Our Beliefs
Our beliefs are aligned with the statement of faith of our church, ChristenGemeinde Stadtheide, and are laid out as follows:
Our Faith
In accordance with the Apostles’ Creed, we believe in the Triune God: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
About God
We believe that God, the Almighty, created heaven and earth and reveals Himself in nature, in His Son Jesus Christ, and in His Word, the Bible. (Cf. Gen. 1–2; Isa. 40:12ff; John 1:1–5, 18; Rom. 1:18–23; Heb. 1:1–3.)
About Holy Scripture
Based on the Bible’s own testimony and claim, we believe that the entire Bible is the infallible and inerrant Word of God, written by human beings under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the only and absolute authority in all matters of faith, doctrine, and life. (Cf. 2 Tim. 3:16–17; 2 Pet. 1:16–21.)
About Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ—true God and true man—died on the cross for our sins and was buried; He descended into the realm of death; on the third day He rose from the dead; and He ascended into heaven. He sits at the right hand of God, the Almighty Father, from where He will also come again to judge the living and the dead. (Cf. John 1:1–2; Luke 1:35; Acts 1:9; Rom. 3:24–25; 8:34; 9:5; 1 Thess. 4:12–18; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 John 2:1–2; 5:20; Heb. 1:1–3; 9:24; Rev. 19:11–16, among others.)
About Humanity
We believe that all people—without exception—are guilty before God and are condemned to eternal perdition. But everyone who accepts Jesus as Savior and Lord through repentance and baptism receives eternal life. (Cf. Gen. 1–2; 3:1–19; 8:21; Ps. 51:7; Mark 15:15–16; John 1:12; 3:36; Acts 2:27–38; 4:12; Rom. 3:10–23; 5:12ff; Eph. 1:1–14; 2:8–9.)
About the Holy Spirit, the Christian Church, and the Consummation of the World
We believe in the Holy Spirit (John 16:8–15; 1 John 2:20), the holy universal Christian Church, the fellowship of true saints (Matt. 16:18; Col. 1:18; 1 Pet. 2:9), the forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9), the resurrection of the dead, eternal life, and eternal judgment (Matt. 25:45–46; 1 Cor. 15:1–58; Rev. 20:11–22:5).
Our Self-Understanding
We teach only what the Bible says—namely, that Jesus Christ alone is the way, the truth, and the life. We believe in and uphold the apostolic foundations of the Christian faith and understand ourselves as an evangelical free church, and therefore as part of the worldwide Church of Jesus Christ, which consists of true believers and confessing Christians. We are open to fellowship with all who, in accordance with the Word of God, confess Jesus Christ as the Son of the living God and as their Lord and Savior, and who hold the entire Bible as the foundation for faith, doctrine, and life.
