We believe in the only true and living God who exists without beginning or end as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is the creator of all that is known and unknown, and his knowledge and will for all people and all creation is completely wise and good. Everything belongs to God and is under his control.
We believe God uniquely reveals himself to us through the Bible. It is entirely trustworthy and is the authoritative guide for Christian living.
We believe that all people are made in God’s image and exist for his pleasure. Even though God wants an intimate relationship with each of us, everyone rebels against God, breaks his or her relationship with God, and becomes a slave to sin, which brings spiritual death.
We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came and lived on this earth. He was tempted in every way, just as we are, but he did not sin. Even so, he willingly took the punishment for our sin, suffering and dying in our place. On the third day after being crucified, God raised him from the dead, and Jesus is now in heaven where he serves as mediator between God and all people.
Through the Holy Spirit and relying only on God’s grace, people are able to acknowledge and turn from their sin, believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and follow him as Lord. Those who accept God’s gift of salvation will live with him forever and their salvation will be complete, while those who do not accept God’s gift of salvation wil be eternally separated from him, which is hell.
We believe that the church, being nurtured and sustained by worship, by the teaching and study of God’s word, and by fellowship together, is commissioned to reach out in Christ-like service and share with all people what God has done for us. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were instituted by Christ for the church and are signs and testimonies of God’s covenant of grace.
Though the Bible doesn’t provide us with a straightforward listing of what exactly happens when a person is baptized, it offers a substantial amount of information about baptism through the context of various stories and discussions that were taking place when the Bible was written. In Romans 6:3-8, 1 Peter 3:18-21, Galatians 3:26-29, and Acts 2:38-39 we see that baptism unites us with Christ and each other, tearing down all that separates us, saves us by Christ’s power, offers an appeal to God from a clean conscience, serves as a vessel for the Spirit to empower us as we also turn from our sins and turn to God.
Since there is not a single biblical way to do baptism, we are not limited to a single way of doing it. We are free to practice baptism is many ways as long as care is taken to practice it with integrity and in a manner that is consistent with what the Bible does teach about it. Just as John the Baptist baptized Jesus, at New Hope Community Church, we have chosen to practice water immersion baptism whenever possible. Though we do have a set way of doing things, it is important to us that it is clear that we do not see our way as being the only “acceptable” way.
It is simply what we believe will best help us carry out our mission while staying true to Scripture. We believe churches that practice baptism differently can still do so with integrity. Because of this, if someone has already been baptized and wishes to become a part of New Hope, we will gladly honor that baptism regardless of when it was done or what method was used.