OUR MISSION STATEMENT
We exist to glorify God by encouraging and helping others to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
OUR VALUES
Our church has four core values. They guide everything we do. We might change the methods we use to accomplish these values, but the values don’t change.
Biblically FaithfulÂ
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. We believe it is true. We believe it has authority. Therefore, we want to teach the Bible in a clear, accurate, and relevant way. We want to line up our thoughts and lives with the Bible, rather than lining the Bible up with our thoughts and lives.
Relationally CenteredÂ
God is a relational God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have loved one another for eternity. God chose to share that love with us. People matter to God, and therefore, they should matter to us. Jesus told His disciples that people would know they were his disciples by how they loved one another. That doesn’t happen alone. We need each other. This is why much of what we do happens in small groups. In these small groups, we want to be real, not fake. We want to stop pretending and be who we really are: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Outreach Oriented
OUR DOCTRINE
WOODCREEK CHURCH DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
We Are Related Through Common Convictions
Members at Woodcreek Church embrace the same purpose, priorities and basic philosophy because such agreement is necessary for allowing God to accomplish His plan for us and through us as a local church. For the same reason it is important that we have unity with regard to our basic doctrinal beliefs. The following doctrinal statement expresses the beliefs of the elders and pastoral staff of the church and are important in guarding the unity and orthodoxy of this ministry.
CORE DOCTRINAL BELIEFS
CONCERNING GOD
We believe there is but one living and true God who is one in essence while existing in three distinct co-eternal and co-equal persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Though each person of the God-head possesses the same nature, each functions differently in respect to God’s dealings with man. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 6:27; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:8)
CONCERNING GOD THE FATHER
The first person of the Trinity orders and directs all things according to His own purpose, pleasure and grace. He has decreed all things that come to pass for His glory. He graciously involves Himself in the affairs of men, hears and answers prayer and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Matt. 6:9; John 5:19-24; Eph. 1:3-6)
CONCERNING GOD THE SON
We believe that God the Son became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, who was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and who is true God and true man. We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood. (Matt. 1:18-25; Mark 10:45; John 1:14; John 11:33, 8:40; Rom. 3:24-26; Rom. 5:8-9; 2 Cor. 5:14; Heb. 1:8, 2:14; 1 Pet. 3:18, 26:38)
CONCERNING GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, possessing all the distinctively divine attributes. He is God. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, seals, and sets apart the believer to a holy life. At regeneration He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ and comes to indwell him permanently. (Psa. 139:7; John 3:5-7; 14:16-17; 16:8; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 2:10-11; 12:11; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13-14; 2 Thess. 2:13; Titus 3:5)
CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present ministry there for us. Jesus now serves as high priest, intercessor, and advocate on our behalf with the Father. (John 20:25-27; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 1:4; Heb. 7:25; Heb. 8:1-2, 10:12; 1 John 2:1)
CONCERNING SALVATION
We believe that whoever by faith receives Jesus Christ as their Savior becomes a child of God. This salvation is not the result of any human effort or merit. (John 1:12; Rom. 3:28; Eph. 2:8-9)
CONCERNING THE SCRIPTURES
We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as verbally inspired of God and without error in the original writings. The exact meaning of the Scriptures is essentially unchanged in any important respect in the widely accepted English translations. The Scriptures are authoritative and without error in any category of knowledge, including science and history, and are of supreme and final authority in all matters about which they speak. We believe the Scriptures are to be interpreted in a normal and literal way and that they are understood as the believer is guided by the Spirit of God. (Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; John 16:12-15; 1 Cor. 2:13; 14-16; 1 Tim. 5:18; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21)
CONCERNING JESUS CHRIST’S RETURN
We believe in the personal, bodily, visible return of Jesus Christ in the glory of His Father to set up on the earth a kingdom in which He shall reign in righteousness and peace. (Isa. 9:6-7, 11:2-5, Matt.
24:30, Luke 21:28, Acts 1:11, Rev. 19:11-21)
IMPORTANT DOCTRINAL BELIEFS
CONCERNING BELIEVERS’ BAPTISM
We believe that believer’s baptism by immersion in water is an ordinance that Christ commanded us to observe and is a testimony for the church in this age. (Matt. 28:19; Acts 10:47-48)
CONCERNING THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial instituted by Jesus as a symbolic expression of faith and obedience. In the Lord’s Supper we proclaim the Lord’s substitutional and sacrificial death on our behalf and affirm His certain return.
Communion is open to all who claim a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and can be practiced by a believer at any time and in any location. (Matt. 26:26-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-20; 1 Cor. 11:7-34)
CONCERNING SATAN
We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, and when given the opportunity, he attempts to defeat Christians. However, we believe Christians can overcome Satan’s schemes by applying Scriptural truth and relying on the Holy Spirit. (Job 1:6-12; Luke 10:18; John 8:44; Eph. 6:10-19; Rev. 12:11)
CONCERNING THE CHURCH
We believe that the church in its invisible form is universal, the true body of Christ. All believers from the day of Pentecost are members of the universal church regardless of organizational affiliation. (Eph.
4:4-6; Col.1:18; Acts 1:5; 11:15-16; 1 Cor. 12:13; Matt. 16:18)
CONCERNING CHRISTIAN LIVING
We believe it is the responsibility of every believer to develop qualities of Christian maturity as described in God’s word. (1 Cor. 2:15; Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 2:6-7; 3:1-4; Heb. 5:13-14; 2 Pet. 1:5-11)
CONCERNING SPIRITUAL GIFTS
We believe God has given every believer at least one spiritual gift for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ, the Church. We also believe that biblical and historical evidence indicates that the sign gifts such as healing and tongues may no longer serve the same need and function in establishing the authenticity of the Church and the gospel in our culture as they did in the first century. (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-31; 13:8; 14:22-25; Eph. 4:7-13; Heb. 2:3-4; 1 Pet. 4:7-11)
CONCERNING HEALING
We believe that God heals with or without means in answer to prayer offered in faith and in accord with His sovereign will. Healing cannot be claimed on the same unconditional basis of faith as salvation is claimed. (2 Cor. 12:7-10; James 5:14-15; 1 John 5:14-15)
CONCERNING THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
We believe that the purpose of the church, in addition to building up every believer, is to make Christ known to the whole world. Every member of the church shares in this purpose. In relation to the world, believers are sent by Christ to communicate to unsaved people that God is reconciling the world to Himself in Christ. (Isa. 45:22; 49:6; Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; John 17:18-20; Acts 1:8; Rom.
10:12-15; 2 Cor. 5:18-20)
CONCERNING THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
We believe in the imminent, pre-tribulational, visible return of Christ for the church. All members of the body of Christ, living or dead, will at that time be caught up or be resurrected to be with the Lord forever. (1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10)
CONCERNING THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST
We believe it is the responsibility of every believer to develop qualities of Christian maturity as described in God’s word. (1 Cor. 2:15; Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 2:6-7; 3:1-4; Heb. 5:13-14; 2 Pet. 1:5-11)
Concerning the Role of the Church in the World
We believe that at the end of the tribulation, Jesus Christ will return and rule an earthly kingdom for 1,000 years (a Millennium) before the final defeat of Satan and the judgment of all humanity. (Revelation 20:1-6). This will be followed by the eternal state (mentioned under Core Doctrinal Beliefs) where there is a new heaven and a new earth, and where God dwells with us, wiping away our every tear, and removing forever all death, pain, mourning, and crying (Revelation 21:1-4).