Connected Through Faith
Connect Christian Church is a community united in a common love for Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We come from all walks of life and religious backgrounds. While each of us has a unique faith story, we are committed to the unity of all believers. Because we believe we are Christians only and not the only Christians, we recognize and value the faith experiences of all who love, honor, and serve Jesus. If you are new to Connect, we do not expect you to believe everything from the first day you are here. We understand that spiritual growth is a process, and our prayer is that you would grow alongside us as we seek to connect people to Christ, each other, and their purpose.
We believe the 66 books of the Bible to be inspired by God, written down by men guided by the Holy Spirit. God’s Word lights our path and guards, penetrates, purifies, and transforms our hearts. The Bible is reliable, complete, and our final authority for what is believed, taught, and practiced by Connect. There are no other authoritative writings inspired by God.
(2 Tim 3:16-17, Heb 4:12, Matt 24:35, John 17:17)
We believe that there is one true and living God, perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each possessing all the attributes of deity and deserving of our worship and obedience. God created the universe and all things out of nothing, manifesting His power, wisdom, and goodness. God continues to work throughout history by sustaining His creation and fulfilling His redemptive plan.
(John 1:1-5, John 10:30, 1 Cor 8:6, Matt 28:19)
The second person of the Trinity, Jesus, is eternally equal with God. Willingly giving up the glory of heaven, Jesus came to earth to pay the debt for every person. He became a man through a miraculous conception and a virgin birth. He lived a perfect life, committed no sin, and paid for our sins by dying on the cross as our substitute. Jesus rose from the dead after three days and appeared to many people. Jesus will return at God’s appointed time to judge all of mankind according to God’s eternal plan.
(1 Tim 2:5, John 14:6, 1 Cor 15:1-8)
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, comes to live within every Christian to teach, remind, convict, and guide us into all truth. We are to be filled, bear fruit, keep in step with, and stay submitted to the Holy Spirit. We are a church that moves together as we follow the Spirit’s promptings and callings in our lives.
(Titus 3:4-7, John 14:26, Gal 5:22-25)
Every person who ever lived will one day stand before God in judgment. Those who have rejected God and his free offer of salvation through Jesus will be eternally separated from God in condemnation. Believers will enjoy eternal communion with God and be rewarded for what they have done.
(Matt 16:27, John 3:36, John 14:1-3)
Everyone who has ever lived, except Jesus, has sinned against God, falls short of His glory, and is in need of salvation. Salvation is not something that can be purchased or earned. It is only available by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Receiving this gift of God’s grace by faith in Jesus Christ is expressed through belief, confession, repentance of sin, and baptism by immersion. Each of these faith responses is mentioned in Scripture and modeled by the early church. It is important for us to teach all of what Scripture says about becoming a follower of Jesus.
(Rom 3:22-24, John 3:16, Rom 10:9-10, Acts 3:19-20, Matt 28:18-19, Acts 2:36-41, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21-22)
The church is not a building, but rather a gathering of committed disciples who have decided to trust and follow Jesus. The church is the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, and the family of God. The church is responsible for carrying out the Great Commission for the sake of the lost to the glory of God.
(Acts 2:42-47, 1 Cor 12:12-20, Col 1:15-18, Eph 4:11-13)
The Lord’s Supper was initiated by Jesus to remember and proclaim His death, burial, and resurrection. Whereas the bread and the juice are only representative of the body and blood of Jesus, the Lord’s Supper is an actual communion with the risen Christ who is present in a spiritual way. Connect celebrates the Lord’s Supper weekly as a way to celebrate that we are united in Christ, members of one spiritual body. Believers should use this time to remember Jesus and His death, examine their lives and ask God for forgiveness, recommitting their lives in service to Christ.
(1 Cor 11:23-29, Acts 2:42)
We believe marriage is a union ordained and instituted by God, as referenced in Genesis Chapter 2. Jesus taught and affirmed the original intention and core elements of marriage, and several New Testament letters give explicit instructions on this union. Marriage is a representation of the relationship between Christ and the New Testament Church. As such, the Church views marriage as a profound spiritual institution established by God. Due to the importance of marriage in the biblical witness, Connect teaches “marriage” as the exclusive union of one man and one woman for life.
(Gen 2:22-25, Matt 19:4-6, Eph 5:22-25)