FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH EUREKA

WE BELIEVE: 

We worship the triune God of the Bible, who is eternally one God in three persons. This one, true God is most clearly revealed to us in the incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

We proclaim the Good News of the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, knowing salvation and eternal life are granted in grace to all who trust Jesus as Savior and Lord.

We believe the Bible, composed of the Old and New Testaments, is the divinely inspired Word of God, the final written authority and trustworthy for faith and practice. It is to be interpreted responsibly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit within the community of faith. The primary purpose of the Bible is to point us to Jesus.

Although we have produced numerous confessions to express our common understandings of Christian faith, we hold the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, as our final authority. We accept no humanly devised confession or creed as binding.

We affirm that God is sovereign over all and this sovereignty is expressed and realized through Jesus Christ. Therefore, we affirm the Lordship of Jesus over the world and the church. We joyously confess Jesus is Savior and Lord. We are called in loyalty to Jesus to proclaim the power of the Holy Spirit, the Good News of God’s reconciling grace, and to declare the saving power of the Gospel to every human being and to every human institution.

We practice the command of Jesus to "make disciples of all nations" and to bear witness to God’s redeeming reign in human affairs.

We are called to this mission along with all Christians. With the whole body of Christ, we also believe that God has been revealed in Jesus Christ and that "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18).

God has given this particular community of believers called Baptists a distinctive history and experience. As we share in common with Christians everywhere, so Baptists everywhere celebrate a common heritage.

Therefore:

With Baptist brothers and sisters around the world, we believe:

The Bible is the final authority and trustworthy for faith and practice. It is to be interpreted responsibly under the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit within the community of faith;

The Church is a gathered fellowship of reborn believers, a sign of the coming  reign of God;

The freedom to respond to the Lordship of Jesus in all circumstances is fundamental to the Christian gospel and to human dignity; and

Being a witness to Jesus is the ongoing task of every Christian.
Within the larger Baptist family, we emphasize convictions which direct our special task and ministry.
 

We affirm that God through Jesus Christ calls us to be:

Redeemed People Who:
Claim a personal relationship to God through His Son, Jesus;
Follow the Lord in believer’s baptism through immersion;
Gather as a church body;
Share in the Lord’s Supper regularly;
Honor the priesthood of all believers; and
Live our faith as visible saints.

Biblical People Who:
Affirm the centrality of Scripture in our lives;
Pursue the study of God’s inspired Word as a mandate for faith and practice;
Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the understanding of Scripture;
Respect the interpretation of Scripture within the community of believers;
Submit to the teaching of Scripture that God's design for sexual intimacy is within the context of marriage between one man and one woman; and
Acknowledge the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Biblical teaching.

Worshiping People Who:
Gather regularly to praise God;
Receive communion in remembrance of Jesus;
Share an open and public confession of faith; and
Believe personal devotion brings vitality to corporate celebration.

Mission Centered People Who:
Strive to fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples;
Invite people to receive salvation and follow Jesus;
Engage in educational, social, and health ministries;
Seek justice for all people; and
Provide prayer and financial support to sustain a local and worldwide mission-outreach.

A Caring People Who:
Care for the needy, the weak, and the oppressed.

A Grounded People Who:
Have a remembrance of the past and a vision for the future;
Are committed to religious liberty and to the separation of church and state; and
Trust the Holy Spirit for insight and power to live in the present.