Beliefs

We believe Jesus is God’s Son and our world’s Savior. No matter what our past is or what we are currently going through, the grace of Christ allows us to be forgiven and made new.

We believe we were created by God, who also made the heavens and the Earth. In making us, he chose to stay and be with us in the good and the bad times and demonstrated to us his love. In this, we come to see that God is love.

We believe by the work of the Holy Spirit that we are not alone in this life. God is with us, and the Spirit gives us our purpose and awakens our souls to live out what God made us to be.

We believe the sixty six books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired and holy Word of God…God-breathed. The Bible is our textbook. It is our source of knowledge about God and Christ and contains all the truth necessary for understanding our way to salvation.

We believe God has called us all to be part of his family. We are to be a collection of different people who grow in our faith in Jesus together. We are more than just a community – we are the family of God. It is our joy and privilege to worship in adoration, humility, and dedication in the presence of God. The assembling of the people of God for worship is necessary for Christian fellowship and spiritual growth.

We believe that because of rebellion against God going back to Adam, all people sin and deserve separation from God. People, on their own, can never overcome sin or please God. Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrifice on our behalf and made possible our forgiveness and reconciliation with God. This is not because of anything we might do for God but because of His grace and love. To repent from (be sorry for) our sins and trust in Jesus Christ are the only requirements for us to receive this gift from God of forgiveness and eternal life.

In baptism, we acknowledge and celebrate the grace of God, freely offered to us before we were even aware of it. We confess our sins, accept membership in the family of Christ, and vow to trust in and serve Jesus Christ. Baptism is the public sign of God’s covenant with us. It is a communal celebration; the congregation vows to nurture and support those being baptized—adults or infants. We believe baptism may occur at any age. We enter this world as imperfect beings in need of salvation, and it is through God’s grace that we can be in this covenant relationship with Him.

We believe through the teachings of Jesus that we are to live a life of love toward others. We are to love our enemy, stranger, neighbor, and people with whom we do not agree. The Branches is always seeking out God and will branch out in love so people will experience the transforming power of Jesus.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.