From the time of the Apostles to today, Christians have laid out doctrine (beliefs) in brief, definitive statements. As those who know God, we believe it necessary to set forth in a concise fashion the cornerstone truths of our church as guided by Scripture. Additional resources are provided below to give more information about our church and more thorough statements on what we believe.
THE SCRIPTURES
We teach that the Bible is the Word of God, the only sure guide and foundation for our faith. It is our sole authority in spiritual matters and is inerrant in all its contents.
THE TRIUNE GOD
We teach that there is one Triune God who exists eternally in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each equally deserving worship and obedience.
THE FATHER
We teach that God the Father, the First Person of the Trinity, is the Creator of all things and sovereignly governs them according to His own purpose and grace.
THE SON
We teach that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity. Being born of a virgin, He entered into humanity to reveal God, to rule over God's kingdom, and to redeem sinful men. We teach that He accomplished this marvelous redemption through His substitutionary death on the cross, and that He rose victoriously from the dead three days later.
THE SPIRIT
We teach that the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, restrains evil, brings conviction, testifies to the truth of the gospel, and is the supernatural agent of the new birth. We teach that the Spirit baptizes every believer into the church—the body of Christ—and permanently dwells in them, empowering them with gifts for edification and producing in them fruits of godliness.
MAN AND SIN
We teach that man (Adam) was created directly and immediately by God in His image, having a rational nature, intelligence, volition, and moral responsibility to God. We teach that his original sin brought death into the world and alienated him and his descendants from God. We teach that all mankind, as a result, are sinners by inherited nature, and are utterly unable and unwilling to remedy their lost condition.
SALVATION
We teach that salvation is wholly a work of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ and on the merit of His shed blood, and that salvation is not on the basis of human merit or works. We teach the necessity of a new birth, the reality of divine election, the perseverance of the saints, and justification by faith alone.
THE CHURCH
We teach that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed by the Spirit into one united spiritual body, the church, of which Christ is the Head. We affirm the value of discipleship, the primacy of love, and the importance of mutual accountability/membership. We uphold the autonomy of the local church and its centrality to the accomplishment of the Great Commission, and we regularly practice the Lord's Supper and believer baptism.
THE END TIMES
We teach that we are living in the last days, and we eagerly anticipate the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom on earth. We teach that there will be a bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Countryside's Statement of Faith
Countryside's Statement on Marriage and Ethics
The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
The Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
The Nashville Statement on Biblical Marriage and Sexuality
The Dallas Statement on Social Justice