What We Believe: Theological Affirmations

1. Redeemer Church is catholic in the oldest and truest sense of the word. We believe in one holy, catholic (universal), and apostolic church, and affirm with the historic church the early ecumenical creeds: The Apostles Creed (second century), The Nicene Creed (381 AD), The Definition of Chalcedon (451 AD), and The Athanasian Creed (c. 500 AD).

2. Redeemer Church is Protestant and Reformed in that we affirm the five solas of Reformed theology: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) Sola Fide (Faith Alone), Solus Christus (Christ Alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (To the Glory of God Alone).

3. Redeemer Church is Evangelical and Missional, embracing the heart of Evangelical convictions concerning the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, the substitutionary work of Christ on the cross, the necessity of personal conversion to Christ, and the importance of good works and social responsibility. We affirm the theological commitments and theological vision for ministry expressed in The Gospel Coalition Foundation Documents.

What We Believe: Core Values

Trusting Jesus and his finished work with all our hearts (GOSPEL)

Our foundational core value is the gospel. The gospel is the good news of what God has done in the death and resurrection of Jesus and the gift of the Spirit to redeem sinful humanity and restore the fallen creation. We want the gospel to be central to the unity, teaching, and spiritual growth of our church. And we’re committed to living out the implications of the gospel in our relationships with God (in worship), one another (in community), and the world (in mission).

• We are committed to building our unity around the essential truths of the gospel.
• We are committed to Christ-centered, expositional preaching.
• We are committed to gospel-driven spiritual transformation and discipleship.
• We are committed to living out the implications of the gospel in our relationships with God (in worship), one another (in community), and the world (in mission).

Seeing and savoring Jesus every week in Scripture, prayer, and at the Table (WORSHIP)

The gospel, being the basis of a reconciled relationship with God, creates and sustains worship. Worship is the response of the entire human personality to God’s revelation of himself in Jesus Christ. True worship is characterized by both humility and confidence: humility, because the cross displays the depth of our sin, but confidence, because the cross and resurrection assure us of God’s love for us and his triumph over sin and death. The congregation in gathered worship is a witness of the power of the gospel to change and transform our lives. So, when we gather, we do so with an orientation towards (1) God (we’re worshiping him), and (2) one another (we gather for mutual edification) and (3) outsiders (because we want them to understand and embrace the gospel as well).

• We are committed to worship that is both rooted in Scripture and empowered by the Spirit.
• We are committed to worship that engages both the mind and the heart.
• We are committed to worship that is both deeply theological and broadly contextual.
• We are committed to worship that is both edifying to believers and intelligible to unbelievers.

Following Jesus in partnership with others (COMMUNITY)

The gospel, with its power to humble human pride and break down the barriers that divide us, creates and sustains community. Our commitment to community is fleshed out in several contexts. (1) The gathered congregation is the primary context for worship, corporate edification, and rooting us as a church in the truth of the gospel. (2) Small groups are the primary context for personal ministry to one another, pastoral care, and prayer. (3) Ministry teams are the primary context for encouraging people to use their gifts and talents in service to others both inside and outside the church.

• We are committed to small groups as the best place for giving and receiving personal pastoral care.
• We are committed to relationships that are both loving and truth-telling.
• We are committed to both biblical instruction and earnest, kingdom-centered prayer.
• We are committed to every member ministry, which helps people identify their spiritual gifts and empowers them to use them in service to others.

Sharing Jesus in word and deed (MISSION)

The gospel calls us not just to faith in Christ but to join God in his redemptive mission. This mission has both a global context and a local context. (1) Globally, we want to prioritize taking the gospel and planting churches in unreached people groups and equipping indigenous church leaders in third world countries. (2) Locally, we want to share the saving word of the gospel of Christ, while demonstrating his love through deeds. Most importantly, we want to drill deep into our people’s minds that mission is not just for missionaries: it’s for all of us.

• We are committed to reaching the unreached peoples of the world.
• We are committed to reaching out in both word (evangelism) and deed (justice and mercy).
• We are committed to cultural renewal and the integration of faith and work.
• We are committed to multiplication: in evangelism (making disciples), ministry (training leaders), small groups (growing groups), and churches (planting churches).