Our beliefs

We believe that God the Father is the ultimate source of all things and directs everything according to His own purpose and pleasure. He is not the Father of all mankind but provides a Fatherhood relationship to anyone who through repentance come through Jesus Christ into a spiritual birth. 

Ephesians 1:7-14; John 8:41-44; 5:19-24

We believe there is one God, the creator and preserver of all things, omniscient and omnipotent, infinite in being and perfection. He exits eternally in three persons; the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are of one essence and equal in power and glory. 

Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; John 10:30; II Corinthians 13:14.

We believe the Scriptures to be the divine revelation of God penned by men under the guidance and enabling of the Holy Spirit. They are completely reliable and without error in the original manuscripts and the full and final authority in all matters of faith and practice. There are no other writings apart from the 66 books of the Bible that are similarly inspired by God. 

II Timothy 3:16-17; I Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12; John 20:30-31; II Peter 1:20-21

We believe that prior to the creation of the material universe, God created a great host of spirit beings. These beings known as angels are innumerable and have superhuman powers. Lucifer (Satan), one of the highest of the angelic host, fell by sinning against the most-high God and took with him a large number of angels. Satan is the author of sin and the one who brought about the fall of Adam and Eve. He is the enemy of God, the accuser of God’s people and is constantly active in opposing the works and people of God. He was judged at the cross and his ultimate destiny is the Lake of Fire. Satan is presently the prince this world system. 

Colossians 1:16-17; Daniel 10:10-17; Ezekiel 28:14-15; Isaiah 14:12-14; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:7-10

We believe that man was created in the image of God, being innocent and without sin, free as to choice and responsible to his Creator. Through disobedience he fell from his high position and as a consequence, incurred a sinful nature, suffered spiritual death, ceased from communion with God, and became subject to the authority and power of the devil. This depraved nature has been transmitted to the entire race of man. Therefore everyone born into the world, with the exception of Jesus Christ, is under the condemnation of God, spiritually dead and with a nature incapable of producing any act worthy of God’s acceptance. 

Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; 3:1-7; Ephesians 2:2-3; Romans 3:10-12; 5:19

We believe that God created all of humankind in His image which implies equality among all people. As image bearers, humans are to live harmoniously with each other and reflect the character of God who “shows no partiality”. All people are descendants of our original parents, Adam and Eve, who are racially unidentifiable. The Scripture does not refer to race when it refers to divisions of mankind. God does not view any nations as inherently superior or inferior to others. The unity of the human race should not be understood as antagonistic to its diversity. The concept of race as a social construct which has often been used to discriminate among persons based on physical characteristics is to be rejected as not in line with the teaching of Scripture. 

Genesis 1:26-27; Acts 10:34; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:11-19

We believe that God created two sexes to complement each other and to reveal aspects of His glory. Sexual distinction between male and female is fundamental to humankind and should be celebrated and honored just as God deemed it “very good”. God created male and female so that they would “become one flesh” for love, union, and procreation. There is no functional or ontological superiority or inferiority between male and female. Both are equally responsible to take care of God’s creation. The view that one’s sexual identity is socially constructed and independent of one’s biological features is to be rejected. Marriage is designed by God to be between a male and a female. All perversions of human sexuality and marriage are rejected as destructive to humanity and society. 

Genesis 1:26-27; 2:24; Romans 1:18-21

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully God and fully man. He was united forever with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose physically from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. 

John 1:1-2; 10:30; 14:9; Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 3:23-26; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 1:20; Acts 1:11

We believe that salvation is a gift of God’s grace, not the result, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness, and must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith in the finished work of Christ. When a person believes that Christ died for his/her sins and rose in victory from the grave, he/she becomes a child of God and is kept by His power for eternity.

Ephesians 2:1-10; 1 Peter 1:3-4; John 3:16-18

We believe the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son. He has been active in the creation and writing of the Scriptures. He convicts of sin, righteousness, judgment and is the agent of the new birth. He indwells every believer, providing assurance, strength, wisdom and uniquely endows each one with gifts for ministry. He controls the believer who yields to Him leading to a life that is fruitful and pleasing to the Lord.

Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; John 16:7-15; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18

We believe that as a result of the union with Jesus Christ, all believers become members of His body, the church. There is one church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior. The Scripture commands all believers to gather in local expressions of the church for the purpose of corporate worship, observing the ordinances (baptism and communion), developing the believer in the faith (edification & discipleship) and promoting outreach to the world (evangelism). 

Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:42-47; Rom. 12:5; 1 Corinthians 1:12, 27; Hebrews 10:24-15; Matthew 28:19

We believe that at death, the spirit and soul of the believer passes instantly into the presence of Christ. There will be an imminent, personal, pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ. There also will be a bodily resurrection for all mankind, to everlasting life for the believer and to everlasting separation from God and punishment for the unbelieving.

John 5:25-29; 1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation 20:11-15; Titus 2:13-14; Philippians 1:23

This statement of faith represents the major areas of Scripture that are foundational to the Christian Faith. It is obvious that many other important teachings are not addressed in this document but are left to the various teaching experiences of Living Hope Ministries. There is still a great deal in Scripture to be explored and digested which is a life-long process. One of the most important matters for all believers to consider is that doctrine is not provided as an end in itself but requires a commitment to action on the part of each person for the deep reality of its meaning to be understood.

"WIN - BUILD - SEND"

• As Simplistic As This May Sound It Is The Mission Mandate Not Only For The Local Church But For Every Individual Believer.
• The Command From The Very Lips Of Our Lord Jesus - His Last Words Before Leaving Earth - Were "Go & Make Disciples By Baptizing & Teaching To Obey..." That Command Was Directed To Individual Disciples & Not Just To Full Time Church Staff.
• A "Barna Research' Study Reveals That "39% Of Christians Are Not Engaged In Discipleship At All & Just one-third of Christians 33% Are Categorized As A Disciplemaker, Actively Helping Someone Grow In Faith & Move Closer To Christ."
• That Leaves about 2 in 5 Christians Lacking Any Kind Of Discipleship Community.

FOCUSED MISSION:

• The Mission Of Each Believer Is To Make Disciples & The Mission Of The Church Is To Provide The Support System For Training & Developing Disciplemakers.
• The Mission Of The Church Is Not "Institutional Survival" But Building Up Believers To Make An Impact On The World For Christ.  
• Therefore The Church Is Responsible To Provide Support Systems For Growth From Spiritual Birth To Spiritual Maturity.
• Spiritual Development & Support Systems By A Local Church Assembly Must Be Intentional & Proactive In Order To Accomplish The Mission.
• That Translates Into A Proactive System Of Assimilation, Discipleship Support Systems At Every Level, & Mobilization Of Christians To Fulfill Their God Given Role Based On Their Spiritual Gifting To Engage In The Process Of Making Disciples. 

The Following Words Regarding The Role Of Church Leaders Is Worthy Of Reflection: "And He Gave Some As Apostles, And Some As Prophets, And Some As Evangelists, And Some As Pastors And Teachers, For The Equipping Of The Saints For The Work Of Service, To The Building Up Of The Body Of Christ Until We All Attain To The Unity Of The Faith, And Of The Knowledge Of The Son Of God, To A Mature Man, To The Measure Of The Stature Which Belongs To The Fullness Of Christ."  Ephesians 4:11-13 NASB95

Following This Line Of Thinking It Appears That The "Ministers" Are The People In The Pew & The "Equippers" Are The Staff Team.  The Role Of The "Equipping Staff" Is To Provide Support To The "Ministers" To Fulfill Their Calling Which Will Result In Their Growth & The Growth Of The Body At Large.  This Challenges The General Line Of Thinking That The Primary Role Of The Person In The Pew Is To Support To The Work Of The Minister In The Pulpit.  

Intentional Efforts On The Part Of Equipping Staff To Discover The Gifts And The Calling Of Believers In The Church & To Provide Support For Each Person To Fulfill Their Calling Seems To Be In Order. A Few Examples Of Systems For Consideration:

• ASSIMILATION SYSTEM: Intentional And Focused On Incorporating Believers Into The Church Family Through A Role - Task - Group.
• DISCIPLESHIP SYSTEM: Intentional & Focused On Accountable Training And Support From Spiritual Birth To Spiritual Maturity.
• OUTREACH SYSTEM: Intentional And Focused On Training And Releasing Believers To Fulfill The Role Of Reaching Others For Christ And Discipling Them In The Faith Through A Variety Of Approaches.
• MOBILIZATION SYSTEM: Intentional & Focused System For Assisting Believers To Discover Their Spiritual Gifts And A Placement System Into A Role That Fulfills Their Call For Ministry. 

Examination Of The Life Of Christ Will Reveal That He Was Not Shy When It Came To Asking Those Who Followed Him To Make Sacrifices:

• "Then Jesus Said To His Disciples, 'If Anyone Wishes To Come After Me, He Must Deny Himself, And Take Up His Cross And Follow Me."          Matt. 16:24
• The Inner Circle Of Disciples Were Asked To Abandon Their Professions To Follow Jesus.
• "Now Large Crowds Were Going Along With Him, And He Turned And Said To Them, "If Anyone Comes To Me, And Does Not Hate His Own Father And Mother And Wife And Children And Brothers And Sisters, Yes, And Even His Own Life, He Cannot Be My Disciple." Luke 14:25-25 NASB95 

The Lord Did Not Mince Words About The Expectations To Be A True "Disciple. Not Everyone Was Willing To Pay The Price But That Did Not Hold Him Back From Making The Challenge And Then Providing Clarity On The Details.  Jesus Focused His Primary Effort On The "Movers & Shakers".  He Did Not Ignore The Needs Of Those Less Committed But They Were Not The Place Where He Spent Most Of His Time.

Ministry Efforts Should Be Willing To Provide Systems That Challenge People Who Are Willing To Make The Sacrifices And Who Have An Appetite To Grow.  Unfortunately Most Leaders Are Afraid To Ask Believers To Reach Higher Levels Of Growth That Require Sacrifice Of Their Time And Realignment Of Priorities Because To Do So May Mean They Will Walk Away.  

Can You Recall Any Instances Where People Walked Away From Jesus? If People Walking Away From Him Was His Reality When He Challenged People Then If We Are Truly In The Business Of Making Disciples It Will Be True For Us As Well.  In Order For The Mission Of "Making Disciples" To Be Fulfilled, Focus Must Be On Those Dedicated Believers Who Are Willing To Make The Sacrifices Necessary To Be Disciples.

Variety In The Types Of Groups Offered In The Church Is Critical To Meet The Discipleship Needs For A Variety Of People.  After Completion Of Doctoral Studies In The Areas Of Assimilation & Small Groups, Then Conducting Multiple Training Sessions On This Subject, The Following Should Be Considered In Implementing Group Ministries:

There Are Three Basic Types Of Groups Required To Meet The Different Needs Of People:

• CELEBRATION - Focus Is On Worship.  This Group Is Unlimited In Size Because The Focus Is Not On Building Relationships With One Another But With Focus On The Lord.
• CONGREGATION - Focus Is On "Face To Face" Relationships With Others. This Group Is Usually Fifty And Under.  In This Size Of Group People Can Get To Know Others Without The Threat Of Having To Bare Their Soul.  The Sunday School Class Is One Of The Places That This Need Was Met.
• CELL - Focus Is On "Heart To Heart" Relationships With Others.  Group Size Is Twelve Or Less. This is The Context That Encourages Personal Accountability And Support.  There Are Some Who Are Not Comfortable With The Level Of Transparency Of The Small Group And Prefer The "Face To Face" Group As A Place To Develop Relationships.  The Current Trend To Eliminate The "Face To Face" Option Provided By The Adult Sunday School Or Groups Of This Size Leaves Many Only Attending "Celebration" Events Resulting In Limited Involvement With Others In Relationships.

There Are Four Basic Elements In Group Life That Vary In Emphasis Based On The Objective Of The Group:

• Worship
• Fellowship
• Study
• Mission

The Amount of Time Spent On Each Of These Elements Is Varied.  For Instance An IBS Class Would Be Considered A Cell Group With The Bulk Of The Time Focused On Study Without Disregarding The Other Elements.  A Worship Team In The Church Would Be A Cell Group With The Majority Of Time Focused On Worship.  In Summary There Is Not One Type Of Group That Fits All Because Not All People Are Designed By God In The Same Way Or Have The Same Needs.

There Must Be Variety In The Biblical Content Of A Group.  As A Pastor I Wrote Questions For Groups Based On The Message For That Week. Many Churches Follow This Model Which Has Merit But To Require All Groups In The Church To Focus On The Same Material Discounts The Fact That People Are At Variety Of Different Places In Their Spiritual Growth With A Variety Of Study Needs.  We All Appreciate The Fact That We Have Many Choices When It Comes To Places To Eat.  The Same Is True When It Comes To Satisfying The Spiritual Appetites Of Believers.  This Is A Much Larger Subject But Space Is Limited.  

The Process For Bringing Into This World A Physical New Born Requires Intense Effort Especially For The Mother.  All The Phases A Woman Goes Through During The Nine Months Of Pregnancy Is An Amazing Journey.  The End Of That Nine Month Period Is Culminated By The Experience Called "Labor". Ask Any Mother And You Will Be Told The Agonizing Details, But The Conversation Will End With "It Was Worth It." 

Then What Follows Is The Eye Opener For Both Parents Because Now They Look Forward To At Least 20 Years Of Labor Devoted To Helping The Child Grow To Maturity.  The Birth Process Of Nine Months Pales In The Shadow Of The Labor Of 20 Years And In Some Cases Much Longer Than That But Most Parents Will Tell You "It is Worth It."

The Process Of Spiritual Birth And Growth Follow The Same Pattern.  It May Take Significant Time And Effort On Our Part As "Midwives" In The Spiritual Birth Process That God Brings Into Realty And Those Involved Will Say "It Was Worth The Effort."  

Yet The Effort For The Spiritual Birth Process Pales In The Shadow Of The Time And Effort It Takes To Develop Spiritual Newborns Into Adults.  We Are NOT Under The Illusion That The IBS Ministry Will Be Any More Than A Small Part Of The Process But It Is Our Hope That It Will Provide A Foundation That Will Accelerate The Growth Process Along The Believers Path To Spiritual Maturity.