Tri-Valley Church of Christ

WHAT WE BELIEVE

ABOUT GOD
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was sent from heaven by the Father to show us who God is and what God wants for us. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate God's power over sin and death, accomplishing God’s eternal plan of salvation. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. The Holy Spirit is the power of God at work in the world, poured out on the church, guiding and transforming believers into the image of Christ.
(Genesis 1:1,26-27; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Ephesians 4:1-16)

ABOUT SALVATION
We believe that every person has worth because they are created in God’s image, but that all have sinned and are therefore separated from God. However, because of God's great love for us all, forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life have been offered to the world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Anyone who seeks to be reunited with God through Jesus should repent of their sin, confess their faith, and be baptized in Him, and they will receive the gift of salvation as well as the gift of the Holy Spirit. Those who have been baptized are called to live a new life as disciples of Jesus--following his teachings, serving God and others in love, and showing the world the hope that comes through Christ alone.
(John 3:16; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 3:22-24, 8:38-39, 10:9)

ABOUT THE CHURCH
The church is the body of believers, referred to in Scripture as the body of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit to do good works. The church is made up of imperfect and sinful people who by the grace of God, and not by anything we have done, have been forgiven and counted as righteous in God's sight and are slowly being transformed by the Holy Spirit more into the likeness of Jesus. The church exists to worship God, to encourage and equip the believers, and to carry on the work of the Kingdom (or "the ministry given us by Christ": reaching out in love to a lost and hurting world and showing them the truth of the gospel--that God is reconciling the world to Himself in love through Christ Jesus--so that all the world may come to know and love God and commit to being His disciples too.
(Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 2:1-10; Ephesians 4:11-13)

OUR WORSHIP
In everything we do, we strive to focus on Christ and glorify God. Though worship should be a part of our everyday lives, we also believe in the importance of meeting together in corporate worship every week. When we are challenged with matters of individual styles and preferences in worship, we seek the guidance of scripture and the model of the early church. The early Christians met often to pray, fellowship, and be taught by the apostles. We meet every Sunday to study Scripture, sing songs of faith, pray, and share in the Lord’s Supper. We also believe giving is an act of worship. Giving increases our trust and dependence on God, and shapes us more into the image of our generous Lord. We encourage every believer to give generously of their time, their giftedness, and their resources to bless both the church and the community.
(Acts 2:42-47; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11)