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Pastor Paul Long

 
5384-B Kazuko Court
Moorpark, CA 93021
805-523-0050
Services: Sunday 9:00am & 10:30am
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By-Laws
Table Of Contents By-Laws
Article I Statement of Faith
 
Article II Church Membership
Section 1.     Responsibilities
Section 2.     Procedure for Admission
Section 3.     Children of Members
Section 4.     Discipline
Section 5.     Recording
Section 6.     Transfer of members
 
Article III Elder Board
Section 1.      Composition
Section 2.      Qualification
Section 3.      Election
Section 4.      Term in Office
Section 5.      Vacancies
Section 6.      Quorum
Section 7.      Responsibilities of the Board of Elders
Section 8.      Unity
 
Article IV Ministry Teams
Section 1.     Purpose
Section 2.     Organization
Section 3.     Duties
Section 4.     Leadership
 
Article V Pastors
Section 1.     Qualifications
Section 2.     Call of Senior pastor
Section 3.     Call of Other pastors
Section 4.     Cooperation
Section 5.     Duties of Senior pastor
Section 6.     Other Pastors
Section 7.     Charges against a pastor
 
Article VI Meetings
Section 1.     Annual Meetings
Section 2.     Special Meetings
Section 3.     Notification of meetings
Section 4.     Conduct of meeting
Section 5.     Voting  
Section 6.     Quorum
Section 7.     Rules of order
Section 8.     Final Voice
 
Article VIII Amendments
Section 1.     Procedure
 
Article VIII Dissolution
Section 1.     Procedure
Section 2.  Disposition of assets. 
 

Life Spring Community Church Bylaws

ARTICLE I Statement of Faith

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  1. The Bible: We believe the Bible is Truth: the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and preserved by the Holy Spirit so as to be infallible in its existing form such that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct and is a complete revelation of God's will for all people.

  2. God:  We believe there exists one true and living God, eternally existing in three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - co‑eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections; these execute distinct but harmonious offices.

  3. The Father:  We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, goodness, wisdom, power, and love.  We believe that He concerns Himself with individual human affairs, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

  4. Jesus Christ the Son:  We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternally existing Son of God, became a man, without ceasing to be God; that He accomplished our complete redemption through His atoning death on the cross, a redemption made sure to us by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead; that He ascended into heaven and is now at the right hand of God the Father interceding on our behalf and acting as our advocate in Heaven.

  5. The Holy Spirit:  We believe that the Holy Spirit, who comes from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, is the Supernatural Agent who regenerates the believer's spirit, sets the believer apart for God, and baptizes all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling each equally and permanently, and preserving each one forever; that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth; that He sovereignly bestows spiritual gifts upon each believer for the glory of God and the benefit of the church.

  6. Salvation:  We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation to spend eternity separated from the presence and consequence of God.  We believe that salvation is the free gift of God offered by Him, and on the basis of His grace, to sinners which must be received solely by personal faith in, and only in, the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

  7. The Church:  We believe that the universal church, which is the body (of which He is the Head) and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all believers of this present age; that the establishment and continuance of the local church is clearly defined in the New Testament, being composed solely of believers, baptized by immersion on a credible profession of faith in Christ as Savior; that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of making unbelievers, disciples of Jesus Christ and has laid upon the leaders of the local church the primary task of shepherding and so equipping the members; that the Lord Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and communion; that Christian baptism involves the complete immersion of a believer in water into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and that communion was instituted by Christ for the remembrance and celebration of His death.

  8. Worship:  We believe that worship of the Most High God is the fundamental response of all creation; that true worship of God must emanate from our spirit and be built upon the foundation of spiritual and personal truth, that service to the Kingdom of God and to others is an integral part of the worship experience, and that true worship of God must be personal even in the context of corporate worship.

  9. Christian Conduct:  We believe that the Christian life consists of a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit; a life which becomes a reality in our experience as we make a moment by moment decision to yield our life to the Spirit's control; that all believers should live in such a manner as to not dishonor God; and that every believer should be a faithful steward of all that God has entrusted for the expansion of Christ's Kingdom throughout the world.

  10. Last Things:  We believe that the next great event in the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy will be the beginning of Israel’s “seventieth week”—seven years of tribulation on the Earth; Towards the end of this seven year period as God begins to pour out His wrath upon the nations of the world, Jesus Christ will return imminently, personally, and bodily to rapture His Church; the final period of great tribulation will be climaxed by the visible, physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth to introduce the millennial age.  We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people, believers to eternal life, and unbelievers to judgment and everlasting punishment.

ARTICLE II Church Membership
Section 1.  Responsibilities.
The members of Life Spring Community Church do covenant together by God’s grace to live in a manner consistent with the standards of biblical teaching, including the support of this local ministry in attendance, prayer, service, and giving, to live in word and deed  such as to encourage others to know and be like Jesus Christ, to reflect in all our relationships the servant love of our Lord, and to support the broader mission of Christ through the Southwest District (SWBC) of the Baptist  General Conference (BGC).
Section 2.  Procedure for Admission.
bullet Membership is open to all who have made a personal profession of faith in Jesus Christ and have been baptized and who willinging subscribe to the Statement of Faith, see Article I. 
bullet Persons desiring to apply for membership shall submit their application to the Senior Pastor or to a member of the Elder Board. 
bullet Upon completion of a membership class (STEP 1), applicants shall meet with a pastor or a member of the Elder Board to give testimony of their personal faith in Jesus Christ. 
bullet Final action on applications for membership shall be taken by the Elder Board or the senior pastor.
bullet Applicants who meet the above requirements of the church shall be welcomed at a regular meeting of the church.
Section 3.  Children of Members.
In addition to the spiritual mentoring from parents who are members of the church their children shall be nurtured under its spiritual care.  When they have reached the age of accountability, they shall receive instruction from the pastor(s) or other lay workers in the Word of God and Christian doctrine.  After baptism and a public profession of their faith in Jesus Christ they will then be eligible for junior membership until age 18, at which time they will become full members. 

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Section 4.  Discipline.
Discipline of members.  The Elder Board shall be responsible for admonishing members who willfully neglect their responsibilities to the church or who err in doctrine or conduct. 
Erring members. Any member known to err in doctrine or conduct shall be counseled according to the procedure outlined in Matthew 18:15-18 and Galatians 6:1.
 Any member having knowledge of such error shall, in the spirit of Christian love, seek to restore the erring member. If he or she does not heed this counsel, the matter shall be brought to the attention of the Board of Elders, which shall in meekness and gentleness seek to restore the member.

After the above process has been completed, dismissal of a member remaining in gross error in doctrine or conduct may result by a two-thirds vote of all current Elder Board members. Their decision is final.
The Elder Board, with a two thirds vote,  may reinstate members who have been disciplined should they become repentant of their actions , beliefs, or conduct,

Section 5.  Transfer of members. 
Any member desiring to transfer or withdraw from membership shall make such request in writing to the Pastor and/or Elder Board. Letters of transfer shall be issued by the Pastor.
Section 6.  Recording.
The names of those joining and terminating membership shall be duly recorded and reported at the next congregational meeting.

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ARTICLE III The Elder Board
Section 1.  Composition. 
The Elder Board shall be comprised of not less than 3 no more than 10 Board of Elders members, one of whom shall be the Senior Pastor.  
Section 2.  Qualification. 
An Elder Board member shall be a member of the church and shall meet the biblical standards of character for church leaders as outlined in scripture, e.g., (1 Timothy 3:1-13 & Titus 1:5-9
Section 3.  Election.
Elder Board members shall be nominated by the Senior Pastor and/or Chair of the Elder Board and confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Elders.
Section 4.  Term of Office.
Elder Board members shall be appointed for a term of two years and may be renewed for an unlimited number of terms.
Section 5.  Vacancies.
A member of the Elder Board may be involuntarily removed from office by a two-thirds vote of Board of Elders. Vacancies created by resignation shall be filled by appointment as noted in Section 3 above. 
Section 6.  Quorum. 
A majority of Board of Elders members shall constitute a quorum.
Section 7.  Responsibilities of the Board of Elders.
bullet The Board of Elders shall be responsible for building, maintaining and overseeing the spiritual welfare of the local body and for directing and overseeing all ministries and business affairs of the church.  They shall present yearly ministry goals and objectives to the congregation. 
bullet The Board of Elders shall act as the trustees of the church and its assets.  They shall designate those Board of Elders members and any other members of the church who shall be authorized to sign legal documents on behalf of the church.
bullet The Board of Elders shall elect from among themselves a chair, a vice chair, and a secretary.

1.  Chair.  The chair shall preside at all business meetings of the church and of the board.  The chair shall confer with the senior pastor in preparing the agenda for such meetings, and shall utilize the counsel that the pastor can give by virtue of his or her training, experience, and calling.  The chair shall be responsible for leadership of the church services in the absence of the pastor. 

2.  Vice-chair.  The vice-chair shall assume the duties of the chair in the chair’s absence, and assist in the Chair’s duties. 

3.  Secretary.  The secretary shall keep and preserve the minutes of all business meetings of the church and of the delegation and shall conduct and preserve all official correspondence as shall be delegated and shall be responsible for the official seal and documents of the church. 

4.  Treasurer .  The treasurer shall be responsible for controlling the expenses of the Church, leading the effort to draft the annual budget, and reporting revenues and expenses to the Elder Board and to the congregation.

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The Board of Elders shall be responsible for overseeing the preparation and submission of a proposed budget for each fiscal year to the membership for approval.  Upon approval of the budget by the membership, the Board of Elders shall be responsible for seeing that the budget is carried out as approved.  The Board of Elders shall have the authority to appropriately adjust budget items and amounts where ministry objectives necessitate but in no event shall total expenditures exceed the total authorized budget by more than 5% or the available funds without prior approval of the membership.  The Board of Elders shall appoint members of the church to act as financial secretary and/or bookkeeper (not necessarily a Board of Elders member) who shall be authorized to receive and disburse monies on behalf of the church in accordance with established policy.  Neither the treasurer nor financial secretary shall serve more than 4 consecutive terms. 
bullet The Board of Elders shall be responsible for representing the congregation in certain staff relationships including:

1.  Annual appraisal of the ministry of the senior pastor and the ministry of the other staff, and provide godly counsel or discipline as required. 

2.  Annual review and approval of staff compensation and approval of compensation for new staff; approval of other personnel expenses for any staff member or activity, all subject to overall budget approval. 

3.  Establishment of personnel policies.

4.  Approval of changes in staff job descriptions and approval of job descriptions for new staff positions. 

5.  Maintenance of current job descriptions for all staff members.

6.  Hiring of support staff.

The Board of Elders shall be responsible for approving or rejecting applications for membership.
The Board of Elders shall be responsible for dealing with members who neglect their duties to the church and who err in doctrine and conduct, and shall do so in such a manner as to restore such members to full and complete fellowship, if possible, and if not possible, to take such action as may be appropriate under the Holy Scriptures and the Constitution and Bylaws of the church, including expulsion from membership.  Discipline shall be administered in the spirit of Christ with due regard for the welfare of the individual disciplined as well as the welfare of the church.  The Board of Elders shall not consider any grievance against a member unless such grievance is submitted in writing and supported by the evidence of two or more witnesses. 
 The Board of Elders shall hear and respond appropriately to concerns of members.  The Board of Elders shall determine Ministry Teams needed to carry out the church’s mission and appoint appropriate leadership. 
Section 8.  Unity.
Action by the Board of Elders shall be taken in such manner as to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  All actions, regardless of the actual vote will be endorsed and supported by all members.
ARTICLE IV Ministry Teams
Section 1.  Purpose.
Ministry Teams shall be formed as required to implement the varied ministries of the church.
Section 2.  Organization. 
Ministry Teams shall be chartered by the Board of Elders to implement specific ministries.  The charter for a Ministry Team shall include:  the statement of purpose; strategies; leadership structure; qualifications for ministry; and a provision that the ministry team shall terminate fifteen months from the most recent Board of Elders review.  The list of Ministry Teams shall be determined annually by the Board of Elders, upon recommendation of the church staff, in accord with the church’s purpose, strategies, objectives, and as consistent with organizational and functional effectiveness.
Section 3.  Duties
bullet The duties of Ministry Teams shall be to:

1.  Develop and annually review its charter for submission to the Board of Elders.

2.  Recruit and train ministry personnel. 

3.  Define and provide the necessary materials required for ministry. 

4.  Submit annually to the Board of Elders proposed budgets and objectives for the forthcoming year and manage consistent with approved budgets. 

5.  Meet as required to plan and execute specific ministry objectives.

6.  Review and provide a written report, at least semiannually, of progress against objectives to the Ministry Staff and Board of Elders. 

7.  Each ministry team may appoint subordinate committees, when needed.

bullet Each Ministry Team shall normally have at least one Board of Elders member as an ex-officio member, who may also serve as that ministry team’s leader.
Section 4.  Leadership.
The leader of a Ministry Team shall be approved by the Board of Elders in consultation with the pastor(s). The team leader will serve as liaison to the Board of Elders. Ministry Team members may be selected by the leader in accord with guidelines in its ministry charter. Each Team shall organize itself as required to perform its ministry.
ARTICLE V Pastors
Section 1.  Qualifications. 
Pastors of the church shall meet the qualifications set forth in the Holy Scriptures. The Senior Pastor shall be an ordained pastor in good standing with the Baptist General Conference in accordance with their qualifications and duties for pastoral office, staff ministry, or lay ministry. A pastor shall be a member of the church by virtue of his call to serve the church.

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Section 2.  Call of Senior Pastor. 
The Senior Pastor shall be called at a regular or special congregational business meeting, the purpose of which shall be announced two weeks in advance. The Senior Pastor shall be nominated by a pastoral search committee. This committee shall be nominated by the Board of Elders and elected by a congregational business meeting. It shall be representative of the congregation and have five to nine members, including, as a minimum the Board of Elders chair and sufficient other members of the Elder board to create a majority. It shall work closely with the District Executive Minister of the Southwest Baptist Conference (SWBC). The Senior Pastor shall be called by ballot with a two-thirds vote required for a call. The call shall be for an indefinite period of time with a minimum of six weeks notice required by the church or the Senior Pastor for termination of pastoral duties except as provided in Section 8.
Section 3.  Call of other pastors. 
Other pastors may be called by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Elders upon recommendation of the Senior Pastor. The congregation may by a two-thirds vote delegate authority to call other Pastors to the Board of Elders acting unanimously. In such a case, the Board of Elders shall give notice to the congregation of the recommendation to call a Pastor 10 days prior to the Board of Elders issuing a call. If the Board of Elders receives written objection or concerns, the recommendation shall be submitted to a congregational business meeting. The duration of the Pastor’s tenure and the notice required for termination of service shall be set forth in the letter of call.
Section 4.  Cooperation. 
The pastor(s) shall, both in word and precept, work in harmony with the SWBC and the BGC.
Section 5.  Duties of Senior pastor.
The Senior Pastor shall preach and teach the Word of God, and faithfully carry out pastoral work. The Senior Pastor shall direct the church staff, providing counsel, encouragement, and Christian discipline so as to assist in the accomplishment of objectives for each staff member. All Staff are responsible to the Senior Pastor. The Senior Pastor shall be a member of the Board of Elders and an ex-officio member of all ministry teams and committees and in such capacity shall strive to establish and accomplish objectives and strategies in conjunction with the mission and purpose of the church.
Section 6.  Duties of Other pastors. 
Other pastors shall carry out specific areas of ministry under the direction of the Senior Pastor. They may be designated by the Board of Elders to be the leader or member of one or more Ministry Teams.
Section 7.  Charges against a pastor. 
Charges against a pastor shall be submitted in writing to the Board of Elders. Such charges may include , indiscretion, immorality, doctrinal error, unethical behavior, or disloyalty and must accompany supporting documentation including the names of all witnesses in accordance with Biblical instruction in 1 Timothy 5:19-20. The Board of Elders will then take the matter to the Pastor in accordance with (Matthew 18:15-18). If in the judgment of the Board of Elders of the church there is substance to the charges, the case shall be referred to the District Executive Minister of the SWBC. He shall confer with the Board of Elders for resolution; however, any Pastor who fails to become ordained with the Baptist General Conference or who loses his/her ordination may be dismissed at any time without prior notice by the Board of Elders.

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ARTICLE VI Meetings
Section 1.  Annual meetings.
The annual meeting shall be held within one month of the end of the fiscal year. If in the judgment of the Board of Elders the meeting cannot be held within such time it shall be held as soon thereafter as feasible. The Board of Elders shall be responsible for overseeing the preparation and submission of a written annual report to the membership at the annual meeting.
Section 2.  Special meetings. 
Special meetings may be called by the Board of Elders or by written request signed by 30% of the membership.
Section 3.  Notification of meeting.
All meetings shall be announced in writing to the membership of the church at least two weeks prior to the meeting date.
Section 4.  Conduct of meeting. 
The Chair of the Board of Elders or such other person as may be designated by the Board of Elders in his or her absence shall serve as Chair of any meeting of the membership.
Section 5.  Voting. 
Each member, and only members, shall be entitled to cast one vote at any election on any subject at any annual or special meeting of the membership. Such votes must be cast in person. Vote by proxy shall not be allowed. All votes shall be by secret ballot. The Chair of a meeting may call for open balloting where no objection is raised.
Section 6.  Quorum. 
Ten percent of the membership shall constitute a quorum for any regular meeting, with a minimum of 20 members. Twenty percent of the membership shall constitute a quorum for any special meeting, with a minimum of 20 members.
Section 7.  Rules of order
All business meetings of the church and of any other committees or organizations shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section 8.  Final voice. 
The Board of Elders reserves for itself final authority in any matter of its choice.
   
ARTICLE VII Amendments
Section 1.  Procedure. 
These Bylaws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members voting at a meeting called for that purpose.  A proposed amendment to the Bylaws must be presented in writing to the members at the meeting not less than 30 days prior to the meeting called for the purpose of voting on bylaws changes. 
 
ARTICLE VIII Dissolution
Section 1.  Procedure. 
The Church may be dissolved by a vote of two-thirds of the members voting at a meeting called for that purpose. A proposed dissolution must be presented in writing to the members at the meeting not less than 30 days prior to the meeting called for the purpose of voting on dissolution.
Section 2.  Disposition of assets. 
Upon dissolution, the remaining assets of the Church will be transferred to the Southwest District (SWBC) of the Baptist General Conference (BGC) for use in reinvesting towards future Church Planting.

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Appendix 1-Unabridged Statement of Faith

1.1       The Bible.
We believe the sixty-six books of the Bible (i.e. the Protestant Canon) present truth in propositional form. Believing unreservedly in the total truth and trustworthiness of the Bible, we employ a literal-grammatical-historical method of interpretation. Such a method does recognize the Bible’s varieties of expression and literary forms; however, these vehicles of revelation find themselves in service to, not in contradiction with, the Bible’s incontestable clarity and irreproachable historicity. Therefore, in the absence of some clear contextual indication of the use of symbolic literary form, we interpret the words literally in their historic and cultural context.
We believe that God has revealed Himself to man generally (i.e. in nature and conscience), but that these avenues are insufficient for salvation because of man’s persistent resistance. However, in the course of human history, God has revealed Himself particularly and specifically through a variety of modes, all of which are made known to us through the Bible (Romans 1:18-2:16; Hebrews 1:1-4; 2 Timothy 3:15).
In addition to His general revelation, God has also provided for a us a special revelation which is the Bible. We believe the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: meaning that the Holy Spirit superintended a variety of human authors utilizing and including their own particular personalities, backgrounds, and styles resulting in its production, rather than directly dictating the words to these authors (Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Jude 3).
We believe that the Holy Spirit illuminates the words of the Bible to reveal God’s specific purposes and plans for each individual and that this specific revelation will never contradict any other portion of the Bible and will be confirmed to the individual’s spirit by prayer, circumstances and the affirmation of the Church (Psalm 19:7; 119:105; Isaiah 55:10-11; John 14:26; 16:13; Hebrews 4:12-13).
Although the original documents are no longer available, God in His providence has preserved thousands of subsequent copies which perpetuate the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek content of the originals; therefore through the process of textual criticism it is possible to reconstruct texts which very accurately reflect the originals. We believe that this same Holy Spirit who inspired, also superintended the transmission of the Bible throughout the ages preserving it so as to be infallible in its existing form such that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct (Deuteronomy 32:44-47; 1 Kings 8:56; Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 30:5; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 4:4; 5:17-19; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 1 Peter 1:25).

 

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1.2       God.

We believe there exists one true and living God, eternally existing in three Persons—the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit—co‑eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections; these execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption (Genesis 1:1-2, 26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16; 28:18-19; John 1:1-3; 13:31-32; 17:5; Acts 5:3-4; 7:55; Ephesians 2:18-22; Colossians 1:16, 17; 1 Peter 1:2; Jude 20-21).

Because God is an infinite Spirit, His attributes are likewise infinite.  The following incomplete list of His attributes forms the foundation of our belief in God.  He is …

a)      Self-Existent—As the primary cause of all of creation, He is Himself uncaused by anything external to Himself:  Exodus 3:14; John 5:26; Hebrews 7:3.

b)      Eternal—As the Creator of time, He exists independently of any chronology; He has always existed and always will:  Genesis 21:33; Deuteronomy 32:27; Psalm 41:13; 90:2; 93:2; Isaiah 40:28; 46:10; John 1:1-3; 1 Timothy 1:17; Revelations 4:8.

c)      Self-Sufficient—God possesses no need He is unable to satisfy within Himself: Luke 1:37; Acts 17:24; Colossians 1:16-17.

d)      Infinite—He transcends the physical and metaphysical (e.g. angelic) dimensions of existence:  1 Kings 8:27; 1 Chronicles 6:18; Jeremiah 23:24.

e)      Transcendence—God is different from all created things not in degree but in kind; the gulf which separates the highest order created being and God is infinite: Job 11:7,8; Psalm 113:4-5; Isaiah 55:9.

f)        Immutable—He never was other than He now is and He never will be otherwise; He is never changing:  1 Samuel 15:29; Psalm 102:27; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 6:17; James 1:17.

g)      Omniscient—He is infinite in knowledge and wisdom; the source of and possessor of all universal knowledge and wisdom:  Psalm 147:5; Romans 11:33; 1 Corinthians 1:25; Hebrews 4:13; 1 John 3:20.

h)      Omnipotent—He is infinite in power; the source of and possessor of all universal power:  Genesis 1:1; Job 42:2; Luke 1:37; Revelation 4:11.

i)        Omnipresent—He exists completely, independently, and consistently at every point of His creation (i.e. in both the physical and metaphysical dimensions):  Psalm 139:7-10; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Acts 17:28.

j)        The essence of faithfulness:  Psalm 82:2; 100:5; 117:2; 146:6; Lamentations 3:23.

k)      The essence of universal goodness:  Psalm 25:8; 136:1; Mark 10:18.

l)        The essence of righteousness, being completely and totally just and righteous:   Ezra 9:15; Job 36:3; Psalm 50:6; 71:19; 97:2; Daniel 9:7.

m)    The essence of mercy and grace, not treating us according to what we deserve but granting us unmerited favor: Exodus 34:6-7; 2 Chronicles 30:9; Nehemiah 9:17, 31; Jeremiah 3:12.

n)      The essence of truth and veracity, in that He is the standard of truth in the universe: Deuteronomy 32:4; Joshua 23:14; John 14:6.

1.3       The Person and Work of the Father.

A.     We believe in God, the Father, a perfect and personal Spirit who concerns Himself with individual human affairs; that He hears and answers prayer, and that He offers forgiveness, saving from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ, offering them an eternal relationship with Himself (Psalm 18:30; Matthew 5:45, 48; John 3:16; 4:24; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:3-14; 4:6; 1 John 5:14-15).

B.     We believe that He is the sovereign Architect of creation; that He created out of nothing the entire universe and all that it contains, including metaphysical beings (e.g. angels and demons).  We believe that He also sustains for His own purposes the whole of that which He has created (Genesis 1:1-31; Exodus 20:11; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3).

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1.4       The Person and Work of Jesus Christ the Son.

A.     We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternally existing Son of God, became a man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, He lived a perfect and sinless human life that He might reveal God and redeem His people (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26-38; 19:10; John 1:1-2, 14; 14:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:6-8; Colossians 1:15, 19; Hebrews 1:3).

B.     We believe that Jesus Christ accomplished our complete redemption through His atoning death on the cross, when acting as our representative, He substituted His life to pay the penalty for our sins and thus simultaneously satisfied both God's love and righteousness; a redemption made sure to us by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead on the third day (Psalm 130:7; Mark 10:45; Romans 3:24-26; 5:8; 6:4; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:12; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 2:24).

C.     We believe that Jesus Christ ascen