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Core Beliefs

Our Beliefs

At The Orchard Church we hold to certain beliefs as primary to our faith, whereas other beliefs are what we call secondary to the foundation of living as a follower of Jesus Christ. We have unity in the primary (Ephesians 4:4-6; Romans 15:5) and freedom in the secondary (Romans 14:1-23; Galatians 5:1). The following statements of faith are designed to help you understand our primary beliefs that fundamentally define who we are:

God – We believe that there is one sovereign God eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the Creator of all things. (Genesis 1:1, Matthew 3:16-17, John 1:1-2, Acts 2:32-33)

Jesus Christ – We believe that Jesus Christ, God's only Son was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died in our place on the cross, and rose from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor. (Colossians 2:9, Luke 1:30-35, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 1:20)

Holy Spirit – We believe the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and indwells every believer, equipping them for personal and corporate growth and service to Jesus Christ. (John 16:8; Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:13-14, 1 Corinthians 14)

Bible – We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the final authority for all matters of faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Humanity – We believe that man, created in God’s image, willfully sinned, and as a result is condemned and without hope apart from Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23, 6:23; Acts 4:12)

Salvation – We believe that salvation - the forgiveness of sins - is available only by the grace of God through the death of Jesus Christ. This free gift of salvation is offered to all who receive Christ as Lord and Savior through faith. (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 2:6; Acts 2:38, 2 Timothy 2:5)

We believe those accepting Christ should confess their faith, repent of sin, be baptized, and live according to God’s Word. (Romans 10:9; Acts 2:38; 2 John 8-9)

Church – We believe the church was established by Jesus Christ to proclaim his message of hope to the world. The church also exists to promote unity among believers and build up the body of Christ in a way that represents Christ to those who do not know Him. (Matthew 16:18-19; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 4:16)

Eternity – We believe that death seals the eternal destiny of each person. When Christ returns he will pronounce the eternal fate of each individual-only those who believe in Christ will experience eternal fellowship with God. (Acts 1:10-11; John 5:28-29; 2 Corinthians 4:14)

Relational Commitment

1. We commit to both the local (The Orchard Church) and the universal(All Christians) body of believers, as one body (1 Corinthians 12:12).

2. We understand that a declaration of faith in Jesus Christ joins us to both the local and universal body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13).

3. As members of the body of Christ, we will give physically, spiritually, financially,and emotionally to help and to encourage the body and to be witness of Christ. We hold true, that as members of the body of Christ neglecting our responsibilities can and will hinder the whole function of God’s design for His people. (1 Corinthians 12:14-20)

4. We also hold true that we will not neglect any member, as to do so we would be neglecting ourselves. (1 Corinthians 12:21-25)

5. Therefore, as members of the Orchard Church and the universal body of Christ, we understand that we belong to one to another. (Romans 12:5)