Church Distinctives

As our understanding of God's Word has increased, the following distinctives have emerged in our ministry.

The Lordship of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord over all. We are called to acknowledge Him as the One who reigns over every aspect of our lives. Submission to Christ's lordship begins when God opens a believer's heart and grants him the gift of repentance and faith. Yielding to Christ's lordship continues as the Holy Spirit convicts us of new areas of life that must come under His authority. There is no area of life that God does not claim as His own. It is only as we respond in obedience to the lordship of Jesus Christ that we know the blessings of His grace in our lives.

The Centrality of the Family

The family is the foundation of a healthy church and society. This is because it is within the home that character is molded and practical application of God's Word is developed. Since the family provides the primary training ground for the Christian life, Providence Church seeks to cultivate the Bible's high view of the family. Men, women, and children are all instructed and encouraged to faithfully fulfill their God-given responsibilities. The importance of a Christian education for the children that God has blessed us with is also emphasized.

The Edification of Believers

Believers in Jesus Christ are to be built up or edified in Him. This occurs when God's people honestly admonish and encourage one another to faithfully apply the Bible to the circumstances of life. We recognize that in order for church life to be edifying, we must each be committed to the authority of God's Word and speaking the truth to one another in love. The overall purpose of such a commitment is that together we would be better equipped to serve Christ and magnify His name through our lives.

The Extension of Christ's Kingdom

All believers are to be involved in the work of establishing the kingdom of God in the world. For the kingdom to advance, we must not conform to the world nor abandon it; instead, we must engage the world and seek to transform it by living as salt and light in the place that God has put us. Living in such a way begins by consistently obeying God in the duties that He has given us. Then in further obedience we must show mercy and proclaim the truth to others. We are confident that our labor is not in vain because the day will come when "the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9).

Our Beliefs

We believe the Bible to be the only inerrant Word of God. It is our only ultimate and infallible authority for faith and practice.

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is omnipotent; that is, He is all-powerful. He is omnipresent; that is, He is present through all creation but not limited by it. He is omniscient; that is, nothing is hidden from His sight. In all things He is limited by nothing other than His own nature and character.

We believe the God we serve is holy, righteous, good, severe, loving, and full of mercy. He created the heavens and earth, and everything in them, in the space of six ordinary days, and all very good. He is the Creator, Sustainer, and Governor of everything that has been made.

We believe in the true deity and full humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

We believe that because of Adam's sin all mankind is in rebellion against God. For the salvation of such lost and sinful men, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary.

We believe that salvation is by grace through faith alone, and that faith without works is dead.

We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and lost; those who are saved to the resurrection of life, and those who are lost to the resurrection of damnation. We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

For a complete expression of our beliefs see our Statement of Faith