Mission: To be a church that loves God, His Word, His people, and His world
We carry out this mission when we:
Love God: We worship Christ alone, who loved us first. We love God above all others because He is not only our Creator, but also our Savior, who is worthy of all adoration, honor, praise, and glory; we demonstrate our love by public & private worship and by our obedience to His Word (see John 14:15, 23-24; 1 John 5:3)
Love God’s Word: We know Scripture to be the very Word of God, and believe it is important to read, know, cherish, and serve as the foundation of our worship and conduct; Scripture helps us develop our faith and comforts us in all circumstances (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:97; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Col. 3:16)
Love God’s People: When we accept Christ, we become part of one body, the Church, made up of believers from all nations and of all time, and we are to love, support, teach, and labor together; as believers, we are called to gather together locally that we may worship, grow, and serve together (1 Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 4:1-6; 1 John 4:20-21)
Love God’s World: As Christians, we are given the task by Jesus to share the Gospel to all people, local and global, by word and deed that they may know the love and truth of Christ; even as the world rejects us and our Message, we continue to share the Gospel and demonstrate the love of Christ as we seek its welfare. (see Luke 6:27-36; Rom. 12:14-21; Gal. 6:10)
What We Believe
At Oakhill Church, we are excited about our faith. We believe that to grow in our love of Jesus, we should also grow in our understanding of Him. Therefore, we take Scripture seriously and apply our understanding of it to our doctrinal views and to practical theology (how we carry out our faith in our day-to-day lives). Oakhill Church is more than a gathering place: we are a community that believes strongly in doctrinal truths which bind us together as part of the Body of Christ. Here are a few doctrinal truths we believe are essential to our faith. We believe…
In One Eternal God in three distinct Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Genesis 1:2, 1:26-27; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully Man, born of the Virgin Mary – Isaiah 7:14; John 1:1, 1:14; Colossians 2:9
Jesus Christ is Lord of all and He is the ONLY way of salvation – John 14:6; Acts 4:12
Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone as stated in Scripture alone - Romans 3:23-24; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8
There are only two places for a person to immediately go after death: Heaven (for those who repent and believe in Christ) and Hell (for those who continue in their unbelief and rebellion against God) – Matthew 7:13-14, 10:28; Luke 3:17; John 14:1-6
A follower of Christ is to deny himself/herself, pick up his/her cross, and follow Jesus – Matthew 10:38; Luke 9:23
Scripture is the final authority for the Christian, being inerrant, infallible, inspired, and irreplaceable – Psalm 119:105; II Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21
There is one people of God, united by the Spirit in Christ – 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 4:4-6
Every Christian has been called into discipleship, evangelism, & to serve one another in the Body of Christ – Matthew 10:38, 28:19-20; Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 12:7
Our Lord Jesus will return for His people and establish His reign on Earth forevermore - Acts 1:10-11; Titus 2:13; Revelation 21:1-4
Essentials Of Faith (as stated by the EPC)
All Scripture is self-attesting and being Truth, requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life. The infallible Word of God, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks. On this sure foundation we affirm these Essentials:
1. We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To Him be all honor, glory and praise forever!
2. Jesus Christ, the living Word, became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. On the third day He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our High Priest and Mediator.
3. The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. Indwelling our hearts, He gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.
4. Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifies them in His sight. Only such as are born of the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ become children of God and heirs of eternal life.
5. The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfecting, she awaits the return of her Lord.
6. Jesus Christ will come again to the earth—personally, visibly, and bodily—to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
7. The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations. Obedience to the Great Commission requires total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.” He calls us to a life of self-denying love and service. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
These Essentials are set forth in greater detail in the Westminster Confession of Faith.
