BELIEFS SUMMARY

The following is a summary of the Statement of Faith for CPC Elders—the declaration of beliefs that articulate the teaching perspective reflected at CPC. Agreement on all points is not required in order to attend our church; we welcome all who seek spiritual truth. We do, however, require those who wish to become members to affirm the shorter Statement of Faith for CPC Members, and we ask that members not be divisive regarding areas of disagreement with the longer Statement of Faith for CPC Elders.

We believe that God has perfectly revealed who he is and what he commands in the Bible.

We believe that there is only one true God, but he exists eternally as three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully man. Through his life, death, and resurrection, he did all that was necessary to make salvation possible.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is fully God. Through his ministry, he points us to Jesus and empowers our lives.

The gospel is the good news that God saves sinners through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

We believe in the continuation of all spiritual gifts, distributed as the Spirit wills, which are to be eagerly desired for the building up of the church.

We believe that, through Adam, sin has broken all humanity and creation, leaving the world in need of salvation.

We believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

We believe Satan hates God's church and is determined to crush it. Satan was defeated at the cross even as we wait for his final judgment.

We believe the Church is Jesus' body on the earth. Her mission is to make Jesus known through preaching the gospel and loving our neighbors.

We believe God has given us baptism and communion to strengthen Christians' lives and celebrate their inclusion into God's family.

We believe God created two genders, male and female, equal in worth and complementary in function.

We believe the pattern for sex and marriage was established by God as he officiated Adam and Eve's male-female union in Eden.

We believe that all humans are equal in dignity and value, bearing the image of God from the moment of conception, regardless of ethnicity or gender.

We believe that followers of Jesus will spend eternity with Jesus in his kingdom. Everyone who rejects Jesus will be punished with eternal separation from the presence of God.

We believe that Jesus will return to both restore creation and judge the living and the dead.