Our Mission & Beliefs

Our Mission

Our mission is to lead people into a growing and
life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ

You

You are welcome to grow at Hopewell Church and discover Jesus Christ's transforming love and unique work in your life.

Us

We love to grow together in God through worship, prayer, Bible study, fellowship activities and more.

Him

God is the center of our lives and the reason we gather together each week. We place our trust and faith in Him.

What We Believe

Our beliefs represent the foundation of our faith and are our understanding of what the Bible proclaims as the essentials of Christianity. All of our values, behaviors, teachings and way of life flow out of these statements. Beyond this, we embrace St. Augustine’s philosophy, “In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity.”

  • WE BELIEVE the Bible is the Word of God and is inspired and without error as originally given The 66 books found in the Bible are therefore the final authoritative standard of faith, doctrine and practice for the believer in Jesus Christ and for His Church.

    2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21

  • WE BELIEVE in one God, eternally existing as three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

    Genesis 1:1,26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14

  • WE BELIEVE that God is the creator of all things, and He is sovereignly & actively sustaining all things by the word of His power.

    Genesis 1-2; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3

  • WE BELIEVE that every human life is sacred and originates from God, who creates each individual in His own image. Regardless of their stage or condition, from conception to physical death, all human beings possess immeasurable value and dignity in every dimension of their existence, including those who are pre-born, aged, or physically and/or mentally challenged. As such, we are called to actively defend, protect, and honor all human life.

    Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-16; Psalm 8:4-5; Proverbs 31:8-9

  • WE BELIEVE in the true deity and true humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, His incarnation, His virgin birth, His sinless and perfect life, His substitutionary and atoning death, His bodily resurrection and ascension, His position of power and authority at the right hand of God the Father, His present ministry in heaven, and in His future bodily return.

    John 1:1-14; Matthew 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 3:23-25; Acts 1:9, 2:24-27; Ephesians 1:20-22; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 4:14-16, 7:25; Titus 2:13

  • WE BELIEVE in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit who regenerates; baptizes & incorporates believers into the body of Christ; gives gifts to all believers; whose indwelling enables the Christian to live a godly life, and whose, “baptism,” or filling provides power for witness and service, and whose counsel gives us wisdom for life and relationships.

    John 3:3-7; Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6,11; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:8; John 14:16; Matthew 10:19

    On Baptism of The Spirit:

    • We believe that the Baptism of the Spirit happens once for the Christian at the moment of salvation, thereby being synonymous with indwelling. At the moment of Spirit baptism, there may be a manifestation of power, gifts, etc. though it is not required in validating salvation.

      John 3:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 2:2-13, 10:46

    • We believe that the pursuit of separate & continual, “fillings,” of the Spirit is commended by Scripture.

      John 3:3-8; Acts 2, 4:8; Ephesians 5:18

    On Continuation of Spiritual Gifts:

    • We believe that all of the gifts of the Spirit are active in The Church today according to God’s sovereign distribution. Spiritual gifts are to be used within the bounds of Scriptural prescription: for the building up and encouraging of The Church, done in order and in love. The “sign gifts” in particular require care and Biblical obedience so as to ensure they are used profitably.

      1 Corinthians 12:11,18, 13:8-12; 1 Corinthians 14:26

    On Spiritual Warfare:

    • We believe that Spiritual Warfare occurs in the life of a Christian and primarily is seen in the everyday wrestles with temptation of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil.

      1 John 2:12-17; Ephesians 2:1-3, 6:10-18; James 4:7-8

    • We believe that Christians may feel spiritual “oppression”, causing them to struggle with sin, unforgiveness, sleeplessness, paranoia, addiction, etc. and this is thus dealt with through pursuit of total rest in Christ – which may be wrought in the believer’s life through counsel, prayer, and meditation in the

      Ephesians 4:26; James 4:7; 1 John 2:2; Ephesians 6:10-18, Galatians 6:1-2

  • WE BELIEVE that humankind was created in the image of God, and that Adam and Eve sinned and brought both physical and spiritual death upon the human race. Every person is therefore a sinner by nature and by choice, and is separated from God, apart from His saving work and intervention.

    Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:12; Romans 3:23; John 3-36; Ephesians 2:2-10

  • WE BELIEVE Jesus Christ alone is the source of eternal life, and this life can only be received through faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross, apart from human merit, works, disciplines or ceremonies.

    John 10:10, 14:6; John 3:16; Romans 3:24, 6:23; Acts 4:12, 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9

  • WE BELIEVE in the resurrection from the dead of both the saved and the lost; the eternal existence of all persons and in divine judgments with rewards and punishments.

    John 5:25-29; Hebrews 2:2; Nahum 1:1-3

    • We believe that upon death the saved will enter the presence of the Lord in rest, with glorified bodies, in Heaven; and that the unsaved will enter judgment, ultimately Hell, which is a literal place of eternal, conscious torment under the righteous wrath of God.

      John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 2 Corinthians 5:10

    • We believe that there are no opportunities for repentance, cleansing, second chances, etc. after death.

      Revelation 14:9-11, 20:11-15; Matthew 6:24, 10:28; Mark 9:48

  • WE BELIEVE the Church is the spiritual body of Christ of which Christ is the head and that there is a two-fold aspect to the Church, the, “Universal,” consisting of all believers and followers of Jesus Christ globally through time, and the, “Local,” consisting of believers and followers of Christ from a respective area or community.

    Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18; Philemon 2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; Revelation 2

    • We believe that Christ gave the Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.

      Ephesians 4:11-12

    • We believe that per God’s sovereign prerogative, individuals may be particularly gifted to do evangelism, plant churches, participate in pioneering missions and function in an apostolic type of gifting, and share prophetic messages and function in a prophetic type of gifting.

      1 Corinthians 12

  • WE BELIEVE there are two ordinances of the Church: Water Baptism and The Lord’s Supper.

    Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 22:19-20

    • We believe that water baptism is a, “Covenant Sign,” of God’s promise to wash clean and forgive sin through faith in His Son Jesus. Our action of baptism is an act of obedience and is also an external sign of the inner work of God’s Spirit, and is a public declaration of our fellowship with Jesus through the New Covenant, our faith in his death and resurrection, of our being adopted by grace into God’s family, of our remission of sins through His blood, and of our submission to God to walk in newness of life.

      Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41; Romans 6:1-7, 11-14, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 3:18-22

    • We believe that the Lord’s Supper, commonly called, “Communion,” is an ordinance and should be observed frequently by the corporate church body when they gather together. When we observe communion, we believe that Christ is spiritually present with us during this act in a unique way; to nourish us, strengthen our union with Him, and build our faith in unity with one another as a body. We actively commune with the Lord’s presence through this corporate act of remembrance and worship.

      Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

  • WE BELIEVE the Church has been commissioned or sent into the world by Jesus Christ Himself to make disciples, and that local churches are to be involved in seeing the “Great Commission” fulfilled through Local and Global missions, church planting, evangelism and discipleship.

    Matthew 28:18-20; John 17:18; Acts 1:8; Philippians 1:3-18; 2 Corinthians 5:20

Regarding Church & Culture

We believe the Church is called to stand firmly on the timeless truths of Scripture while engaging the culture with grace. Though cultural norms and values may shift, God’s Word does not. We affirm that Christ is Lord over every area of life, and therefore, the Church must not retreat from the world nor conform to it. Instead, we seek to faithfully proclaim the gospel, live counter-culturally pursuing holiness, and gracefully bear witness to God’s design for human flourishing in all matters of life, family, morality, and justice according to the Scriptures.

    • We believe the Bible clearly teaches that the highest, authoritative roles of leadership in the church—specifically elders and pastors—are reserved for men. We hold to the traditional complementarian view, which affirms that men and women are completely equal in value and dignity, yet have distinct, God-ordained roles within the church that complement one another.

    • We believe that God has instituted The Church (universal) as the means by which His grace and Gospel are manifested, through the ministry of His word; and therefore, Christians should seek to partner in an official capacity with a local church body with which they are willing to submit to with their lives, brotherly love, and resources.

      1 Timothy 3:15; Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-35; Romans 12: 4-16; 1 Peter 4:8-11

    • We believe that The Church holds the keys to the kingdom and therefore has authority to weigh the professions of faith made by professing Christians. The Church affirms the profession of faith of a Christian by offering the ordinances (Baptism and Communion) and loving fellowship.

      Matthew 16:18-19, Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; 1 Peter 3:21-22

    • We believe that Church Partnership is a church’s formal affirmation and oversight of a Christian’s profession of faith and their discipleship; and also, a commitment on the Church’s behalf to shepherd the Partner with truth and love.

      Matthew 16:18-19; 1 Peter 5:2-3

    • We believe Christians partner with and submit to the Church and its oversight and commit to invest with their lives as co-laborers in the Gospel on all matters spiritual.

      Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 5:5

    • We believe that The Church wields a spiritual authority, and can thus, if necessary, discipline its partnered members so as to warn them, preserve them, protect the flock, present a good external witness for Jesus Christ and if necessary expose unrepentant sin (1 Corinthians 5:2-6, Matthew 5:13); this is accomplished with grace through three primary means such as: corrective counsel and exhortation, barring from the Lord’s Table in Communion and, if unrepentant, disfellowshipping.

  • Concerning the Unborn:

    • We believe that human life and personhood begins at conception (Psalm 139:13-16, Judges 16:17, Jeremiah 1:5, Luke 1:41-42). Therefore, we believe that the termination of the unborn through any process discarding is the ending of a human life that is made in the image of God, and Christians should effectively pray for and participate in efforts to abolish life-abortive practices worldwide.

      Proverbs 31:8-9

    • We believe that Christians should make efforts to affect the modern, “abortion culture,” by adopting children, supporting pregnant and new mothers, and providing for those who are in need due to childbearing.

      James 1:27; Psalm 86:5; Deuteronomy 10:18; 1 John 3:16-18

    • We believe that through Christ and repentance, there is forgiveness from sin and healing from shame for those who have embraced cultural norms over Biblical truth, particularly in the areas concerning the unborn and childbearing.

      1 John 2:2, Ephesians 2:8-9

    Concerning Ethnicity/Race:

    • We believe the value and worth of every person, created in the image of God, and therefore believe that all individuals regardless of nationality, heritage, or ethnicity should be treated with love, respect, and dignity while showing no partiality (Genesis 1:27; James 2:1-9; Galatians 3:28; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). We reject all forms of hateful or harassing behavior or attitudes toward any person.

    Concerning Suicide:

    • We believe that God is the giver of life, who gives and takes away, and holds the number of our days in His own hands – therefore for an individual to purposely take their own life for reasons of brokenness or pain is sinful. However, we do not believe that suicide is an unpardonable sin – and we therefore point to the eternal decrees of salvation that determine the eternal state of an individual; salvation is by grace alone.

      Psalm 31:15, Job 1:21; 1 John 1:9, Ephesians 2:8-9

    • We believe in the Sanctity of Marriage (both Christian and non-Christian) as a covenantal Creation Institution between one man and one woman becoming one flesh, and the necessity for it to be upheld in honor.

      Genesis 2:23-24; Matthew 19:3-6; Hebrews 13:4

    • We believe God has designed marriage to be a covenantal, sexual, procreative (when possible), lifelong union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife, and is meant to signify the covenant love between Christ and his bride the church.

      Genesis 1:28; Ephesians 5:22-33, Matthew 19:3-6

    • We believe that because marriage is covenantal in nature, navigating potential divorce requires special care in Scriptural interpretation and pastoral counsel due to the high emotional tension in these situations.

    • We believe that marriage may not end unless sexual immorality severs the one flesh bond or a spouse is abandoned or deserted; in this case divorce is permitted by Scripture, but certainly not required, Biblically necessary, nor commanded.

      Matthew 5:31-32, 19:3-9; Genesis 2:24; Deuteronomy 24:1-4; Malachi 2:16, 1 Corinthians 7:10-16

    • We believe that reconciliation and the extension of forgiveness is always best practice, when safely possible.

      1 Corinthians 7:16; 1 Peter 3:1-2; Matthew 18:22

    • We believe that when an unbelieving spouse wants to leave a believing spouse, often they will turn to divorce – in this instance, the believing spouse should make every possible effort to preserve the marriage, once every effort and seeking of pastoral counsel has been exhausted, we believe that the believer is not held bound to the marriage.

      1 Corinthians 7

    • We believe that Scripture does not offer a clear directive as to when formal separation is permitted, however, we find it prudent to counsel individuals who for their own personal safety’s sake, or for the safety of their children, must separate for a time. However, we will not counsel separation so that an individual can better assess their own commitments, trial separate, or avoid healthy conflict.

      Matthew 19:6, 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, Ecclesiastes 9:9

      In all situations of separation, our desire is to counsel pastorally towards reconciliation and healing.

    • We believe that God creates each individual as male or female, and that these two distinct and complementary genders reflect God’s image and nature. To reject one’s biological sex is to reject the divine imprint within oneself and is therefore sinful.

      Genesis 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:18

    • We believe that the term, “marriage,” denotes the union of one man and one woman in an exclusive and lifelong bond, as described in Scripture. God intends for His good design of sexual intimacy and pleasure to occur solely within the context of marriage between a man and a woman.

      Genesis 2:18-25; 1 Corinthians 6:18, 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4

    • We believe that sexual immorality includes: adultery, rape, pedophilia, bestiality, homosexual or bi-sexual relations, masturbation, pornography, pre-marital sex, fornication; and thus, is sinful according to Scripture.

      Romans 1:24, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 4:19, Hebrews 13:4, Leviticus 18:23, Genesis 2:20

    • We believe that same-sex attraction, minor attraction, and animal attraction (even while celibate) are sinful as the substance of the attraction is perverted and distorted against God’s intentions for human sexuality. However, we also believe that when a person comes to Christ, they are a new creation, and any person who struggles with these sinful attractions can and may eventually, by the power of the Holy Spirit, be given restored affections through the process of sanctification.

      Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 18:23, 20:15-16; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; 1 Thessalonians 4:3

    • We believe in the holiness of the marriage bed and therefore that any sexual activity outside of the bounds of a marriage covenant is considered fornication, sinful and adulterous.

      Hebrews 13:4; Matthew 5:27; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Interested in joining us?

We would love to meet you at a Sunday morning service or other weekly activity! There is no need to let us know in advance or to dress up special. Just come as you are! If you have questions about how to get to the church, what to expect or simply want to learn more about who we are and what we're all about, feel free to just give us a call or shoot any of our team an email. We hope to see you soon!

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