The best way to understand what we believe is to get to know us. Come and visit. Ask questions and engage in conversation. However, we understand that sometimes it's nice to have a "shortcut." Below are some general statements about what the leaders of Tri-Cities Church believe regarding important matters of our faith.

God

He is the creator and sustainer of life. Through him all things were made and by him all things remain. He is eternal – He has always been and will always be. The framework of God is triune: the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, yet he is one. Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; I Peter 1:2

Jesus

He is Son of God, co-equal with the Father. We believe the message of the scriptures that he was (and is) the savior of all things. While living in the first century, he was God “in the flesh.” And while there were many self-proclaimed messiahs in those days, through his physical resurrection, Jesus was set apart. To trust and follow him was (and is) to restore one’s relationship with God and to bring about salvation in one’s life. We believe that he will come through on his promise to return and to judge the hearts of all people. Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-18; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11

Holy Spirit

He is the third person in the Trinity, living within every believer’s life, enabling him to live a life that is pleasing to God. Among the many descriptions in the scriptures of the Spirit’s character and purpose, the overarching one is this: God living in us. Paul, the writer of many of the NT letters, calls this the “mystery” of God. The Spirit’s task is to convict, comfort, counsel, and guide every believer. He also equips us with gifts to serve within the local church and within our world. 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; 14:16-27; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; 5:18; Galatians 5:22-26

The Scriptures

They are the words, teachings and plans of God, written by people under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We believe that God oversaw the process and that we can fully trust in the teachings and claims of the scriptures as the authoritative “word of God.” This does not take away the difficulty of understanding and living out the teachings within, however, we hope and trust in their power to change a person’s life. 2 Timothy 1:13; 3:16; Psalm 12:6; 119; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Peter 1:20-21

Eternity

People were created to live forever; death was not part of the plan. But through sin, there is death in the relationship with God, as well as, a physical ending to life on earth. We believe that Jesus restores that relationship and empowers us to spread that story through the lives we live and the words that we speak. We have the choice to accept, or, reject the grace of God and spend eternity with or without God. John 3:16-17; Psalm 1; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:25; 5:11-13; Revelation 20:15

Salvation

It is the free gift of God to the world. One can never make up for his sin by self-improvement (only God is perfect) or through “good deeds”. Salvation is through Jesus alone, and anyone desiring to trust Jesus should acknowledge Christ as Lord (believe), change from his own way to the way of Jesus (repent), express their faith (confess), and be immersed into Christ (baptism by immersion). The aforementioned are the scriptural pattern of someone “becoming” a follower of Jesus. Romans 3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 10:9; Acts 2:38

Baptism

Baptism is a step of obedience in following Jesus. It’s a public declaration of one’s faith and hope in Christ. The apostle Paul calls it a funeral, saying, “We were buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:4) Baptism is the beginning of the new life in Christ. We practice baptism by immersion (under water) as this was the scriptural pattern of the first church. The word itself means to dip, plunge or immerse. The pattern of the early church was baptism in this form. We practice what’s known as a “believer’s baptism,” meaning that each person has come to this decision in their own heart. To follow Christ is an individual decision, not a community one. Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27; Mark 16:16; I Peter 3:21

The Lord’s Supper

Jesus asked his followers to regularly celebrate His sacrifice on the cross through a small “meal” of bread and wine. This memorial meal is a look back at what He did to pay for our sins, a look to the present at our current relationship with Him, and a look to the future when He will return. The pattern of the ancient church was to participate in this meal whenever they gathered, so we offer the Lord’s Supper to His followers each Sunday. Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:17-20; I Corinthians 11:20-28