1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired and inerrant word of God, composed and recorded by God’s chosen authors, and we accept its teachings (2 Timothy 3:16).
2. We believe the Bible reveals the love, character, and plans of God that we may know the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Bible is the foundation of our beliefs and traditions (Acts 4:12).
3. We believe in the one true Living God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, creator and source of all that is good, and who exists eternally without change (Hebrews 13:8).
4. We believe God revealed his love for us by sending his only Son, Jesus Christ, who was born of the virgin Mary, crucified for our sins, died on the cross, was buried, rose on the third day, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father (John 3:16).
5. We believe Jesus Christ will return to judge the living and the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).
6. We believe in the Holy Spirit, who comforts, empowers, guides, and gives gifts to all who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God (Hebrews 2:3–4).
7. We believe that until a person responds to God's call by committing their life to Jesus Christ, they are lost in their sin. We believe that when a person confesses their sin, God forgives their sin, and they can find peace with God. We believe in the repentance of sin, confessing Jesus as Savior, baptism in the Holy Spirit, and the grace of God (1 John 1:9).
8. We believe the basis of Christian fellowship is love. We believe every person must be afforded compassion, love, and kindness, respect, and dignity. Unholy and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are in accordance neither with the Scripture nor the doctrines of the church. As the Bible instructs, we endeavor to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36–40).
9. We believe in Christ’s church, the universal body of believers who have placed their faith in him as the Son of the Living God. We believe that each member of the body of Christ’s church has a purpose in the ministry of the church (Acts 2:42; Philippians 2:3–8).
10. We believe the church has a God-given mission to make disciples and to teach them the ways of the Lord, according to the Bible (Matthew 28:18–20).
11. We believe that through prayer we can communicate with God, seek his will, wisdom, and knowledge (Philippians 4:6; Hebrews 4:16).
12. We believe that the Apostles’ Creed includes the fundamentals of the Christian faith.
13. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning—that is, marriage that is sanctioned by God joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. The Bible is the authority for all matters of faith and practice in the church, and the church shall operate in accordance with scriptural principles specifically relating to marriage, the family, and sexual morality (Genesis 2:18, 20–24; Matthew 19:4–6; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; 7:2; Ephesians 5:21–33; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8; 1 Timothy 1:9–11; Hebrews 13:4).
14. We believe that eternal salvation is the free gift of God, entirely apart from human works.
15. We believe in church membership—that is, persons old enough to understand their need for Jesus Christ and commit their lives to him as their personal Savior and Lord are welcome to become members of Chippewa Lake Community Church.
16. We celebrate baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They are not to be regarded as a means to achieve salvation.
17. We believe there will be a glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that his second coming inspires believers to lead a dynamic and zealous life of service for him while awaiting his return.
