WE exist to bring glory to God by being disciples & making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Core Values
We desire for this to occur in such a way that the transforming power of the gospel becomes evident in Southeast Iowa and around the world. We do this through our 5 CORE VALUES:
Corporate worship - Expository preaching, prayer, singing, giving, and serving
Corporate discipleship - Small group discipleship, shepherding, and leadership development
Community discipleship - Word & deed ministry in Southeast Iowa & West Central Illinois
Global discipleship - Cross-cultural missions, national leadership development & partnerships, and church planting
Church multiplication - Planting, partnering, and multi-sites
Beliefs
We hold firmly to the foundations of historical Christianity and are committed to teaching the Word of God in a clear, relevant and life changing way:
WE BELIEVE
that God is infinitely beyond our comprehension (Isaiah 55:8). In His being, He is one God existing in three eternal and co-equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:1; Acts 5:3-4).
WE BELIEVE
that Jesus Christ is our wonderful Savior. He is God come in the flesh, being fully God and fully man. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as payment for the sins of mankind, was buried and bodily rose from the dead on the third day. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, caring for His people and leading the church (John 1:1-34; Matthew 1:18-25; 1 Peter 2:21-25).
WE BELIEVE
the Holy Spirit guides us into knowing and loving our Savior Jesus Christ (John 16:13-14). The Spirit is the third person of the Godhead and indwells all believers as our instructor, guide, and seal guaranteeing our redemption (John 14:26; Galatians 5:18).
WE BELIEVE
all people are made in the image of God and are fully worthy of our love and respect (James 3:8-10). We are also all sinners in need of the Savior, because everyone fails in one way or another to live up to God's perfect standard of righteousness (Romans 3:23).
WE BELIEVE
that God, in His infinite grace and love for us, has provided the way of salvation and forgiveness of our sin. That new life is attained only through repentance and faith in Jesus' death on the cross as payment for our sin. Forgiveness is God's free gift of grace to anyone who will receive Christ. All those who place their faith in Christ can have assurance that their salvation is eternally secure because of God's power and faithfulness (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 10:28-29; 1 John 5:11-13).
WE BELIEVE
God speaks to His people today, and that His voice is primarily heard through the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which God inspired so that men of God recorded the very breath of God (2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is made up of all true believers in Christ, regardless of color, race or denomination (1 Corinthians 12:13).
WE BELIEVE
the church is so special to God that He calls the body of Christ "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession" (1 Peter 2:9).
WE BELIEVE
the Lord Jesus Christ is coming again at any moment, and we should live as prepared people (Matthew 25:1-13). He will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. The believers who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
WE BELIEVE
in the end, the saved are raised to eternal conscious bliss, forever with our Lord in the glory of Heaven (Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; 2 Corinthians 5:1,8; Revelation 2:7). The lost are brought to eternal judgment and conscious separation from God in the torment of Hell (Matthew 10:28; Mark 9:47-48; Revelation 21:8; 20:11-15).