The Church

God by His Word and Spirit creates the Church, calling sinful men out of the whole human race into the fellowship of Christ. The Church universal is made up of those who have become genuine followers of Jesus Christ, and all members of the Church universal are to be a vital and committed part of a local church. The local church is a community of regenerated believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. In obedience to Scripture they organize under qualified leadership, gather regularly for preaching and worship, observe the biblical sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are unified by the Spirit, are disciplined for holiness, and scatter to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission as missionaries to the world for God’s glory and their joy. Upon conversion, newly redeemed men and women are added to a local church in which they devote themselves to teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper and prayer. In the context of the local church, God’s people receive pastoral care and leadership and the opportunity to employ their God-given gifts in His service in relation to one another and to the world. The church is the building, body, bride, and family of Christ and the true Israel of God.