What We Believe
The following statement forms our Articles of Faith. This is not meant to be a comprehensive statement of all that we believe, but rather it is a compilation of the essential truths of historic Christianity that we believe as followers of Jesus Christ.
Scriptures
We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writing and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life. (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11-13; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:21)
God
We believe in one God eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 48:16,17; Matthew 28:18-20; John 10:30)
The Person of Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of Mary while she was still a virgin and that He is true God and true man. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 2:1-20; John 1:1-14; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 2:14-18)
The Work of Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. (Isaiah 53:6; Acts 13:38,39; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; 1 John 2:1,2)
The Resurrection of Christ
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into Heaven, and His present life there for us as High Priest and Advocate. (Luke 24:1-53; Acts 2:31-33; 1 Corinthians 15:1-58; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1)
The Return of Christ
We believe in the blessed hope and the personal imminent return of our Lord and Savior to the earth with all His saints. (John 14:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:1-11; Revelation 19:11-21)
Humanity
We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death which is separation from God; that all human beings are born with a sinful nature; and that those who reach moral responsibility become sinners in word and thought and deed. (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23, 5:12, 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22)
Salvation
We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, and thereby become children of God, indwelled and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and preserved unto the day of redemption. (John 3:5, 10:28; Romans 2:8,9, 8:35-39; Ephesians 13-14; 1 Peter 1:23)
Eternal Destiny
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the conscious everlasting punishment of the lost. (Daniel 12:2-4; John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 15:1-58; Revelation 20:4,5)
The Church
We believe that all the saved are called unto a life of separation from all worldly and sinful practices and are under obligation to all the world by life and word to the truth and proclamation of the gospel. (Matthew 5:16; 28:19,20; Acts 1:8; Romans 12:1,2; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Galatians 5:22,23)
Our Mission
To renew people through an encounter with Christ and the power of the gospel.
Our Vision
To create a culture of renewal and laboring together with God in prayer, healing, discipleship, and service.
Our Values
Values are the motive behind purposeful action. Below, we have organized our values into three categories: upward (concerning our relationship with God), inward (concerning our relationship with the body of Christ), and outward (concerning our relationship with the world).
Upward Values
Gospel Clarity: We cherish the message of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection and the hope it provides for the renewal of the whole world. Therefore, we weave the gospel into every decision, demand, doctrine, and delight (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Sacrificial Generosity: We cherish the opportunity to leverage our time, talent, and treasure towards caring for the physical and spiritual needs of others. Therefore, we seek to glorify God by giving generously towards that which advances and accentuates the priorities of the kingdom of God (Luke 10:25-37; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15).
Holy Spirit Dependence: We value the power of the Holy Spirit to renew people, and to equip us for co-laboring with Christ. This is a spiritual work, and we acknowledge that we are powerless to act without full dependence on Him – being directed by the scriptures, prayer, and personal revelation. Therefore, we desire this activation of the Spirit by seeking and listening to Him on both personal and corporate levels, and by acknowledging and exercising the unique spiritual giftings with which He has equipped each of us for service (Eph 2:10, Eph 4:11-12, 1 Peter 2:9, Matt 10:1).
Inward Values
Biblical Fidelity: We cherish the Holy Scripture. The Bible oversees every facet of our worship of God and service to one another as well as the surrounding community. Therefore, as a church, we perpetually examine the Bible’s teaching in order to reform, refine, and renew ourselves and our strategies (Psalm 19:7-14; 1 Timothy 3:16).
Authentic Community: We cherish the process of taking next steps – becoming, not arriving. We believe everyone has a next step in their spiritual maturity. Therefore, we seek to practice biblical community with one another by maintaining a posture of humility and submission before God and one another, growing continuously in self-awareness of our sin, and embracing vulnerability, empathy, patience, and grace as we encourage one another in Christ (Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Peter 5:5-11).
Generational Discipleship: All God’s people have the responsibility to teach and to reach the next generation. With parents as the main, though by no means sole, contributor to this task, we seek to emphasize family ministry and parental involvement in the discipleship of children. Often this work will also mean regular adaptation and innovation. Therefore, we seek to hold loosely our current strategies and preferences in order to best pursue God’s will for his church (Deut. 6:6-7, Ps. 145:4).
Personal Responsibility: In Christ, we are called to participate in the work of advancing his kingdom. This responsibility includes active service both inside and outside the church. Therefore, we seek to understand and serve according to our unique giftings and place in the body of Christ. We also seek to take personal responsibility in God’s command to care for those he loves. This includes all people, especially those who are poor, oppressed, marginalized, and in need. (Is. 1:17, Heb. 6:10)
Outward Values
Missional Strategy: We cherish the role Jesus gives us to play in God’s grand redemptive story. We believe every follower of Christ is called to serve Jesus by making disciples. Therefore, we encourage and equip one another to do so in the relational cross-sections of day-to-day life (Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 17:16-34).
Cultural Relevancy: The Gospel transcends culture and yet is grounded in it. We are called to be a distinct community within Pittsford for the sake of Pittsford. We desire to contribute to the overall welfare and renewal of this and surrounding communities by expressing and embodying the ethics of God’s kingdom. Therefore, we seek to equip the body to respond biblically to cultural issues, and to engage our community with integrity, authenticity, faithfulness, and love (Matthew 5:13-16; Luke 19:10).
Global Mentality: We cherish God’s gospel as good news for the whole world. The message of being reconciled to God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is too powerful and too precious to remain among one group of people. Therefore, we are compelled by love to take the gospel to all people everywhere (Psalm 67; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21).