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Affirmation of Faith
We believe in the
authority of the Bible.
The Bible, composed of the Old and New Testaments,
is the divinely inspired word of God, the final
authority, and is trustworthy for faith and practice.
It is to be interpreted responsibly under the guidance
of the Holy Spirit within the community of faith
with the primary purpose to point to and glorify
Jesus Christ, the living Lord of the Church. Furthermore,
it is the supreme standard for all human conduct
and behavior. The essentials necessary for our salvation
and the basics of how to conduct our lives are clearly
revealed through it. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Timothy
2:15; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Deuteronomy 4:1-2
We believe in the
Triune God.
Our first priority is that we love, worship
and serve the triune God of the Bible, who is eternally
one God in three persons – Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. The Father is sovereign over all and His
grace is uniquely revealed and realized through
His Son, Jesus Christ. The Son is fully divine and
fully human. He alone is our Savior and Lord. The
Holy Spirit likewise is fully divine, and is a personal
being, given as God’s gift upon conversion to each
follower of Jesus Christ. Exodus 20:2-3; 1 Corinthians
8:6; Revelation 4:11
We believe that humanity is
sinful and in need of a savior.
Although created in the image of God, because of
its rebellion against God, humanity is estranged
by sin from its Creator and stands under God's judgment.
Because of His justifying work, Jesus Christ has
rescued us from this separation through His death
on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.
This work of salvation is available only through
faith in Christ alone. As Lord, He calls us to surrender
joyously and personally to His purpose and will
through repentance, confession of sin, and acceptance
of His free gift of salvation. We live out God’s
calling as disciples of Jesus Christ by the power
and ministry of the Holy Spirit, and proclaim the
Good News of God’s reconciling grace for all humanity.
Colossians 1:13-29; Ephesians 1:19-23; 2:8-9; Romans
1, 3:22-26; Philippians 2:5-11; John 14:6, 16:5-15;
Acts 4:12; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 John 5:7; 1 Corinthians
12 & 14
We
believe that the church, as the Body of Christ,
includes all believers from all time and is manifested
most visibly in local communities.
The church is the presence of the
living Christ in the world – led, empowered and
gifted by the Holy Spirit to continue His mission
until His return. Christ Jesus, the Head of the
Church, calls each local congregation into an interdependent,
cooperative relationship with other congregations
to advance the Kingdom of God on earth. Being grounded
in the sole Lordship of Jesus Christ, this relationship
is characterized by the qualities of mutual submission,
encouragement, service, the pursuit of holiness,
sanctification and accountability. Matthew 18:15;
Acts 1:8; Acts 2:41; Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 5:1-2;
12-14; Ephesians 4; 5:21, 23; Colossians 3:16
We believe in observing two ordinances: baptism
and the Lord’s Supper.
We believe that Christian baptism
is by immersion of a believer in water in the name
of the triune God. This act demonstrates one’s identification
with the crucified, buried and risen Savior, declaring
that the believer has died to sin and desires to
live his or her life as a follower of Jesus Christ.
We believe the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Jesus
Christ to commemorate His death and announces His
return. Both of these ordinances are to be practiced
by believers in Jesus Christ until He returns. Acts
8:36, 38, 39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:16;
Colossians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28; Matthew
28:16-20; Acts 2:41-42, 47
We believe in practicing the Great Commandment and
the Great Commission.
God’s love for us in Christ and our reciprocal love
for God motivate us to reach out with love to all
people. This love leads us to exercise responsible
stewardship of God’s creation. Love compels us to
live and make decisions with justice in accordance
with God’s design and in obedience to His Word and
will. The heart of God, as reflected in both the
Old and New Testaments, is to create a redeemed
people loving and serving God with all their hearts,
minds and bodies – a community in which people of
every race, gender, social status and culture are
equal in Christ. The mandates of the Great Commandment
and the Great Commission compel us to live out our
calling through witness and service. We will continue
to be a relational and a missional people, men and
women working in partnership together to publish
the Gospel to our neighbors, communities, nation
and the world. This is our first calling and highest
priority, to which we are fully committed. Mark
12:18-31; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:45-48; John
15-17; 1 John 4:21; Acts 1:8; Romans 12:1-2; Mark
16:15-16; Luke 24:48-49; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Galatians
3:28; James 2:14-19
We believe in the approaching end of the world and
the eternal triumphant rule of Christ.
In His own time and way, God will bring all things
to their appropriate end and establish a new heaven
and a new earth. Jesus Christ will return and rule.
The righteous and the wicked will be judged and
God will establish a new heaven and a new earth
where the righteous will dwell forever with the
Lord. Ephesians 1:9-10; Revelation 21:1; Titus 2:13;
Revelation 1:7; 3:11; John 14:1-3; Matthew 25:13,
41-46; Acts 1:11; Revelation 20:10; Philippians
3:20-21; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18;
I John 5:19, 28-29
Cornerstone
Church Commitments
Churches who become a member of Cornerstone
Church Network commit to the following: |
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Regular preaching
and teaching from the Bible |
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Evangelism of those
who do not know Christ |
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Healthy church
growth. both spiritual and numerical |
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Support and involvement
in local, state, national and overseas missions |
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to download document.
Statement on Human Sexuality
Because we are all wounded and broken people in
need of the healing power of God’s grace in Christ
Jesus, and being aware of the confusion of voices
pertaining to human sexuality, the following statement
defines our common understanding for sexual behavior:
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We affirm the Bible
as our rule for faith and practice and embrace
its ethic of compassion, love and ministry
to all persons and the availability of God’s
grace through repentance and Christ’s transforming
power. Luke 5:30-32; John 8:1-11, 1 Corinthians
6:11 |
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We affirm that
God’s gracious creation intent for human sexual
conduct as defined in scripture is faithful,
lifelong heterosexual union for married persons
and committed celibate behavior for unmarried
persons. All other sexual practices are clearly
identified as sinful and destructive of individuals,
of community, of the fellowship of believers,
and the missional purposes of the church,
and like all sin, calls for repentance, submission
to the transforming power of God, and restoration
to the community of faith. Genesis 1:27, 2:24;
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Hebrews 13:4; Leviticus
18:22, 20:13; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians
6:9-10 |
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This
moral standard gives absolutely no permission
for violence against any person who engages
in sexual practices contrary to scripture,
nor does this standard give permission for
demeaning any person’s value in God’s sight.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God.” And, “God did not send his
Son into the world to condemn the world, but
to save it.” Romans 3:23; John 3:17 |
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Therefore, we encourage
grace-motivated ministries that respond to
human need and offer Christ’s transforming
love and healing to all wounded and broken
people, including those who habitually engage
in various sexual sins, heterosexual and homosexual
alike. |
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Acknowledging the
high calling of the church we oppose the ordination,
or recognition of the preexisting license
or ordination, of any person practicing, affirming,
endorsing and/or celebrating adultery, fornication,
gay/lesbian/bisexual behavior, or any other
practices that are contrary to God’s creation
intent as defined above. Because of our commitment
to do mission together, all persons and entities
entering into this network affirm this scriptural
and ethical standard. |
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here to download document. |
