Our Vision & Beliefs
“… We will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15b
Love Jesus, love people, make disciples while anchored in Biblical truth.
Jesus says…
“You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
- God, the Father and Creator;
- Jesus, the Son of God and Redeemer of Life, who is Lord of all and Savior of those who trust in him; and
- Holy Spirit, the Sustainer of Life Who empowers God’s people through spiritual gifts, the fruit of the Spirit and His indwelling presence in our lives. We affirm the availability of the spiritual gifts expressed in Scripture for empowering God’s people in their work and witness today.
We affirm that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to atone for our sins, rose in bodily form, ascended to heaven where He reigns with God and the Holy Spirit and will one day return to claim His own.
We believe the Bible is God’s infallible Word to us and the only sure guide for the practice of faith and daily living.
We believe the Church of Jesus Christ is God’s instrument for advancing His Kingdom in the world:
- through faithful preaching of God’s Word and administering the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper;
- through witnessing to the transforming power of Jesus Christ by providing a ministry of worship, nurture and service in word and action locally, regionally, and internationally;
- through ongoing equipping and care of those who have responded to Jesus Christ so that they may grow in faith and discipleship and thus become more effective witnesses in their daily lives.
- The election of God’s people for salvation and service;
- A covenant life that affirms God’s covenant with us through Jesus Christ and our covenant with God and other believers to live in obedience to God’s will and in relationships of accountability with one another;
- A faithful stewardship of all the resources God provides, which demonstrates itself in the faithful giving of our time, talents and money to support the advancement of God’s Kingdom in the world and in the local ministries of Glade Run;
- The human tendency to sin, which calls us to work constantly for the transformation of individuals and society, through the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.
Our Affirmation of Faith
Adopted by the Session of Glade Run Church September 18, 2001
We believe in Jesus Christ, “who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven,”2 and “is the way, the truth, and the life.” 3 We believe Jesus “is the only Savior of the world,”4 and that His life, death, and resurrection is the sole means of intimacy with God. 5 Our salvation is completely dependent upon the work of God’s free grace by which God credits Christ’s righteousness to those who trust in Him. We believe that salvation is the will of the Father for us, 6 and that the Holy Spirit opens us to receive this salvation that is offered through Jesus Christ. 7 Consequently, we acknowledge that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”8
We believe the Scriptures were “given by the inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life,”9 and consequently, are the authoritative witness for the church to teach, rebuke, correct, and train us in all areas of life.10 We believe the “canonical Scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles of both Testaments to be the true Word of God and have sufficient authority of themselves.”11 Hence, we do not correct the Bible, but through study, prayer and reflection allow God’s word, by the work of the Holy Spirit, to correct and instruct us.12 These Scriptures are a complete and unified testimony of God’ saving activity culminating in the Incarnate Word of God, Jesus Christ. As the ages pass, the Bible continues to be the standard by which we judge all other revelations and understandings of God.13
We believe “that truth…promote[s] holiness, according to our Savior’s rule, ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’”14 The church is called to be a “holy nation”15 and “to be holy” as God is holy.16 The standard of holiness is God revealed in Jesus Christ. The source of our knowledge of sin is God’s revealed and written Word. We are called to “set our hearts on things above” and to” put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature.”17Consequently, we dedicate ourselves and urge others to identify the sin that we find in our lives, and to repent of it. We profess that we cannot overcome sin except by the power of the Holy Spirit 18 and that, through the Spirit, we must endeavor to do so In particular, we affirm that “anarchy in sexual relationships is a symptom of [our] alienation from God, neighbor, and self’ and that “the church…is called to lead [people] out of this alienation and into the responsible freedom of the new life in Christ.”19 We believe that God has provided for sexual intimacy only within the marriage relationship between one man and one woman.20 Called to speak the truth in love, 21 the church must always be mindful that it must show “the compassion of Christ to those caught in the moral confusion of our time.”22
Biblical and Confessional References
1 Confession of 1967 9.02.
2 Nicene Creed.
3 John 14:6
4 Second Helvetic Confession 5.077. See Romans 5: 12-21 and Hebrews 9: 15-28
5 See John 10: 7-18.
6 1 Timothy 2: 3-6
7 Romans 8: 9-11
8 Acts 4:12, see also Heidelberg Catechism 4.029.
9 Westminster Confession of Faith 6.002.
10 2 Timothy 3:16
11 Second Helvetic Confession 5.001 See also Scots Confession 3.19.
12 See Psalm 19: 7-11, Psalm 119:105, Hebrews 4:12, and James 1:22-25.
13 Confession of 1967, 9.27. See also Theological Declaration of Barmen, 8.04.
14 G-1.0304.
15 1 Peter 2.9
16 1 Peter 1:15. See also Matthew 5:48.
17 Colossians 3: 1-10. See also Romans 6: 1-2, 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11, Galatians 5: 16-26, Ephesians 5: 8-10, and 1 Thessalonians 4: 3-8.
18 1 Corinthians 3:16, Galatians 5:16-21, 1 John 4:4.
19 Confession of 1967 9.47. See also 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20, Heidelberg Catechism 4.087 and Westminster Confession 7.070-072.
20 Genesis 2: 18-25, Proverbs 5: 15-20, Matthew 19:4-6, 1 Corinthians 7: 1-5. See also Heidelberg Catechism 4.108 and Second Helvetic Confession 5.246.
21 Ephesians 4:15.
22 Confession of 1967 9.47.