Statement of Faith
I. We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired by God, that they are infallible and are of supreme and final authority in faith and life.
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II. We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is truly God and truly man.
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III. We believe in one God eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
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IV. We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed.
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V. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a sinless representative and substitutionary sacrifice and that all who truly believe in Him are justified on the basis of His shed blood.
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VI. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, His ascension into Heaven and His present life there for us as High Priest and Advocate.
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​VII. We believe in “that blessed hope”, the personal return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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​VIII. We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit, and thereby become children of God.
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IX. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment of the lost.
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X. We believe in the present and ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit, and that by His indwelling, Christians are enabled to live a godly life.
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XI. We believe in the spiritual unity of all true believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Statement of Sexuality
I. We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as either male or female, and that these two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
Statement of Marriage
I. We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen. 2:18-25). We believe that marriage between one man and one woman, for life, uniquely reflects Christ’s relationship with His Church (Eph. 5:21-33). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
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II. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, or use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matt. 15:18-20; 1 Cor. 6:9-10).
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III. We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Alive on the Lakeshore as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to Alive on the Lakeshore’s members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Alive on the Lakeshore in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement of Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:14-16; 1 Thess. 5:22).
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IV. We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking his mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-11).
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V. We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Alive on the Lakeshore.
Statement on the Sanctity of Human Life
I. We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Ps. 139).
Statement of Final Authority
I. Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct
The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Alive on the Lakeshore’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our board of directors is Alive on the Lakeshore’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s application.