What We Believe
We believe in the essentials of what all Christian churches believe (as stated in the Apostle's Creed, for example), what C.S. Lewis called "mere Christianity."
Where we are unique is in how we believe...
- The Evangelical Covenant Church has always been a "non-creedal" church
- We have always held to essentials tightly, and to non-essentials loosely
"The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." When you know what the main thing in life is, you know who you are and what you are to do. Talk about an advantage in life!
Centered in Christ...
We believe that Jesus Christ is the center of all of life. He is both the source and goal of all of life. the Apostle Paul puts it this way in Romans 11:36:
For from him and through him and to him are all things.He is the living center of our faith...
Not just a person in history, but the eternal Son of God who is alive today through the resurrection from the dead. He invites us to share in His life. At the same time, he is the greatest man, the greatest teacher and greatest healer who ever lived!
In short, Jesus is the main thing!
Four Essentials that come out of Jesus Christ, the Living Center:
Essential One ~ We are transformed by His Spirit and grace.
By His Spirit, and by His grace (or surprise gift), we first receive new life in Christ. This is the move from living in the old reality of religiousity or non-religiousity to the new reality of life in Christ! Then, by the same Spirit and grace, we are changed as we live by faith, beginning to look more like Jesus in our everyday lives. This journey is depicted by the watercolor image below that we use often to tell the story.
Essential Two ~ We are under the authority of His Word, the Bible.
We no longer live as our own authority, but enter into the kingdom of God, where His truth is heard and obeyed in our lives.
Essential Three ~ We are connected to other Christians.
We are connected to other Christians throughout history and have much to learn from them. We are also connected to all Christians around the world today...all who have put their faith in Christ. We are particularly connected with the Evangelical Covenant Church who we partner with in mission around the world. And we are connected to each other, each doing our part to add to the whole picture of what God is doing here.
Essential Four ~ We have freedom and flexibility within the context of Biblical love.
We are free to disagree on things which have been divisive for Christians. We want to keep the main thing the main thing. Our goal is not that we would all be the same, but that real community be expressed in the midst of our differences.
The Big Picture...
With Christ as our living center, we are transformed, under His authority, connected, and free. This commitment allows us to grow in grace and truth, which is what Jesus Christ is all about! (John 1:14)