BELIEFS & VISION
Our Mission
To glorify Jesus Christ and magnify His gospel in all of life until He comes.
We are a church who exalts Jesus Christ as The Way, The Truth, and The Life; therefore, our mission is to make Christ the very center of our lives with an allegiance of faith to Him in word and deed. Because we believe that God has made power for change available through Jesus Christ, we want to make room for His Gospel to transform our lives as it is the only means for getting right with God and living righteously before Him. We aim to be a body of believers who are marked by everything that Jesus wants; assimilating His wisdom for living and applying it to everything we do, are, and have. While we eagerly await for Christ’s return, we want to maximize existing opportunities and create new ones to spread His Gospel and reign in hearts through local and foreign missions.
Statement of Faith
We believe in the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired by God, and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14; Luke 3:22)
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is true God and true man. (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35)
We believe man was created in the image of God, that he sinned, and thereby incurred, not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God, and that all human beings have a sin nature. Man is dead in sin and therefore helpless and incapable of advancing his spiritual position, pleasing God, or gaining salvation. Therefore, salvation must be initiated by God alone and consummated by grace alone. (Genesis 1:26-27; Colossians 3:10; Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:12; Romans 3:23; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Hebrews 9:27)
We believe that the Lord Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 1 John 2:1-2; 1 John 4:10)
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven and His present life there for us as High Priest and Advocate. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; ; 1 John 2:1-2; Hebrews 4:14-16)
We believe that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will personally return and set up His Kingdom wherein He will rule and reign in righteousness. (Daniel 2:44; 1 Corinthians 15:24)
We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, and thereby become children of God. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 16:31; 1 John 1:7)
We believe that, since salvation is a gift of God and Jesus' blood atones for past, present and future sins, the believer once saved by grace is kept secure by grace forever. (Romans 3:24; Romans 5:20-21)
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the blessedness of the saved, and the retribution of the lost. (1 Corinthians 1:5; Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:1-15)
Click here to view the constitution of the First Evangelical Church.
The Lord's Supper
Communion, or the “Lord’s Supper,” is a partaking of the bread and cup together in remembrance of Jesus’ broken body and shed blood (Matt. 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:7-23, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34). When we do so, we simultaneously look back and ahead, proclaiming the Lord’s death until He returns (1 Corinthians 11:26). The Communion elements remain as they are. They are not changed into the actual body and blood of Jesus but nor is the Table solely a memorial. Christ communicates His real spiritual presence with His people whenever we tangibly take Communion together.
First Evan practices an “open table” meaning it is the Lord’s table, not First Evan’s table. All present who know Christ as Savior are invited to participate, whether a member or not.
Baptism
Jesus commanded his disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:9). Baptism is a washing with water, symbolizing the Christian’s cleansing from the stain of sin (Acts 22:16). Just as Christ was buried and raised from the dead, Christian baptism symbolizes death to sin and resurrection to a new life in Him (Romans 6:3-4). Baptism signifies identification with Jesus Christ and his church (Ephesians 4:5, 1 Corinthians 12:13). To express your faith through baptism, please contact the church office.
Six Key Challenges
In 2022, the people and leaders of First Evan completed a rigorous church health assessment. Over 800 members were personally interviewed as well as current and former staff. A Natural Church Development survey was conducted. Numerous other means were employed.
Through these efforts, we identified six key challenges that will focus our efforts moving forward. Some of these initiatives address issues from the past, others involve reshaping the ministry to better fulfill our mission in the future. Through all six, we are committed to making the most of every opportunity to fulfill our earthly mission and to glorify Jesus.
Position Documents
The elder community of First Evangelical Church, conscientious of their role as spiritual overseers, seeks to assist our church members in forming and maintaining biblical convictions on a variety of subjects. We take time each year to study various subjects of relevance to the Body of Christ. These studies result in position papers and statements of philosophy. Listed below are the ones published to date. This is not an all-inclusive nor exhaustive list.
A Position Paper by the Elders on Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage
Key Characteristics of A Healthy Church
Matters of Life and Death: A Paper by the Elders on Bioethical Questions and Concerns for the Church