individuals who will worship him "in Spirit and in truth", it is our joy to gather weekly for worship. We believe that our highest calling is to love God, to honor Him and to enjoy Him forever. We devote ourselves to proclaiming His praise through song and testimony, to the reading of Scripture, to prayer, to hearing His Word proclaimed and allowing it to bring about change in our lives, for the glory of God.
 

Discipleship
 

Jesus commanded His followers to "go and make disciples." In obedience, we are dedicated to developing a proper balance of ministries that REACH non-Christians with the gospel, BUILD Christians in their faith, and EQUIP mature believers for lives of ministry. Central to this process is a commitment to being students of the Word of God, the final authority on all manners of faith and conduct.
 

Community
 

Christians are known by their love - for one another and for non-Christians as well. At Immanuel, we are becoming a family of believers conducted by intentional, caring relationships. Our Small Groups not only reflect this priority, but serve as the primary means to achieve this goal. Our hope is that each individual finds meaningful connection and involvement in the Body of Christ.
 

Missions
 

The Great Commission directs us to "preach the Gospel to every nation." We are actively reaching out with the message of the Cross. On the home-front it is our desire to see believers sharing their faith in the daily routine of life. Creative outreach events assist our church family in reaching their neighbors and friends. We also support more than twenty missionaries and ministries around the world.