Our Statement of Religious Faith and Convictions

Statement of Faith

• We Believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
• We Believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• We Believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
• We Believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
• We Believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
• We Believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
• We Believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Convictions

Holy Scripture: Believing that the Holy Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error or omission, written by men under the inspiration of the

Holy Spirit: Believing in the verbally inspired Word of God, not merely the thoughts and concepts. The Bible is and shall remain to the end of the age the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man and the supreme standard by which all Christians should conduct themselves. (Matthew 23:35, Romans 15:4, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Timothy 3:16, Revelations 22:18-19)

Race and Ethnicity: Believing in a biblical view of human nature, we affirm that all people are made in the image of God and are consequently worthy of respect. Scripture also states that Christ has “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and
… made them a kingdom and priests to our God.” Therefore, we look at the value of all persons through the lens of biblical truth as image bearers who can have a new identity in Christ. (Genesis 1:26,27; Ephesians 1-2; Revelation 5:9,10)

Sex and Gender: In affirming “traditional family values” in our Strategic Priorities, we mean what Bible-believing Christians have always meant, that God created human beings in His image as male and female, that He ordained that marriage is to be between a man (biological
male) and a woman (biological female) for life, and that sexual intimacy is exclusively for marriage. (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:22-33; Revelation 19:7-9)

The Church and its Ministries: The purpose of the Church at Meeker is to follow the commission of our Lord in Matthew 28:18-20 to make disciples, baptize them and teach them the ordinances, truths as well as doctrines in the Bible; to promote evangelism at home and
abroad; to seek the spiritual improvement of its members through the Gospel of Jesus Christ; to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to charitably aid each other and our community in sickness and distress; and to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech.

The Gospel: As evangelicals, we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The term “evangelical” comes from the Greek word euangelion, meaning “the good news” or the “gospel.” Thus, the evangelical faith focuses on the “good news” of salvation brought to sinners through
Jesus Christ. We have a biblical mandate to share this good news everywhere. We also understand the language of being “saved” in our Statement of Faith to mean that we are saved (i.e., justified) by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and that true faith will show
itself in good works. (Romans 3:21-28; Romans 5:1; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-10)

Christ-centered Education: We believe that each child is a unique and special gift from God and should be encouraged to progress at his or her own rate of speed toward enriched experiences, self-discipline, and the ability to make good choices. Our goal is to provide an early education program that develops the whole child by providing a preschool experience of lasting value with biblical values and principles woven throughout.

1. 1. Spiritually: by providing a Bible time, and by integrating a biblical worldview throughout the curriculum and learning environment. We model Christ-centered character qualities through the love of our staff and the responses given to the children in our care. Bible stories, songs, and prayer give children an awareness of God’s love for them.
   2. Socially / Emotionally: by encouraging whole group participation activities, getting along with others, and developing a feeling of security and belonging.
   3. Cognitively: by encouraging an enthusiasm for learning through exploring and hands-on experiences.
   4. Creatively: by encouraging the exploration of art mediums, creative experiences, and music.
   5. Physically: by encouraging experiences that will develop large and small muscle coordination and motor skills.

These Statements of Faith and Convictions are neither a substitute for, nor a supplement to, the Word of God. It is simply a review as they apply to practical matters and a guide to aid in the application of biblical principles. The Word of God shall be the first and final authority on all matters. Any questions regarding the above statements should be addressed politely with The Church at Meeker Board Members.