What We Believe
Our church is doctrinally rooted in the scriptures and historically grounded in the truths rediscovered in the Protestant Reformation. As a diverse fellowship of believers, we focus primarily on the doctrines that make up the core of the Christian faith. We welcome people regardless of their denominational affiliations and honor various denominational practices that don’t contradict our core beliefs.
Here’s a little more about our identity as a church:
The Bible is God’s authoritative Word, guiding everything we know and do.
Scripture teaches God’s story of redemption of which we are a part.
- Creation: God created all things and mankind existed in perfect harmony with Him, with each other, and with the rest of creation.
- Fall: Mankind chose to rebel rather than participate in God’s good design and was thus totally alienated from right relationship with God, deserving His eternal punishment.
- Redemption: The good news is that God never gave up on His people and restored this broken relationship through His Son, Jesus. God’s Son lived a perfect life, was rejected and crucified, took the full punishment that we deserved (giving us His perfection in exchange), and then defeated death by walking out of His own tomb. Jesus currently reigns over everything from heaven, yet is with us through the Holy Spirit, and is making all things new.
- Restoration: We, the church, participate in this remaking of all things as the Holy Spirit works in us and through us. We look forward to the day in which Jesus returns, the world is free of all brokenness, and we are present with our God forever.
A person’s only hope is to trust in Christ’s atoning sacrifice on his or her behalf. This faith is a free gift from God.
As God’s family we meet together to worship him weekly. We share in each other’s lives, providing a home for God’s family no matter where we’re going or where we’ve come from.
We strive to spread Gospel Truth among our families, in our city, and throughout the world.
- God: We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
- The Bible: We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, in all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
- The Human Condition: We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
- Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus –Israel’s promised Messiah— was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
- The Work of Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
- The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
- The Church: We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
- Christian Living: We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
- Christ’s Return: We believe in the personal and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
- Response and Eternal Destiny: We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace.
Answers to Your Questions
Membership at UCB is simply our way of publicly acknowledging our need for Jesus, our trust in him, and our commitment to grow as disciples alongside other Christians in a local church. By becoming a member of UCB you are making a promise to worship, serve, struggle, pray, and mature together with the other believers who call this church their spiritual home. We believe this biblical commitment to one another will serve to both strengthen each other and communicate God’s love to the world around us. Visit the Becoming a Member page to learn more
Because United Church attendees come from many different backgrounds, we honor various theological opinions regarding the sacrament. Our elders agree with this statement from the Heidelberg Catechism about Baptism and the Lord's Supper, "The sacraments are holy, visible signs and seals. They were instituted by God so that by their use he might more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the gospel. And this is the promise: that God graciously grants us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life because of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross." Read more about how we think about Baptism here: Baptism At UCB
You are not obligated to give money to United Church, and no payment is required to join the church. A collection is taken during the worship service as a free-will offering. We believe that giving to the work of the church is biblical (see Malachi 3:10, Nehemiah 10:37-38, Mark 12:40-42, Hebrews 10:1-8). However, it is not a means of finding favor with God, but a grateful response to God for what He has done for you in the saving work of Christ on the cross. With this in mind, we invite you to invest in God's kingdom through United Church. Our church functions because of the generous giving of its members and attendees. Give to UCB
We love your kids and we have bright, clean facilities to care for them during the Sunday worship hours. Nursery and preschool (3-5) are offered during both services and an interactive children’s church (ages 5-10) is available during our 11:15 service. Youth ministries for older children are also available throughout the week. All children’s workers must pass a background security check before caring for your kids.