There is only one God, the Creator of all life and the ruler of the universe. God shows Himself as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God loves us more than we can imagine and passionately desires a relationship with us. He sent His son, Jesus, to make us holy and free us from the power of sin. 

Genesis 1:26-27; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:13-17; John 3:16; Romans 1:18-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:6

The Bible is the history of God’s relationship with people, written by human beings working under God’s direction. It is the ultimate truth for all people. It tells us how to conduct our lives as God’s creation and as members of His family. 

Psalm 19:7-11; 119:105; John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21

God came to earth in human form as Jesus Christ, who is the one and only Son. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified for the sins of us all, was buried, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven. He is the only one who can restore our broken relationship with God the Father. 

John 14:1-3; Acts 10:42-43; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Galatians 4:3-5; Colossians 1:13-23; 2:8-14; 1Thessalonians 4:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-3

The Holy Spirit dwells inside all who have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit ensured that God’s message was accurately preserved in the Bible. He is also our daily helper and guide. He teaches, comforts, and empowers his followers with a variety of abilities. He promotes unity, Christlike character and love. 

John 14:16-17 26; Acts 2:38; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 3:16-20

We are all created by God, in His spiritual likeness, to live in an eternal relationship with Him. God also gave us free will—the ability to choose to have this relationship with Him or not. Through sin, everyone breaks their intended relationship with God. We experience the destructive consequences of that broken relationship in this life and beyond. God offers a wonderful alternative—salvation. 

Genesis 1:26-27; Joshua 24:14-16; Psalm 119:73; 139:13-16; John 3:16; Ephesians 1:4-5; 1 John 3:4-10

We believe salvation comes from God’s grace and not our works. Baptism is a central part of a person’s conversion to Christ. Something beyond words happens in baptism that closes the door on our old life and opens the door to our new life that is filled with the Spirit of God and immersed in his grace. We openly extend the opportunity to join God in the waters of baptism because it is pleasing to him. 

Matthew 28:19-20; Galatians 3:27; Acts 2:38; John 3:5; Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17

There is nothing we can do to deserve or earn our relationship with God. It is a gift of God’s love. We receive this gift (grace) through faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ. Faith involves confessing to others that Jesus is Lord and believing that God raised Him from the dead. Faith involves the changing of our heart and life to please God (repentance). Faith involves being immersed in water (baptism) to personally share in Christ’s saving actions removing our sin, giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit and making us a part of God’s family. 

John 1 16:17; Acts 2:38 & 15:8-11; Romans 3:21-28; 6:23; 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 1:18

Another term for God’s family is the church, which is the community of everyone who has been saved by Christ. They can be recognized by their commitment to following Christ, their love for God’s family, and their service to their community and the world. God’s family shares the good news of Jesus with others. Westover church is a local expression of God’s family. We assemble as a part of our worship to God. 

Matthew 16:15-16; John 13:34-35; 17:20-23; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Revelation 2:3

We worship God to please Him, not ourselves. Each Sunday we gather to remember Christ’s death and resurrection by participating in the Lord’s Supper. Assemblies are also important times for family members to encourage each other. Our daily walk with Him is also worship as we respond to what God has done for us through Jesus. We worship Him by caring for others and being the presence of Jesus in the world.

Mark 7:6-7; John 4:23-24; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29; Romans 12:1; Hebrews 10:5-7; 13:15-16; James 1:27; 1 Peter 2:5

We believe that God created each person in His image. We are born biologically different, male or female, and each person bears the image of God in a beautiful and unique way. We believe that God created man and woman to complement each other and established marriage as a sacred covenant before God between one man and one woman for life. This marriage covenant was confirmed by Jesus in scripture where He says that a man and woman are united so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.  We believe that sexual activity is a blessing and sacred gift given by God that is only to be experienced and celebrated within this covenantal relationship of marriage between a wife and a husband. We also believe that God established the value of each individual, and we recognize that remaining single is an equally holy pursuit.

Genesis 1:27-31; Genesis 2:21-24; Matthew 19:3-6; Mark 10:6-9; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 7:2-8; Ephesians 5:31-32; Hebrews 13:4