Statement of Faith

The Bible

The Bible is the inspired, revealed Word of God to His people. All original sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments were inspired by the Holy Spirit without error through the unique backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of their human authors. The Bible is the final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God. The Bible is to be interpreted and embraced in its entirety, unified from beginning to end. (Acts 20:27; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

The Trinity – Our God

We worship the One True God of the Bible — the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — God in three distinct persons, yet identical in one divine being. Each person is fully and equally God while exhibiting unique characteristics and personality. (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 4:4-6)

God is infinite and personal. He is self-existent, all powerful, all knowing, and always present. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He created the heavens and the earth, and transcends His creation. He loves us, He’s for us, and He actively involves Himself in our lives. In fact, God is love, and God is holy. God speaks to us today, and He hears and answers our prayers. He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 55:8-9; John 16:23-28; Ephesians 1:3-23; 1 John 4:8)

God still moves and acts today. God is not only all-powerful, but He uses His power, in our time, to accomplish His perfect will and plan. (1 Chronicles 29:11-12; Psalms 115:3, 135:5-6; Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 11:36; Revelations 4:11, 19:16)

God, the Father

The Father is the “First Person of the Trinity.” He sent the Son (for our redemption) and from Him proceeds the Holy Spirit (for our sanctification). (John 3:16; John 15:26; Romans 15:16; Galatians 3:13; 1 John 4:10)

God, the Son (Jesus Christ)

Jesus Christ came to this earth fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin — Mary. He was tempted like us in every way yet did not sin. As the perfect sacrifice for our sin, He willingly gave His life in obedience to His Father, fully satisfying God’s wrath. His sacrifice was substitutional, so that through faith in Jesus, we who were dead in our sins can now be made alive to God. After His death,

Jesus physically rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. He is now seated on the throne of God, the Father, where He lives to intercede for us. Through faith in Jesus, we inherit eternal life and full rights as sons and daughters of God. One day, He will return to this earth for His Church to fulfill God’s ultimate plan of redemption and to judge the living and the dead. (Matthew 1:18-23, 3:16-17; Luke 23:26-24:8, 44-47; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Hebrews 4:14-16, 7:24-25; Revelation 19, 20)

God, The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the initiator of our relationship with God. He convicts us of our sins and awakens our recognition of a need for a Savior. He supernaturally transforms our hearts and makes them new. He sustains our relationship with God, indwelling each believer with the love of God and equipping each believer with unique spiritual gifts to build up the Church. He guides believers to the truth in understanding and applying the Scripture. He makes it possible for every believer to develop a more Christ-like character, obeying all of Jesus’ commands, bearing fruit to the glory of God. (John 3:3- 6; John 14:15-17, 25-26; John 16:5-15; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 12:1-13)

Sin and Salvation

We are created in the image of God, but as a result of Satan’s deception and Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin entered the world. We all have inherited that sinful nature or disobedience to God’s commands making us enemies of God. We are incapable — in our own strength — of overcoming the desire to sin. (Genesis 3:1-24; Isaiah 53:5-6; Romans 1:21, 3:23, 5:12-21; James 4:1-4)

Salvation is the eternal restoration of our relationship with God through faith in the person and work of Jesus on our behalf. It is entirely a work of God’s free grace, based on His merciful love for us. Salvation is made available to all. Being drawn by the Holy Spirit, we receive the free gift of salvation when we believe in and confess the Lordship of Jesus and what He has done for us and choose to obey His commands, receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to all He has secured for us including salvation and Heaven. Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord of their life live an eternal existence apart from Him in Hell. (Matthew 10:28; 25:31-46; John 3:16, 6:44; Romans 6:23, 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:12-23; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; Titus 3:4-7; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 19, 20)

The Church and Its People

There is only one true Church composed of all people who have asked Jesus Christ for forgiveness and surrender to Him as Lord of their lives. The Church is the Body of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is the Head. The Church finds its expression across the world in local communities of believers who gather for teaching, prayer, worship, fellowship, service, outreach, communion, and baptism. The purpose of the Church is to glorify God by loving Him, reflecting His love, and making Him known to the lost world. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 12:28-34; Acts 2:42-47, 8:4-8; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 10:23-25)

People are created in the image of God. Christians strive to live for the glory of God and the well-being of others, not for themselves. Their conduct should be blameless before the world, and they should be faithful stewards of their possessions. By obedience to the Word of God and daily yielding to the Spirit of God, believers mature and are conformed to the image of Christ. (Matthew 10:28; John 3:16; Romans 12:1-2; Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16; Ephesians 3:14-21; Hebrews 13:17)

Expressions of Ministry

Our Identity

One of the greatest blessings about our identity in Christ is the grace we’re given in order to grow into the spiritual maturity that truly reflects our new identity. This is clearly stated in Scripture in Philippians 1:6 — “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (ESV)

Our identity in Christ is one of newness. We are new creations in Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 states: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” This new identity and new creation completely
our relationship with God our friends, families, transforms, and deepens our relationships with and communities.

Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are supernatural abilities that are unique for each believer and given by the Holy Spirit, as He wills, to believers who seek them. God actively gives spiritual gifts to believers today. They should be used to strengthen and build up the Body of Christ, not neglected. Spiritual gifts are to be conducted in a decent and orderly manner so not to cause distraction or dissension. They are given to equip the Church to carry out its ministry until Christ returns and to extend the Kingdom of God throughout the world. (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 7:7; 1 Corinthians 12; 1 Corinthians 14:1, 33, 40; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Peter 4:11)

Marriage

Marriage, ordained by God and detailed in the Bible, is the lifelong exclusive spiritual and physical union between one genetic male and one genetic female. God designed marriage to be the only proper setting for sexual intimacy. Marriage is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His Church. Marriage ceremonies conducted on Valleybrook Church properties or by Valleybrook Church staff, volunteers, or members must adhere to the definition of marriage above. (Genesis 2:20-24; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9)

Respect for Life

We are created in the image of God. Every human life, from conception to natural death, displays His workmanship and is valued equally by God. Thus, to take an innocent life is an offense to God and our own humanity. Therefore, we stand against abortion, fetal cell destruction, assisted suicide and other forms of euthanasia. We commit ourselves to working within Valleybrook Church and with like-minded organizations to not only defend life, but to help those in the midst of difficult situations — loving mother, father, and child equally and tangibly. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5)

Women in Ministry

At Valleybrook Church, we practice the conviction that God’s intent is for women and men to be full and equal partners in service, worship, leadership, pastorship, and eldership. All are one in Christ Jesus as Galatians 3:28 states — “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (ESV) There are many Biblical examples of women in leadership, such as, Miriam in Exodus 15:20-21; Deborah in Judges 4-5; Huldah in 2 Kings 22:14-20; Mary, the mother of Jesus in Luke 1:35-39, 46-55; Anna in Luke 2:36-38; Phoebe in Romans 16:1-2 among others. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers each individual with gifts including pastoral, prophetic, and preaching gifts. These gifts are not determined by sex. (Acts 2:17-18;1 Corinthians 12:11; Galatians 3:28)

ORDINANCES

Valleybrook Church observes two Biblical ordinances: baptism and communion. Ordinances are an outward expression of faith that are conducted out of obedience to Scripture. (Acts 2:41- 47; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)

Baptism

Valleybrook Church practices believer’s baptism by immersion in accordance with our understanding of Scripture. Baptism symbolizes Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. As an act of obedience after salvation, we are buried with Christ by going under the water and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life when coming out of the water. This symbolizes the death of one’s old way of life and the rising up to one’s new life in Christ. (Matthew 3:16, 18-20; Mark 1:5, 9-10; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:12, 36-39; Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:27)

Communion

Communion is a regular community celebration, marking the continuation of Christian life in remembrance of what Jesus Christ has done for us. This is celebrated by breaking and eating of the bread representing Christ’s body and by drinking of the cup representing Christ’s blood which was shed for us. Any believer can partake of communion after self-examination, confession, and thanksgiving so they can partake with a clean heart and be spiritually refreshed. (Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:14-20; John 6:48-58; Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29)