There is one God who is creator and maker of the universe. He exists eternally in three persons: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, who are one in essence and equal in power and glory.

(Genesis 1:2, Matthew 5:16, 45; 6:1,4,8,9; James 1:17, John 1:1, 14; John 4:24; 14:16-20; 2 Peter 1:21)

God has revealed Himself to man in the person of Jesus Christ. He is fully God and fully man, the eternal and only begotten Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, sinless in His life, making atonement for our sins by His death on the cross and vindicated by God in His bodily resurrection, ascended to Heaven to sit at God's right hand as our Intercessor and as our Advocate.

(Hebrews 1:8 and 1 Timothy 2:5-6)

God is present in the world today in the person of the Holy Spirit who draws us to faith in Jesus and who bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. He indwells every believer which empowers Him to manifest the likeness and character of Christ. He gives spiritual gifts to the church for our mutual edification.

(John 16:7-15, Romans 8:16, Ephesians 4:7, 1 Corinthians 12:7)

The Bible is the Word of God, His revealed truth and is the guide for our lives. It reveals the character of God. We accept the 66 books of the Bible as the final authority for all matters of faith and practice.

(2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Man was created by God in His image, free as to choice and responsible to his Creator. Tempted by Satan, man separated himself from God by voluntary disobedience. As a consequence, all men are born with a bent toward sin and need to be reconciled with God.

(Genesis 1:26-27; 2:15-3:24, Romans 3:10, 23)

Man can be saved from the consequences of sin, which is eternal death, by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ and in repentance of sin. Man cannot earn nor work for his salvation. When one is saved, he is said to be "born again" by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Elements of salvation as seen in Scripture include: Believing in Jesus as Savior; Repenting of our sin; Confessing our faith in Jesus; Being baptized; Growing in intimacy through a new life with God.

(John 1:11-12, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Peter 3:9, Acts 16:29-34)

Water baptism is by immersion and is an act of obedient faith. Immersion is a clear picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, as well as a picture of turning away from our old life and beginning a new life in Christ. It is for those old enough to understand and believe the simple gospel message, as in Scripture we see that believers were able to make life-changing decisions by believing, discipleship, and repentance. In baptism we follow the example of Jesus and of the early church. It is the best living picture of our identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:10-11; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:34-39; Acts 10:47-48; Acts 16:29-34; Romans 6:1-5; 1 Peter 3:21)

Man is baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ which is the Church. The Church has the mission of carrying on the work of Christ here on earth.

(1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:11-21; Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8)

We operate on a strongly held belief that the marriage relationship has been established by God as a union between one man and one woman. Sexual intimacy and sexual activity is appropriate only within the marriage relationship, between one husband and one wife. God has created two distinct and complementary genders, male and female, and each person is created in accordance with God's perfect design.

The following behaviors are inappropriate and contrary to Scripture:

• Any sexual intimacy or sexual act between individuals who are not married to one another.
• Any marriage or civil union that is not between one man and one woman.
• Any attempt to adopt or present as a different gender than that assigned at birth.
• Any other activity, teaching, or behavior that is contrary to a biblical view of marriage, gender, and/or appropriate behavior as outlined in this provision.

All members of Jenison Christian Church and all individuals involved in Jenison Christian Church operations, activities, and events are expected to uphold the ministry's perspective on marriage, gender, sexual intimacy, and appropriate behavior as set forth in this provision. Individuals and organizations who desire to use Jenison Christian Church facilities must also act in accordance with this provision.

(Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:31; Corinthians 7:2; Hebrews 13:4; Genesis 1:27; Matthew 19:4)

The Lord's Supper should be observed to remember Christ and His death for our sins, as well as His coming again for our glorification. We choose to celebrate it weekly because we seek to follow the example of the early church. They shared in the Lord's Supper whenever they gathered together for worship. Jesus instituted the practice of sharing the broken bread and poured out juice as a means of remembering His sacrifice for our sins. We share in the Lord's Supper as a testimony of our faith in the crucified and risen Jesus and as a symbol of our unity in Him.

(Matthew 26:17-30; John 17; Acts 2:46-47; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Ephesians 4:1-6)

The Lord will come again for both salvation and judgment.

(Acts 1:9-11, Matthew 24:30)

People were created by God to live forever in His presence. We will either exist eternally united with Him through faith in Christ in a new Heaven and a new Earth or separated from Him forever.

(Revelation 20:11-15, John 3:16, Matthew 25:41-46)