Our Statement of Faith
We affirm the faith of Jesus’s apostles expressed in the writings of the New Testament and articulated in the confessions of the church frequently called the ecumenical creeds (the Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed).
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father; God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God; begotten not made, one in being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven. By the power of the Holy Spirit He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose again, in fulfillment of the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Our Tradition
SRC is rooted in the tradition of the Stone-Campbell Movement, also known as the American Restoration Movement. We acknowledge that our pursuit of God’s kingdom arises from a particular historical and cultural context. We have learned that this heritage is not arbitrary or dispensable; it shapes our experience and expression of God’s grace in Christ through the Holy Spirit. At the same time, it is a living tradition, open to critique and reformation. The faith of the whole church, including our tradition, is always seeking understanding, which it expresses in new times and places with the repentance and creativity that God grants us.
Churches of Christ embody a distinctive configuration of commitments. Our theological center of gravity is intentional discipleship to Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Son of God. Around discipleship orbit six major commitments:
- Churches of Christ worship the one, sovereign God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Trinity).
- Churches of Christ are committed to the story of God’s work of creation and redemption as found in Scripture and affirmed in the rules of faith and ecumenical creeds of the early church.
- Churches of Christ are committed to hearing and following God’s voice through Scripture, the Spirit-breathed Word of God.
- Churches of Christ are committed to the unity, holiness, universality, and apostolicity of the church, the community of fellow-disciples.
- Churches of Christ are committed to sacramental practices like baptism and the Lord’s Supper, through which God communicates grace and humans pledge themselves to discipleship.
- Churches of Christ are committed to participation in God’s mission.
Our Values
The SRC shepherds have identified the following core values:
We value salvation by grace through faith in Jesus as Lord, which is the Gospel.
We value God’s freedom to do whatever pleases Him (see Psalm 115:3).
We value the ministry of the Holy Spirit in leading, assisting and maturing us in our walk with God. We seek God through Spirit-led study and meditation on the scriptures, fervent prayer, and fasting.
We value our call to imitate Jesus by serving the underserved, helping the hurting, and strengthening the weak.
We value the experience of worship – having freedom to be creative, expressive and celebratory, we bring our gifts of praise, service, tithes, and offerings to God.
We value community with God’s people. We are called to faithfulness in our relationships—supporting and encouraging each other, accepting one another recognizing there are no second-class Christians.
We value unity in diversity. Appreciating our differing gifts, we embrace our family in Christ—crossing denominational, racial, political and socio-economic boundaries.