STATEMENT OF FAITH

Preamble:
Church in Rancho Cordova is a para-church ministry dedicated to making disciples by interconnecting and uniting Christians in our city. We affirm the historic Christian faith, rooted in the Holy Scriptures and summarized in the early ecumenical creeds. This Statement of Faith outlines the core beliefs that guide our mission and fellowship, reflecting the shared convictions of the International Association of Ministries.

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I. The Holy Scriptures:                                                          
The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, God's infallible written Word, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely, verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it was written without error (inerrant) in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters of Christian faith and life on which it speaks.

 

II. Core Christian Beliefs:
We joyfully affirm these foundational truths of the Christian faith, which have been believed by the Church throughout history and across the world:

1. The Triune God: There is one true God, eternally existing in three persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality.

2. Jesus Christ: His Person and Nature: Jesus Christ is God, the living Word, who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. Hence, He is perfect Deity and true humanity united in one person forever.

3. Christ's Atoning Work: He lived a sinless life and voluntarily atoned for the sins of men by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone.

4. Christ's Resurrection: He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died.

5. Christ's Ascension and Intercession: He ascended bodily into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own.

6. Creation and Fall of Man: Man was originally created in the image of God. He sinned by disobeying God; thus, he was alienated from his Creator. That historic fall brought all mankind under divine condemnation.

7. Man's Corrupted Nature: Man's nature is corrupted, and he is thus totally unable to please God. Every man is in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

8. Salvation by Grace through Faith: The salvation of man is wholly a work of God's free grace and is not the work, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby justified them in His sight.

9. Assurance of Salvation: It is the privilege of all who are born again of the Spirit to be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit, but is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believer the testimony of God in His written word.

10. The Holy Spirit's Work: The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth and seals them until the day of redemption. His fullness, power and control are appropriated in the believer's life by faith.

11. The Believer's Call to Holy Living: Every believer is called to live so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God.

12. The Church: Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of all men, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith.

13. Christian Worship and Fellowship: God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification through the Scriptures and for mutual encouragement.

14. The Believer's State After Death: At physical death the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting glory and blessing.

15. The Unbeliever's State After Death: At physical death the unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting judgment and condemnation.

16. The Second Coming of Christ: Jesus Christ will come again to the earth -- personally, visibly and bodily -- to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.

17. The Great Commission: The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation. The fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all worldly and personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to "Him who loved us and gave Himself for us."

18. Christian Life and Social Concern: Christians are to live holy lives, and have concern for the hurts and social needs of our fellowman.

 

III. Unity in Essentials, Liberty in Non-Essentials:
We accept and champion those areas of doctrinal teaching on which, historically, there has been general agreement among all true Christians, as outlined above. Because the specialized calling of our movement is to foster unity for the sake of mission, we desire to allow for freedom of conviction on other doctrinal and practical matters, provided that any interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and that no such interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the ministry of disciple-making and community connection to which God has called us. Our focus is on the clear and central tenets of the Christian faith that unite us.

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IV. Our Christian Mission and Community Engagement:
A. Christian Focus: Our primary mission is to nurture and expand the Christian community by making disciples of Jesus Christ and fostering unity among His followers in Rancho Cordova. All our programs, teachings, and partnerships are intentionally Christ-centered and aligned with the historic Christian beliefs stated herein.
B. Loving Service to All: While our theological commitments are distinctly Christian, we are called to love and serve all people in our community, reflecting the compassion of Christ. We seek to collaborate with individuals and organizations of goodwill from diverse backgrounds on initiatives that promote the common good, build bridges of understanding, and meet tangible needs, doing so in a way that honors our Christian witness.

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