WHAT WE BELIEVE

First Church of God is a non-denominational body in the mainstream of Protestant Christianity. We are part of a group of independent congregations that associate together in a movement known as the Church of God, Anderson


WE BELIEVE…

~ the Bible is God’s inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word and is the standard for all Christians

~ in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

~ man sinned and fell short of the glory of God

~ Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary; lived a sinless life; died a vicarious death; arose through a triumphant resurrection; sits on the right hand of God; and lives to make intercession as man’s only means of salvation

~ sanctification is a second definite work of grace, subsequent to salvation, which enables us to live a life of holiness which is the standard and norm for every Christian; the evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit is a holy life empowered to witness and not an unintelligible language or unknown tongue

~ the church of God is the bride of Christ into which every believer is born and that here all born again believers are united in one great Christian family of which Christ is the head

~ being born again and added to the church of God places us into the Kingdom of God, which is a present-day spiritual reality and not reserved for a future kingdom or millennial reign

~ in water baptism by immersion; the Lord’s Supper; and feet washing; which are all commands of our Lord, to be obeyed and practiced by those who have been born again

~ in the Biblical doctrine of Divine physical healing which is provided by faith to the believer

~ in the practice of tithing through the local church as commanded by God in the Scriptures

~ “he who stands firm to the end will be saved”; being born again does not exempt a person from choosing to backslide and be lost

~ in the personal second coming of Christ to this word to end time, resurrect the dead, judge the world, receive the church unto Himself, and to usher us all into eternity; and this is not a secret rapture

~ every Christian is gifted for ministry and not a select few

~ the Bible teaches that every Christian should witness

~ spiritual fruit is produced in the lives of sanctified believers

~ marriage is defined by Jesus Christ in Scripture as one genetic man and one genetic woman joined together for life in a covenant founded on unconditional love (Matthew 19:3-9; Genesis 2:24)


OUR CORE VALUES

TRUTH: the church should be culturally relevant while remaining doctrinally true

WORSHIP: is a lifestyle, and should be a part of everything we do in service to God

PRAYER: is a conversation with God, through which He changes the world and us

STEWARDSHIP: recipients of extravagant grace are called to be extravagant givers

DISCIPLESHIP: is a process of growing people into followers of Jesus Christ

MINISTRY: a Christian’s life is given meaning through discovering and using their spiritual gifts for ministry

LOVE & FORGIVENESS: unconditional love and forgiveness should be the guiding principles for followers of Christ

FELLOWSHIP: loving relationships are expressed in community with God & others

EVANGELISM: lost people matter to God, therefore, they should matter to us




Our Purpose

FIRST CHURCH OF GOD IS A PLACE TO LOVE

GOD | EACH OTHER | OUR COMMUNITY


GOD

We are here to build bridges of faith that extend over chasms of doubt and unbelief

so that people can enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ. 


EACH OTHER

God created us to be in community,

so we encourage groups that bridge the gap from individuals to family.


OUR COMMUNITY

Jesus' message is clear: go into the world and make disciples; love your neighbor; do unto others;

whether it is people in our community or across the globe, we build bridges to engage them.



The Purpose of First Church of God is to:

WORSHIP the Lord

REACH our world

DISCIPLE believers

EQUIP Christians for ministry

CELEBRATE our unity