OUR BELIEFS
Firmly rooted in Scripture, the beliefs of Bridge guide our decisions as a church. Our beliefs are broken up into two specific sections. First are our “Traditional Tenants of Faith”. These focus on more traditional statements of faith. Second are our “Cultural & Social Tenants of Faith”. These focus on social issues that we feel necessary to clearly identify what we believe. Our list of cultural and social tenants may grow to provide clarity in a world of relative truth and morality.
TRADITIONAL TENANTS OF FAITH
THE BIBLE
Simply put, it’s the Word of God. He inspired and directed all forty authors to record each of the sixty-six books that make up the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is therefore God’s direct communication to man; it is without flaw, without error, and without equal. We believe the Bible is God’s guide and direction for our lives, our church, and our world.
Bible References: 2 Timothy3:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21
GOD
There’s only one! He is eternal, infinite (without limits), sovereign (has power and authority to do anything, and is in control of everything), wise, ever-present, holy, unchanging, good, just, and loving. Now, while God is one he is also three. It’s a paradox that the Bible teaches and we call the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Although each member of the Trinity fulfills different roles, each possesses equal power and authority as one entity. It may seem impossible, even confusing, that one person can be three beings; but remember what we said about God being infinite.
Bible References: Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10,11; Matthew 28:19
JESUS
He’s the second member of the Trinity – God the Son. Basically he entered history as a human (don’t forget that he is eternal, which means he had to enter our timeline). It’s not like he dressed up as a man; he really was human and divine at the same time (once again, there’s that paradoxical infiniteness of God). Jesus led a perfect life, and demonstrated what it means to be righteous and honor God in every aspect.
Bible References: Luke 1:31,35; Matthew 1:23, Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22;
MANKIND
When first created, humans were perfect, upright, and good because we were made in the image of God. Unfortunately, our original ancestors, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God, which resulted in both physical and spiritual death (the latter being separation from God). Now, every person is born into that sinfulness – desperately in need of salvation.
Bible References: Genesis 1:26,27; 2:17; 3:6; Romans 5:12-19
SALVATION
Man’s only hope of salvation is Jesus. When he was crucified in the first century AD, our sins were paid for by his perfection; he essentially swapped places with us – life for death (this is what Communion reminds us of, that Jesus’ body was broken for our sake). The good news is this: he didn’t stay in the grave. With all the power of an unlimited God, he rose from the dead after three days. Thus validating himself to be God and conquering the power of death, sin, and the grave. Now, for us to be saved we simply must put our faith in Jesus, the living redeemer; it’s a matter of repenting for our mistakes and accepting his grace.
Bible References: Romans 10:13-15, Ephesians 2:8; Romans 8:16; Romans 6:4
CHURCH
First of all, we aren’t talking about a building with a steeple. The Church is really a group of people: those who have accepted the gift of salvation from Jesus. Each member of that group is involved in the mission of God, which is to seek and save the lost; therefore, the job of every Christian is to honor God, share the story of Jesus, demonstrate His compassion to everyone, and care for one another. The church is not limited to a denomination, race, or location. It is the collective community of all those who have put their faith in Jesus to save them from the power and consequence of sin. The church is who we are as followers of Christ and not what we simply do on Sunday.
Bible References: Ephesians 1:22,23, Ephesians 4:11-16
HOLY SPIRIT
Talk of the Holy Spirit often baffles people, and even creeps some out. But he’s not the mystical, mysterious ghost that we imagine him to be. As the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit has been sent to reside within each member of the Church at the moment we commit our lives to follow Jesus. His empowering presence acts as evidence of salvation, guides the Church with wisdom truth, and exalts Jesus. He also convicts people of their sin and reveals God’s righteousness; nevertheless, the Holy Spirit comforts us, sanctifies us, and enables us to boldly share the good news. Through His baptism, Christ followers are empowered to live an overflowing life, speak in other tongues, and are energized with the power to share the message of Jesus with the world.
Bible References: John 7:37-39; John 14:15-16; John 16:5-15; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-39, Acts 8:12-17, Acts 10
SANCTIFICATION
This is the process by which believers are separated from sin and dedicated to God. The Bible teaches that at the moment we commit our lives to Jesus we are moved spiritually to a place of grace and mercy. The Holy Spirit then progressively empowers followers of Jesus to live a life that honors God and shows His transformational grace. Sanctification is realized as we continually identify with Jesus and live according to the Holy Spirit’s presence and the Bible.
Bible References: Romans 12:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24; Romans 6:1-11,13
COMMUNION AND BAPTISM
Communion is more than a religious ceremony or mid service snack. The elements, the bread and wine or juice , are not magical but memorable. They remind us of all that Jesus did to provide a way back to God for us, and our responsibility and focus as his church. They serve as symbols, expressing our sharing the divine nature of Jesus Christ.
Bible References: 2 Peter 1:4;1 Corinthians 11:26
Baptism is the public declaration of our faith in Jesus and decision to follow him through being immersed in water. The bible teaches us that every follower of Jesus should take this important step in their faith. Baptism does not save us and it is not required to be saved. Baptism solidifies publicly what we have decided personally; to follow Jesus. We symbolically die with Jesus as we are immersed in the water and are raised to life with him as we come out of the water. It is a powerful and life changing experience.
Bible References: Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47,48; Romans 6:4
SUPERNATURAL HEALING
When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead he not only provided spiritual healing for us but also physical and emotional healing. As followers of Christ we have the God given right to pray for and expect God to provide supernatural healing in our bodies and emotions because of what Jesus did through his death and resurrection.
Bible References: Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:16,17; James 5:14-16
THE RETURN OF JESUS
After Jesus died, he returned to heaven with the guarantee that he would return to set things straight once and for all. The second coming of Jesus will restore physical life to those that died on earth as believers, officially bring believers into God’s eternal presence, and usher in a millennium on earth in which Christ will reign as King. This thousand-year reign will bring about the salvation of Israel (God’s original chosen people) and establish of universal peace.
Bible References: 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17, Isaiah 11:6-9; Zechariah 14:1-5
ETERNITY
There will be a final judgment in which people are divided based on their relation to Jesus. That is why we are really passionate about making sure everyone has numerous opportunities to respond to the message of Jesus. Whoever did not put their faith in him while living, will be separated from God and turned over for everlasting punishment in Hell according to their sin. Afterward, God will create a new earth and new heavens, where those who have placed their faith in Him will thrive forever in unending life and the presence of Jesus.
Bible References: Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 19:20; 20:11-15; Revelation 21,22
CULTURAL AND SOCIAL TENANTS OF FAITH
SEXUALITY
God’s intention for human sexuality is to occur between one genetic male and one genetic female within the covenant of marriage. All forms of sexuality outside of God’s intention are a result of separation from God and are illegitimate moral options for the confessing Christian. In Scripture, several sexual behaviors are expressly forbidden, which include but are not limited to fornication, adultery, incest, unnatural sexual intercourse and homosexual acts.
Genesis 2:18, 21-24; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 6:13, 18–20; Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:7–23, 20:10–21; Matthew 5:27–28; Romans 1:20–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:17–19; Colossians 3:5
Into this broken world, God sent himself in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ (John 1:1–3, 14). Through His sacrifice, Jesus became the Way to the restoration of the Divine/human community (John 3:16). Until one has restored his or her relationship with God through His Son, Jesus, all other relationships — including human sexuality — will remain broken (John 14:6–7).
GENDER
We believe that from the beginning God created two separate and distinct biological sexes: male and female. Moreover, we believe that Scripture does not permit any difference between biological sex and gender identity or expression. Humankind has been created by God and any attempt to misconstrue the difference between male/female and/or biological sex/gender identity is an attempt to self-create and is a result of sin and the fall. We also acknowledge that there are rare instances where people are born with an indiscriminate biological sex. Yet, these cases do not involve an attempt to self-create nor deny the dignity of how they were born (Gen. 1:26-27; Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6-7; Psalm 139:14).
MARRIAGE
God’s plan from the beginning of creation is that the marriage covenant shall be reserved only for one man with one woman. It was our Creator, the Lord God, who decided that the man should not be alone, who specifically fashioned the woman as the suitable helper for the man. God made the woman from a part of the man, and in the woman made the man complete, who designed sexual union to be with a husband cleaving to his wife as one flesh, who bestowed his divine blessing upon the unity of a man and a woman, who gave the man and the woman the ability to fulfill his charge to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and who ordained the pattern for human existence that a man and a woman would pair up and cleave to each other in one flesh. No other relationship can ever be the holy unity between one man and one woman established by our Creator, which the Apostle Paul frequently compared to the holy unity of Christ and the church, and man has no authority to alter the divine order of the unity between one man and one woman.
Genesis 2:18-24; 1:27-28; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5: 23, 25, 31-3
RACE
We believe that God loves all races of human beings equally and without preference or favoritism. Racism, which is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, is evil and is the result of sin. We believe that the authority for approaching racism is Scripture and, therefore, our approach to racism centers around such. As a result, we reject Critical Race Theory (CRT) and other systems of thinking that insist on being the authority on racism and the resolution to it. (Mk 12:31; Acts 17:26; Rom. 2:11;: Rev. 7:9-10; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
RIGHT TO LIFE
We believe that all human life is valuable and sacred, and that human life and full personhood begins at conception and continues until death. As stewards of life, we are endowed by God with the responsibility to protect the worth and dignity of human beings from the moment of conception until the moment of death. Therefore, we oppose taking innocent life in all forms, including abortion and euthanasia. (Gen. 1:26-27; Job 31:15; Ps. 22:10; Ps. 127:3-5; Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5; Acts 17:25).
Firmly rooted in Scripture, the beliefs of Bridge guide our decisions as a church. Our beliefs are broken up into two specific sections. First are our “Traditional Tenants of Faith”. These focus on more traditional statements of faith. Second are our “Cultural & Social Tenants of Faith”. These focus on social issues that we feel necessary to clearly identify what we believe. Our list of cultural and social tenants may grow to provide clarity in a world of relative truth and morality.
TRADITIONAL TENANTS OF FAITH
THE BIBLE
Simply put, it’s the Word of God. He inspired and directed all forty authors to record each of the sixty-six books that make up the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is therefore God’s direct communication to man; it is without flaw, without error, and without equal. We believe the Bible is God’s guide and direction for our lives, our church, and our world.
Bible References: 2 Timothy3:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21
GOD
There’s only one! He is eternal, infinite (without limits), sovereign (has power and authority to do anything, and is in control of everything), wise, ever-present, holy, unchanging, good, just, and loving. Now, while God is one he is also three. It’s a paradox that the Bible teaches and we call the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Although each member of the Trinity fulfills different roles, each possesses equal power and authority as one entity. It may seem impossible, even confusing, that one person can be three beings; but remember what we said about God being infinite.
Bible References: Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10,11; Matthew 28:19
JESUS
He’s the second member of the Trinity – God the Son. Basically he entered history as a human (don’t forget that he is eternal, which means he had to enter our timeline). It’s not like he dressed up as a man; he really was human and divine at the same time (once again, there’s that paradoxical infiniteness of God). Jesus led a perfect life, and demonstrated what it means to be righteous and honor God in every aspect.
Bible References: Luke 1:31,35; Matthew 1:23, Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22;
MANKIND
When first created, humans were perfect, upright, and good because we were made in the image of God. Unfortunately, our original ancestors, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God, which resulted in both physical and spiritual death (the latter being separation from God). Now, every person is born into that sinfulness – desperately in need of salvation.
Bible References: Genesis 1:26,27; 2:17; 3:6; Romans 5:12-19
SALVATION
Man’s only hope of salvation is Jesus. When he was crucified in the first century AD, our sins were paid for by his perfection; he essentially swapped places with us – life for death (this is what Communion reminds us of, that Jesus’ body was broken for our sake). The good news is this: he didn’t stay in the grave. With all the power of an unlimited God, he rose from the dead after three days. Thus validating himself to be God and conquering the power of death, sin, and the grave. Now, for us to be saved we simply must put our faith in Jesus, the living redeemer; it’s a matter of repenting for our mistakes and accepting his grace.
Bible References: Romans 10:13-15, Ephesians 2:8; Romans 8:16; Romans 6:4
CHURCH
First of all, we aren’t talking about a building with a steeple. The Church is really a group of people: those who have accepted the gift of salvation from Jesus. Each member of that group is involved in the mission of God, which is to seek and save the lost; therefore, the job of every Christian is to honor God, share the story of Jesus, demonstrate His compassion to everyone, and care for one another. The church is not limited to a denomination, race, or location. It is the collective community of all those who have put their faith in Jesus to save them from the power and consequence of sin. The church is who we are as followers of Christ and not what we simply do on Sunday.
Bible References: Ephesians 1:22,23, Ephesians 4:11-16
HOLY SPIRIT
Talk of the Holy Spirit often baffles people, and even creeps some out. But he’s not the mystical, mysterious ghost that we imagine him to be. As the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit has been sent to reside within each member of the Church at the moment we commit our lives to follow Jesus. His empowering presence acts as evidence of salvation, guides the Church with wisdom truth, and exalts Jesus. He also convicts people of their sin and reveals God’s righteousness; nevertheless, the Holy Spirit comforts us, sanctifies us, and enables us to boldly share the good news. Through His baptism, Christ followers are empowered to live an overflowing life, speak in other tongues, and are energized with the power to share the message of Jesus with the world.
Bible References: John 7:37-39; John 14:15-16; John 16:5-15; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-39, Acts 8:12-17, Acts 10
SANCTIFICATION
This is the process by which believers are separated from sin and dedicated to God. The Bible teaches that at the moment we commit our lives to Jesus we are moved spiritually to a place of grace and mercy. The Holy Spirit then progressively empowers followers of Jesus to live a life that honors God and shows His transformational grace. Sanctification is realized as we continually identify with Jesus and live according to the Holy Spirit’s presence and the Bible.
Bible References: Romans 12:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24; Romans 6:1-11,13
COMMUNION AND BAPTISM
Communion is more than a religious ceremony or mid service snack. The elements, the bread and wine or juice , are not magical but memorable. They remind us of all that Jesus did to provide a way back to God for us, and our responsibility and focus as his church. They serve as symbols, expressing our sharing the divine nature of Jesus Christ.
Bible References: 2 Peter 1:4;1 Corinthians 11:26
Baptism is the public declaration of our faith in Jesus and decision to follow him through being immersed in water. The bible teaches us that every follower of Jesus should take this important step in their faith. Baptism does not save us and it is not required to be saved. Baptism solidifies publicly what we have decided personally; to follow Jesus. We symbolically die with Jesus as we are immersed in the water and are raised to life with him as we come out of the water. It is a powerful and life changing experience.
Bible References: Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47,48; Romans 6:4
SUPERNATURAL HEALING
When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead he not only provided spiritual healing for us but also physical and emotional healing. As followers of Christ we have the God given right to pray for and expect God to provide supernatural healing in our bodies and emotions because of what Jesus did through his death and resurrection.
Bible References: Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:16,17; James 5:14-16
THE RETURN OF JESUS
After Jesus died, he returned to heaven with the guarantee that he would return to set things straight once and for all. The second coming of Jesus will restore physical life to those that died on earth as believers, officially bring believers into God’s eternal presence, and usher in a millennium on earth in which Christ will reign as King. This thousand-year reign will bring about the salvation of Israel (God’s original chosen people) and establish of universal peace.
Bible References: 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17, Isaiah 11:6-9; Zechariah 14:1-5
ETERNITY
There will be a final judgment in which people are divided based on their relation to Jesus. That is why we are really passionate about making sure everyone has numerous opportunities to respond to the message of Jesus. Whoever did not put their faith in him while living, will be separated from God and turned over for everlasting punishment in Hell according to their sin. Afterward, God will create a new earth and new heavens, where those who have placed their faith in Him will thrive forever in unending life and the presence of Jesus.
Bible References: Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 19:20; 20:11-15; Revelation 21,22
CULTURAL AND SOCIAL TENANTS OF FAITH
SEXUALITY
God’s intention for human sexuality is to occur between one genetic male and one genetic female within the covenant of marriage. All forms of sexuality outside of God’s intention are a result of separation from God and are illegitimate moral options for the confessing Christian. In Scripture, several sexual behaviors are expressly forbidden, which include but are not limited to fornication, adultery, incest, unnatural sexual intercourse and homosexual acts.
Genesis 2:18, 21-24; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 6:13, 18–20; Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:7–23, 20:10–21; Matthew 5:27–28; Romans 1:20–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:17–19; Colossians 3:5
Into this broken world, God sent himself in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ (John 1:1–3, 14). Through His sacrifice, Jesus became the Way to the restoration of the Divine/human community (John 3:16). Until one has restored his or her relationship with God through His Son, Jesus, all other relationships — including human sexuality — will remain broken (John 14:6–7).
GENDER
We believe that from the beginning God created two separate and distinct biological sexes: male and female. Moreover, we believe that Scripture does not permit any difference between biological sex and gender identity or expression. Humankind has been created by God and any attempt to misconstrue the difference between male/female and/or biological sex/gender identity is an attempt to self-create and is a result of sin and the fall. We also acknowledge that there are rare instances where people are born with an indiscriminate biological sex. Yet, these cases do not involve an attempt to self-create nor deny the dignity of how they were born (Gen. 1:26-27; Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6-7; Psalm 139:14).
MARRIAGE
God’s plan from the beginning of creation is that the marriage covenant shall be reserved only for one man with one woman. It was our Creator, the Lord God, who decided that the man should not be alone, who specifically fashioned the woman as the suitable helper for the man. God made the woman from a part of the man, and in the woman made the man complete, who designed sexual union to be with a husband cleaving to his wife as one flesh, who bestowed his divine blessing upon the unity of a man and a woman, who gave the man and the woman the ability to fulfill his charge to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and who ordained the pattern for human existence that a man and a woman would pair up and cleave to each other in one flesh. No other relationship can ever be the holy unity between one man and one woman established by our Creator, which the Apostle Paul frequently compared to the holy unity of Christ and the church, and man has no authority to alter the divine order of the unity between one man and one woman.
Genesis 2:18-24; 1:27-28; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5: 23, 25, 31-3
RACE
We believe that God loves all races of human beings equally and without preference or favoritism. Racism, which is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, is evil and is the result of sin. We believe that the authority for approaching racism is Scripture and, therefore, our approach to racism centers around such. As a result, we reject Critical Race Theory (CRT) and other systems of thinking that insist on being the authority on racism and the resolution to it. (Mk 12:31; Acts 17:26; Rom. 2:11;: Rev. 7:9-10; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
RIGHT TO LIFE
We believe that all human life is valuable and sacred, and that human life and full personhood begins at conception and continues until death. As stewards of life, we are endowed by God with the responsibility to protect the worth and dignity of human beings from the moment of conception until the moment of death. Therefore, we oppose taking innocent life in all forms, including abortion and euthanasia. (Gen. 1:26-27; Job 31:15; Ps. 22:10; Ps. 127:3-5; Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5; Acts 17:25).