Our Beliefs

We are passionate about helping families flourish. And — because we believe that true flourishing can only be found in Jesus — everything we do is designed to point people to Him.

  • The New Testament tells us that the earliest creed of those who committed their lives to Christ was, very simply: Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3). And we believe that this plain, yet, deeply profound declaration of faith represents the heart of what it means to be a follower of Jesus still today. Indeed, it was this creed which brought the early church together and it is this creed which will guide us into the future.

    In keeping with this belief, the doctrines and practices of TGC are guided by what are commonly described as evangelical, reformed, and baptistic traditions.

  • I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy catholic ChurchA, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

  • We believe in one God, the Father, Ruler of all, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

    And we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten from the Father before all time; Light, from Light, true God from true God; begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father, through Whom all things were made; Who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made a man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried, and rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; His kingdom shall have no end.

    And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son, Who is worshiped and glorified together with the Father and Son, and Who spoke through the Prophets.

    And we believe that there is one holy, universal and apostolic church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins, and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Core Doctrines

In 1 Corinthians 1:10, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.” 

To this end, we believe whole-hearted agreement around the following doctrines to be essential for all wishing to unite with our faith family.

Nonessentials

As a local church, we acknowledge that there are peripheral, nonessential doctrines that are important to fellow believers but may not be critical to salvation. While TGC may hold positions on these nonessentials, we will not allow these doctrines to cause division within the church. We will accept into our body those who have differing views on the nonessential doctrines but will not allow those of a different opinion to fracture the church.

Christian Sexual Ethics

We believe Scripture reveals and affirms God’s design in creation that sex is designed to be enjoyed between one biological man and one biological woman inside a covenant marriage, all else are to remain single or celibate.

For those who are unmarried, our church desires to be a place to find intimacy of relationship through the broader household of faith. For those who struggle with sexual addictions or sexual desire outside of God’s boundaries, our church desires to be a place to pursue self-denial in obedience to Christ.

  • The first person of the Trinity orders and directs all things according to His purpose and pleasure. He has created humanity to bring Him glory and honor, through His grace. While He is transcendent, He is also actively involved in His creation—offering an eternal relationship with us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
    Matthew 6:9; John 5:19-24; Ephesians 1:3-6; 2:1-10

  • Jesus Christ is both the eternal Son of God and virgin-born Son of man. Fully God, fully man, He surrendered nothing of His deity during His earthly life. His sinless, sacrificial offering on the cross satisfied the Father’s justice, offering atonement for all of humanity’s sins for all time. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His physical ascension, and His visible return back to earth to establish His earthly kingdom.
    John 1:14-18; Colossians 1:15-20

  • The Holy Spirit executes the will of God in this world through humanity by leading, guiding, filling, teaching, and convicting. The Holy Spirit is not merely an impersonal force, but is a person, displaying the qualities of personhood (intellect, emotions, and will). The Holy Spirit equips believers upon conversion by giving them gifts to be used for the building up of the church and by bearing fruit through their yielded lives.
    John 16:7-11; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 2:10 

  • We are created in the image of God, designed to enjoy an intimate relationship with Him and one another, fulfilling His will here on earth. Through Adam and Eve’s willful sin in the garden, sin entered the world and has infected all of humanity. Due to our inherent sinful nature received from our father Adam, we are separated from God, spiritually dead, and destined for physical death and an eternity removed from God.
    Genesis 1-3; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-3

  • Jesus Christ died for our sins as the only sufficient sacrifice, offering atonement for the sin of all mankind through His death, burial, and resurrection. While salvation is available to all, it is only experienced by those who receive His gracious gift by faith, apart from works. As a result of our new relationship with God through His Son, Jesus, we are called to a life of submission to the Holy Spirit, manifesting spiritual fruit, and walking in good works that God has prepared beforehand for us to do.
    John 1:12; John 3:16; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-9; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 John 5:11-13

  • Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead and a sign of his readiness to be welcomed into the family of faith.
    Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 8:35-39; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12

  • We believe every word in the original writings is inspired by God and is without error. The Word of God reveals God’s nature and will for all of humanity and is to be the foundation of faith and practice. We affirm that while God’s Word is accurate in all matters, it is not given as an end in and of itself, but rather a means to a relationship with God.
    John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21

  • All who place their faith in God through His Son, Jesus Christ, are a part of the universal body of believers known as the Church. The purpose of the local church is to lead people to Christ and bring them to maturity in Him. Members of the local church are to live lives in humble submission to other Spirit-led believers and to the God-appointed leaders of the church. TGC is an autonomous local assembly led by Jesus Christ, who directs as the head of this body through a team of appointed elders.
    Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41- 47; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Hebrews 10:24-25

  • At the end of all things, God promises to make all things new. He invites us, His followers, to join Him in this work of renewal on earth. The signs of His kingdom coming are salvation, joy, peace, justice, God’s presence, belonging, and healing.
    Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 4:18-19; Romans 14:17; Revelation 21:5