What We Believe

BIBLE

Every word in the original writings of the Old and New Testaments is inspired by God and without error. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; Matt. 5:17-18)

GOD

God exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God. (Gen. 1:1; Matt.28:19-20; John 1:15; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:15)

MAN

Man was created in the image and likeness of God, but in Adam all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners, hopelessly sinful in themselves, apart from the grace of God. (Gen.1:26; Rom. 3:23 & 5:12; Eph. 2:1-10)

JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God incarnate, being born of the Virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully Man. (John 1:1, 14, 18; John 5:18; Heb. 1:1-9 & 5:8; 1 John 5:20; 1 Tim. 2:5)

SALVATION

Salvation is received by faith alone in Christ, who died for our sins and rose again. (Acts 4:12 & 13:38-39; 1 Cor. 15:14; Rom. 4:4-5 & 5:1; John 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 16:31)

ASSURANCE

All who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ can have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ. (Rom. 5:1; John 5:13; Eph. 4:30; John 10:27-29 & 17:12; John 6:37)

ORDINANCES

The Scriptural ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are for all believers in Christ. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 8:12, 36-38; Acts 9:18 & 10:47; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)

HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Godhead, who regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all believers in Christ and enables them to live the holy life God desires for his children. (John 14:16-17 & 16:7-15; 1 Cor. 3:16 & 12:13; Eph. 1:13-14 & 4:30; Gal. 5:16, 25)

CHURCH

The Church is composed of all those who have personally trusted Christ as Savior in this present age and is the Body & Bride of Christ and exists in two aspects, universal and local. Its mission is to witness to its Head, Jesus Christ, gather for worship, serve all men, and preach the gospel among all nations. (Eph. 1:22-23 & 5:24-30; 1 Cor. 12:4-13, 27; Matt. 28:19-20)

CHRIST'S COMING

We look forward to the imminent return of Christ, called the rapture. This blessed hope of Christ’s return for His Church will be followed by the great tribulation, the second coming of Christ, the establishment of the millennial reign of Christ, the eternal state of punishment for the unsaved, and the eternal state of blessing for the saved. (1 Thes. 1:10, 4:16-18 & 5:4-10; John 14:1-3; Rev. 19:11-16 & 20:6)

ETERNAL STATE

There is an eternal state of punishment for the unsaved called Hell (Rev. 20:11-15), and an eternal state of blessing for the saved called Heaven (Rev. 21:1-8).

SIGN GIFTS

Maplewood has thoroughly described its stance regarding the sign gifts. Please click on the link for this document.

GOD'S WORD

We are committed to studying and living out the truths of Scripture. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

PRAYER

Prayer is vital to the spiritual health and growth of the individual and the Church. (James 5:16b)

WORSHIP

We strive to glorify God in our daily lives, both individually and as a church body. (Romans 12:1)

PRAYER

Prayer is vital to the spiritual health and growth of the individual and the Church. (James 5:16b)

EVANGELISM

We love our neighbors through community outreach and world missions. (Matthew 18:14)

SERVICE

We strive to use the gifts God has given us to minister to the needs of others. (1 Peter 4:10)

STEWARDSHIP

We endeavor to diligently and faithfully care for all that God has entrusted to us. (Luke 16:10-11)

FELLOWSHIP

We choose to love, encourage, and enjoy one another as a family. (Acts 2:42)

Ourour

We dream of being the place in our community where all people--the downcast, the successful, the young, the old, and the broken--can find the life-changing truth of God's Word and experience the power of His love. We desire that love to be lived out and visible among our people in such an impactful way that those in our community can't help but be drawn to it. We dream to be a people whose hearts burn with desire to see everyone in eastern Pettis County and beyond have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We dream of actively sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with thousands. We dream to be known in our community for our unconditional love and generosity. We dream of a welcoming, peaceful campus where the weary and heavy-laden come to find God's rest and experience His presence. We dream of being a people devoted to prayer which directs, sustains, and empowers all that we do and dream. We want to be rooted in the promises of God's Word and continually growing in our knowledge of God through the study of the Scriptures. We want to be a people who see other people through the eyes of Christ. We want to see our people growing spiritually together so we continually look like our Savior and King Jesus Christ, despite all of the distractions of this world. We dream of equipping our people to minister effectively to one another and the community. We desire to exhibit the character of Christ in all of our actions, and help mold generations of God-fearing men and women who love and are captivated by Christ, are devoted to His Word, practice His principles, and shine like a lighthouse in a sea of change.