What We Believe

The following are statements of the foundational theological beliefs of the leadership at New Choices Fellowship. These beliefs are based  entirely in our understanding of the Bible, which we accept as God’s inspired Word. If you believe something different, please know you will still find acceptance, respect and a warm welcome here.

God the Father

We believe God exists and He exists eternally. He is the creator of the universe and possesses unlimited power and wisdom. We believe God is loving and His intentions towards all people are good. He deeply loves all individuals and desires an intimate relationship with them. We believe He sacrificed His Son in order to make possible this relationship between Himself and us.

Jesus

We believe Jesus was and is God the Son. He took on the form of man to rescue His lost creation. This was accomplished through His personal death and sacrifice. Jesus’ death was the ultimate demonstration of God’s love and unconditional acceptance of us. His death was substitutionary, meaning He accepted on Himself the payment for all of our wrongs, although He was without sin. We believe He was resurrected from death, He lives today to intercede for us and to reside with His children eternally.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity, God Himself. The Holy Spirit prompts the individual to act and think according to His will. The Spirit works within the lives of non-believers to call them to Himself. He continues to work in the lives of believers to lead them toward spiritual growth. He takes up residence in the life of every believer. He comforts us, guides us, teaches us and empowers us. He is God living within us and through us, animating the lives of those who give themselves fully to His direction and guidance.

The Bible

We believe the Bible provides Christians, and the Church, with a legitimate basis for their belief and practice. The Bible is God’s Word, and when we read it, it is a living word that is speaking directly to us. The Bible contains the thoughts and ideas of God, which He chose to record through human authors, inspired directly by God’s Spirit. This is not to say that sincere, well meaning and Spirit-guided believers will never disagree about the exact meaning of a passage. It is to say, however, that all discussions related to doctrine or action must be rooted in God’s Word.

Salvation

“Salvation” is a Biblical term that means every individual has a need to be rescued from their condition; being apart from God. The Bible describes this condition as “sin” or removal from God by definition. This is a state of feeling removed from God, by either actively or passively excluding Him from one’s life. To claim Jesus as your “Savior”, or rescuer from sin, is to recognize the need to be saved from earthly and eternal consequences of your sin. Only through a personal relationship with Jesus can you be saved. This salvation occurs when we decide to enter into a loving relationship with Christ, acknowledging Him through faith as our redeemer.

The Church’s Mission

The church exists for two purposes, mandated by Christ at the time of His departure into Heaven. These two purposes are: 1) Make disciples, which means to share with others the good news of Christ and to encourage them to enter into relationships with Him. 2) Teach the disciples to observe the instructions of God’s Word. These overriding goals are achieved through a variety of means including fellowship, loving kindness, and service to the world.

The church’s mission is a spiritual one. It is not primarily a moral mission. The church is to guide disciples in their walk with God, our purpose is to help them find a deep and preserved relationship with their Savior in Christ. Likewise, the mission is not a political one. To strive for a political agenda through political power is to misunderstand the function of God’s Kingdom. We encourage you to ask the leadership at New Choices Fellowship about its stand on these beliefs, or any other questions you might have. We respect your inquiries, value your opinions and will be happy to enter into friendly dialogue with you about our beliefs or yours.