Our Doctrine

Hope Community Church accepts the Bible, canonized as the 66 books, comprising the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God, His revealed will, the all-sufficient rule of faith, doctrine and practice. For the purpose of maintaining unity, we adopt the following statements of faith:

1) We believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God. Holy men of God penned the Scriptures under the guiding influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit (II Timothy 3:16-17). Contained within the Holy Scriptures are the words of life. They are the ultimate guide and direction of all facets of our life. All that we say and do in our lives is to be rooted in the Word of God. Because the Word of God is highly valued and cherished at Hope Community Church, we place a strong emphasis on the preaching and teaching of the Bible to all ages of people. Although we recognize that our understanding of the Scriptures may be incorrect at times ( I Cor. 13:12), we still believe the Bible remains the primary source of declaring how we should live and it is the most clear means of hearing the voice of the Lord spoken to our lives.

2) We believe there is one God, eternally existent and manifested in three distinct persons: God the Father, who loved us so much that He sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world but to save the world. God the Son, who is Jesus Christ who was fully God and fully human; He was crucified, died, buried, bodily resurrected which was witnessed by more than 500 eyewitnesses and today sits at the right hand of the Father. And God the Holy Spirit, who convicts the world of sin, reveals Jesus Christ, gives the life of Christ to those who will repent of their sin and sanctifies and empowers those who through faith believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 2:8; John 1:1).

3) We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory upon the earth (Luke 1:26-35; II Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 26:17-29; Matthew 28:1-20; Philippians 2:8; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 22:1-2).

4) We believe in the ever-present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose “indwelling” the Christian is enabled to live a godly life and is empowered to do the “greater works” of which Jesus spoke. It is in this manner that God is present in our lives both individually and even more powerfully, corporately, when we assemble together in His name. (John 14:12; John 14:15-31; John 20:21-23). A personal experience with the Holy Spirit is essential for victorious Christian living and is the means whereby the gifts of the Spirit become active in the life of the believer. Through the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross and the power of the Holy Spirit, we receive healing, (both physical, spiritual and emotional) and comfort for all that we need to live as Christ in this world. (Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:18-19; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24). When we yield our will to the will of the Holy Spirit we are transformed, from the inside out, into the image of our Savior, Jesus Christ. (Luke 11:13; Acts 8:1-17; Acts 9:17-18; I Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:8-13).

5) We believe the purpose for the creation of man is multifaceted. The highest purpose, however, is to be in a loving personal relationship with God. All people are created in the image and likeness of God, however because of man’s sin we are separated from God and unable to save ourselves. All of humanity is in need of being saved from their sins. Because God loved us, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us through His death and resurrection. Regeneration and conversion through faith in Jesus Christ is not only available to all of mankind, it is essential for the salvation of the human race. When a person comes to the end of their own efforts to save themselves and responds to the “drawing” of the Holy Spirit they, through faith, will experience a spiritual rebirth. This rebirth ushers us into a personal relationship with our Creator and we receive the gift of forgiveness and a new purpose for life. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Ephesians 1:7; John 3:1-7; John 16:7-14; Romans 8:1-2).

6) We believe in the final judgment at the end of the age. The saved will inherit eternal life in the presence of God and obtain the rewards of the righteous. The lost will be eternally separated from God, receiving damnation and punishment as the reward of their wickedness (II Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12-14).

7) We believe in the celebration of Holy Communion for all believers. The elements of
bread and wine symbolize the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the final and only sacrifice needed for the forgiveness of our sins. Communion is to be received by faith, remembering that the Atonement of Christ is sufficient to heal all diseases and forgive all sins. The Lord’s table is to be the one place where all of the Body of Christ can come and by faith know that all transgressions will be cleansed and all manner of sickness (both mental and physical) can be healed.

8) We believe in a literal devil (Satan) and fallen angels (demons). Through disobedience and sinful choices by ourselves we give them access to our lives. Through faith in the Blood of Christ we can be free from the demonic realm that once had access to our minds and lives. This deliverance from evil is maintained by daily choosing to walk in the manner set forth by Christ and in His power. Jesus came to “destroy the works of the enemy” and this freedom from sin and Satan is a gift made available to all believers who through faith, receive this provision because of the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ.

9) We believe that baptism is the emersion of a believer in water. It is part of the great Commission to go, make disciples, baptize and teach (Matthew 28:19-20). Baptism is a key strategy of God in the life of a believer and is intended to bring the church together in joy and celebration. Baptism is not intended to be a private experience, but rather a “public receiving” into the family of God. Baptism in the life of a Believer is the public identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:3-5). Identifying with the death of Jesus Christ is the “death of our old nature” (our way of life before we found the Lord.). Identifying with the burial of Christ is our determination to cast aside anything in our life that is not of the Lord. Identifying with Christ’s resurrection is our new life in Him. Christ is not simply a way of living but rather He is “life itself”.

10) We believe that the New Testament church was birthed on the Day of Pentecost, after the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. During the history of the church there have been many successes and certainly some failures. The failures have happened because of sin, greed and lawlessness within the ranks of the church leadership. During these times of failure many truths that were paramount in the early church ceased to be honored and embraced, which contributed to the decline of the power and righteousness of the church. Since the reformation there has been a continual restoration of various truths and practices to the church. While we believe there is no new truth, we realize we live in a day where truths, which were formerly neglected, are now being put into practice. Historically, each denomination has regained a truth or truths that at one time had been neglected. We therefore commit ourselves to honor denominations who have proclaimed the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and have carried the torch of truth to bring the church to where it is today. Commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is the foundation for spiritual unity among all believers. To that end we will cooperate with all believers in Christ to further the Kingdom of God (Romans 12:4).