WHAT WE BELIEVE
At the heart of the Christian faith is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he was bodily raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. As long as our faith is centered on Jesus, then we are free to agree or disagree on all other matters of faith. We acknowledge that there will be differences in how we see those other matters, and we engage those differences with love and respect, valuing each other over our position.
God’s love for us and his willingness to sacrifice everything to save us and bring us back to Him was fully realized when Jesus died on the cross. There, sin and death were defeated, making new life possible for all people in all times and places. Through his death and resurrection Jesus is recognized as Lord of all.
In Revelation, we are shown a “great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language” worshiping God together. We believe that God’s intention is for all people to live in connection with Him and each other, so we celebrate our diversity and the unity we find in it as citizens of the Kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God is the place where everything is as God intends: love abounds, justice is realized, and everyone recognizes the value of all. When we trust Jesus, we place ourselves under the rule and reign of God and thus invite His kingdom to orient our lives. Just as Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we strive to join God in establishing his kingdom right here in Long Beach, in our homes, and in our lives.
While there are those who God has chosen to lead the church, we believe that everyone is called and empowered to be an ambassador of God’s kingdom, reflecting the hope we have in Jesus to those in all of our spheres of influence.
We believe God inspired the written, authoritative Scriptures to teach us how to live to honor and please him, to benefit people by illustrating the kingdom of God, and to tell His story of love for everyone as demonstrated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
We all seek to follow Jesus by living out his ways daily in our thoughts, words, actions, and relationships. As we trust him thoroughly, encourage each other to love him wholeheartedly, and pursue loving one another genuinely and generously, we experience the unity God desires.
Jesus commanded us to “go make disciples of all nations.” As Jesus followers, we are compelled to share through words and actions the good news of Jesus with people in our community, nation, and throughout the world.
Baptism through immersion in water is the way a person identifies with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. We recognize baptism as a public expression of the decision to follow him.
When he shared his final meal with his disciples, Jesus used bread and a cup as symbols to remind them of his sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sins. We regularly share communion together as a church as a way to remember our connection with Jesus.
We believe in one God, eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God the Father Almighty is Creator of all that is, seen and unseen. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who took on human form, was crucified and rose from the grave. The Holy Spirit lives within believers and actively works in the world to accomplish God’s purposes.