Our heart is...
…to see the gospel of Christ displayed in our worship, our outreach and our teaching of God’s word.
We long to see the redemptive presence of Jesus Christ manifested in ourselves and others. The common thread in all we do - the Sunday morning sermon, the message of the songs we sing, the focus of our Sunday school classes, our mid-week life groups, outreach and various other ministries - is Christ’s redeeming love. It’s the reality that He has already paid for our redemption on the cross and simply by trusting Him do we receive forgiveness and life forever! Jesus paid it all, and in Him we find all we need!
…to see the character of Christ displayed through our intentional investment into people’s lives.
In Matthew 28 Jesus told us to “make disciples,” and we believe that to be the primary way our church will grow in maturity and relationship with one another. Discipleship is intentional, spiritual investment in the lives of others for the glory of God. It’s not merely a program or formula, but happens in unique ways as we seek to live lives that are led by the Holy Spirit in obedience to Christ. It’s our desire to see a growing number of believers who are living life together and intentionally investing in one another for the glory of God!
…to see the redemptive presence of Christ expanded locally and globally by equipping and sending disciple makers from Dry Creek Bible Church.
Psalm 96:3 calls us to “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” As Dry Creek Bible Church continues to grow in number and maturity, we want to continue planting new churches and sending disciples wherever and however God may lead and provide. We long to see a growing number of people surrendering to the redeeming love of Christ and giving glory to the one true God!
What we believe...
The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be God’s absolute, objective truth for all peoples in all times.[1] The Scriptures are the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith, life and salvation; inerrant in the original writings.[2] We believe that the established canon of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments is God’s final revelation to mankind for this age.[3] We await the final revelation of Jesus Christ’s bodily return to make all things new.[4]
The Godhead
We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons. These are the Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit, who are jointly eternal in being, identical in nature, equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfectness, yet unique in their ministries.[5]
Humanity
We believe that humanity, male and female, is sacred in God’s eyes and was uniquely created by Him, in His image and for His glory, to exercise dominion over all the earth and to enjoy a relationship with Him forever. We believe that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.[6]
Salvation
We believe salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and freely received by personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins and to demonstrate His great love and glory.[7] We believe that salvation is the miracle of being given spiritual life by the Holy Spirit of God, guaranteeing our adoption as children of God and securing our status as heirs with Jesus Christ in God’s glory forever.[8] We believe that genuine trust in Christ alone guarantees salvation and the fruit of good works in the believer’s life.[9]
The Church
We believe that the Church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all truly saved persons of this present age and ages past and future.[10] We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches led by qualified elders is taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures.[11] We believe it is the obligation of individual church members actively to support and participate in the ministries of the local church. We believe that it is the obligation of the church to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind.[12]
The Return of Christ
We believe in the “blessed hope,” the personal and imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will exercise judgment over all creation; both His redeemed ones and the unbelieving.[13]
The Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people: the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.[14] We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious rest they await the resurrection; when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord in His new creation.[15] We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the resurrection; when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at Christ’s judgment. They will be sentenced to eternal separation from God; not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment.[16]
Family
In God’s design for humanity, life begins at fertilization.[17] He established the institution of family through the union of one genetic man and one genetic woman in a marriage covenant for life.[18] His design for the continuance of humanity is through the procreation and discipleship of children within the marriage union.[19] Marriage is to be an example of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church.[20]
Complementarianism
We believe that there are clear and distinctive roles between men and women in the New Testament church. Men are called to be the primary leaders in the home and in the church. Women are called to a complementary role as suitable helpers as originally given in the Garden of Eden. We believe this is not a distinction of value or importance, but of role and function. Women are called to serve as deacons or any other roles in church other than as elders or any other position that will require a regular teaching role over men.[21]
[1] 2 Sam 7:28; Ps. 25:10, 33:4; John 17:17; Titus 1:2-3
[2] II Tim. 3:16,17; II Pet. 1:20,21; Matt. 5:18; Jn. 16:12,13; I Cor. 2:13
[3] Heb. 1:1-3; Lk. 24:44-53; I Jn. 1:1-4
[4] I Pet 1:3-7; Rev. 21:1-8
[5] Gen. 1:26,27; 11:7; Deut. 6:4; Isa. 6:3-8; II Cor. 13:14; Matt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-5; I Cor. 8:6
[6] Gen. 1:26-31; 2:7; 5:1-2; 9:6; Ps. 100:3; 119:73; Is. 43:7; 45:12; Acts 17:26; I Cor. 11:7; Jas. 3:9; Rom.
3:22-23; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3,12
[7] Eph. 1:7; 2:8-9; Jn. 1:12; I Pet. 1:13,19
[8] Eph. 2:1-9; Rom. 8:15, 18-21, 28-30, Ez. 36:24-27
[9] Jas. 2:20; Eph. 2:10; Tit. 2:11-14; I John
[10] Eph. 1:22,23; 5:25-27; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 12;2
[11] Acts 14:27; 20:17; 28-32; I Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-11
[12] Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8; Rom. 10; II Cor. 5:19,20; Matt. 28:18-20
[13] I Thess. 4:13-18; Tit. 2:11-13; I Pet. 1:3-7; I Thess. 5:1,2; Mat. 7:21-23; Rev. 20:11-15
[14] Matt. 25:46; Jn. 5:28,29; Rev. 20:5,6,12,13
[15] Lk. 23:42; Rev. 20:4-6; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16,17
[16] Lk. 16:19-26; Matt. 25:4-26; II Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6,7
[17] Ps. 51:5; 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5; Mat. 1:18; Lk. 1:31, 34-36
[18] Gen. 2:23-24; Mat. 19:4-6; I Tim. 3:2
[19] Gen 1:27-28; 9:1
[20] Eph. 5:22-32
[21] I Cor. 14:34-36; Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18-19; I Pet. 3:1; I Tim. 2:11-15
[2] II Tim. 3:16,17; II Pet. 1:20,21; Matt. 5:18; Jn. 16:12,13; I Cor. 2:13
[3] Heb. 1:1-3; Lk. 24:44-53; I Jn. 1:1-4
[4] I Pet 1:3-7; Rev. 21:1-8
[5] Gen. 1:26,27; 11:7; Deut. 6:4; Isa. 6:3-8; II Cor. 13:14; Matt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-5; I Cor. 8:6
[6] Gen. 1:26-31; 2:7; 5:1-2; 9:6; Ps. 100:3; 119:73; Is. 43:7; 45:12; Acts 17:26; I Cor. 11:7; Jas. 3:9; Rom.
3:22-23; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3,12
[7] Eph. 1:7; 2:8-9; Jn. 1:12; I Pet. 1:13,19
[8] Eph. 2:1-9; Rom. 8:15, 18-21, 28-30, Ez. 36:24-27
[9] Jas. 2:20; Eph. 2:10; Tit. 2:11-14; I John
[10] Eph. 1:22,23; 5:25-27; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 12;2
[11] Acts 14:27; 20:17; 28-32; I Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-11
[12] Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8; Rom. 10; II Cor. 5:19,20; Matt. 28:18-20
[13] I Thess. 4:13-18; Tit. 2:11-13; I Pet. 1:3-7; I Thess. 5:1,2; Mat. 7:21-23; Rev. 20:11-15
[14] Matt. 25:46; Jn. 5:28,29; Rev. 20:5,6,12,13
[15] Lk. 23:42; Rev. 20:4-6; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16,17
[16] Lk. 16:19-26; Matt. 25:4-26; II Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6,7
[17] Ps. 51:5; 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5; Mat. 1:18; Lk. 1:31, 34-36
[18] Gen. 2:23-24; Mat. 19:4-6; I Tim. 3:2
[19] Gen 1:27-28; 9:1
[20] Eph. 5:22-32
[21] I Cor. 14:34-36; Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18-19; I Pet. 3:1; I Tim. 2:11-15