Bible: We believe that the Bible, in its original manuscripts, is the divinely inspired, inerrant Word of God. We believe that the canon is closed and complete with the 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament. The Bible stands as the chief authority over every person, society, worldview, and experience. God: We believe God eternally exists in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus: We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate – fully God and fully man. In the fullness of time, God sent His eternal Son to be born of a virgin and conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus lived perfectly and died voluntarily to act as the penal substitution for man’s sin. Holy Spirit: We believe in the Holy Spirit as the third member of the Trinity. It is the Spirit who convicts, comforts, and empowers believers to grow into the likeness of Christ. 5 Spiritual Gifts: We believe that the Holy Spirit gifts individuals according to His divine will to build up and strengthen the church. We believe that the gifts given to the early church still exist and should be exercised Biblically today. Salvation: We believe salvation is the free gift from God for those who place their faith in Jesus Christ. While genuine faith is sufficient to produce salvation, this salvation will reveal itself through good works. Salvation occurs in three stages – justification (past), sanctification (present), and glorification (future). God both initiates and carries this salvation to completion. Sin: We believe that sin originated with the fall of Adam and Eve. Through this act, all of Adam’s posterity became corrupted by and enslaved to sin. Because of sin, the world is now filled with sickness, decay, and suffering. Church: We believe that the church refers to the universal body of believers whose chief end is to glorify God. The universal church consists of local church bodies that come together to hear the Word of God, engage in corporate worship, develop communal bonds, and carry out the Great Commission.