Christ Community Church

At Christ Community, we recognize that not everyone is going to agree with our doctrinal positions. We don’t expect that. In fact, we gladly and warmly welcome those who believe differently, or who are not yet certain of what they believe. We have a saying around CCC that reminds us to “major on the majors and minor on the minors.” This means we want to emphasize the most valuable truths of the gospel while seeking to avoid myopic attention on the non-essentials of our faith. However, just as with every other church, we have certain theological beliefs that make us distinctive in our community.

Christ Community is committed to the doctrines of grace.

1. The Condition of All Humanity

Because of the fall, we are more sinful than we could ever imagine (Jeremiah 17:9). Not only have we been credited with Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12-19), but we are also responsible for our own sin. Our nature, in its original state, not only will not choose to obey the Gospel, it is unable to do so (Romans 3:9-20, 8:5-8). We are all in this same boat – desperately in need of God’s grace.

2. The Initiative of God, the Father

Because of our inherent brokenness and sin, we need our God to pursue us, which he certainly does. Why does he do this? Because, while we are more sinful than we could ever imagine, we are also more loved than we could ever dream! In His grace, God takes the initiative in establishing relationship with us, reaches down, captures our heart and invites us into a love relationship with Himself (John 6:37-39, II Thessalonians 2:13-14).

3. The Work of Jesus, the Son

God didn’t just come up with the idea of salvation. He actually provided the way of salvation through Jesus Christ (John 10:14-15, Ephesians 5:25-27). On the cross of Jesus Christ, we see the benediction of God to all who would believe: “My child, I love you and have forgiven you.” (I John 4:10, Romans 5:10, Galatians 3:13). In other words, the cross was not just an act of goodwill -- it was a fully effective act of redemption.

4. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Through the Holy Spirit, God is still in the business of transforming lives. How? By convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ and by capturing our hearts with the love and mercy of God (Ezekiel 36:25-27). The Spirit of God opens our eyes to the beauty of Jesus Christ (John 6:44-45, Philippians 2:13).

5. The Promise of the Gospel

He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6). In other words, the One who has captured your heart will never leave you or forsake you. Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God has promised his love for you -- and he will keep that promise. He will never let you go. How do I know He has embraced me? I have embraced Him (I Corinthians 1:8-9).

Christ Community is committed to historical doctrine.

By historical, we mean the foundational orthodox teachings which have been believed by all those churches throughout history that have proclaimed historic Christianity. These teachings have been confessed in the ecumenical creeds of the early church, particularly the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.

The three basic teachings of the historical church are:

The Trinity

One God in three persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, equal in substance and power

The Incarnation

That Jesus is both fully God and fully man

The Atonement

That Jesus lived a sinless life and died on the cross and was raised from the dead in order to redeem sinners.

Christ Community is committed to apostolic doctrine.

By apostolic, we are referring to those doctrines taught by the Apostles in the Scriptures and which were carefully reclaimed in the Reformation of the sixteenth century. Specifically, we believe that the Scriptures are without error, completely trustworthy and the ultimate authority for our beliefs and our lifestyles. We believe that salvation is only by God’s grace and is received solely through faith in Christ. We believe in the historicity of the biblical miracles, of Christ's virgin birth and in the reality of Christ’s Second Coming.

Christ Community is committed to reformed doctrine.

We believe that God is sovereign in all things, including salvation. A succinct description of the tenets of reformed doctrine can be found in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. We are committed to a Presbyterian system of church government and to living out the implications of God’s radical grace in every area of life.

Christ Community is committed to the centrality of the gospel.

We believe that the gospel is for the believer as well as the unbeliever. Though we are more sinful than we ever dare realize or admit, God’s love and forgiveness in the gospel is greater than we could ever imagine. By grace through faith we have been given a new heart spiritually, justified before God and declared righteous because of Christ’s completed work on the cross and adopted into God’s family because He has placed his fatherly love upon us. We believe that these facts change both our actions and our motives so that we love, honor, and serve God as a new creation.