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Our Beliefs
NORTHBRIDGE AFFIRMS A CORE CONFESSION OF CONVICTIONS IN COMMON WITH THE CREEDS OF THE EARLY CHURCH, THE CONFESSIONS OF THE REFORMATION AND ALL CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS.
1. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, truth without error, clear and powerful in its message, sufficient for all of our needs, and the final authority for faith and life.
2. We believe in the triune God --- Father, Son and Holy Spirit --- who is holy, just, loving, good, wise and almighty; who has created all things by his word out of nothing, who sustains, provides for and rules all things, who is our only Redeemer and who will judge all people.
3. We believe that God directly created Adam and Eve as the historical parents of the human race, distinct from the rest of creation, in His image and likeness for fellowship with Himself and to carry out the creation mandates. Their union as man and woman models God's design for marriage and perpetually stands as God's loving and righteous will for all sexual intimacy. Out of this marriage union of man and woman God gives children as a blessing from the Lord. Thus all human life is sacred and worthy of protection from the moment of conception.
4. We believe that our first parents forfeited their original righteousness when they succumbed to Satan's temptation and rebelled against God's revealed will. As a result, every human is born in sin, leaving us totally depraved alienated from God and destined to spiritual and physical death. As such our sinful ways have corrupted God's creation, resulting in discord to society and nature.
5. We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who added full humanity to his perfect deity, obeyed God perfectly, died for our sins on the cross, rose again to defeat Satan, returned to heaven to pour out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and to intercede for his people.
6. We believe that the triune God has provided a great salvation for those who repent of their sins and trust Christ and his finished work; that he calls, regenerates, justifies, forgives, adopts, sanctifies, keeps and will glorify them.
7. We believe in the Holy Spirit who has been sent to complete and perfect in us all of the works that Jesus did for us. He convicts of sin, regenerates, sanctifies us, gifts us for ministry and assures us of our salvation.
8. We believe in the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the bodily resurrection and final judgment of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting, conscious punishment of the lost.
WHILE MANY FELLOW CHRISTIANS AFFIRM THE ABOVE TRUTHS, WE AFFIRM THEM FROM WITHIN THE REFORMED AND DISTINCTLY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL TRADITION AS DEVELOPED AT THE END OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AND AS REFLECTED IN THE FOLLOWING BELIEFS.
1. We believe that the Church is a new people of God born at Pentecost, distinct from Israel, and manifest in local congregations of baptized believers who are committed to carrying out the great commission.
2. We believe that Jesus gave two ordinances to the church, baptism of believers by immersion and the Lord's Supper.
3. We believe in the autonomy of the local congregation, the priesthood of all believers and leadership by elected pastors and deacons.
4. We believe in the continued expression of the spiritual gifts. The more demonstrative or "sign gifts" such as healing, raising the dead and speaking in tongues were essentially given for the authentication of the apostolic generation and are not normative for today.
5. We believe that civil government is of divine appointment and that we are responsible for being good citizens. However, should civil government command us to violate God's Word, we must obey God rather than man.
6. We believe in the reality of Satan and his kingdom of darkness, and that our confrontation with Satan demands belief and trust in God and the practical use of Scripture and other resources God has made available to us.
7. We believe that God has appointed a day, time and way, which only He knows that will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord. Until that day, we are to be watchful, ready, and preparing for His return.
Member’s Covenant
With the guiding help of the Holy Spirit, the membership covenant the following:
1. To Gather.
I am a Christian who has been saved from my sins by the grace of Jesus Christ. I have been baptized to give testimony of my identification with the body of Christ & obedience to the Scriptures. My journey in Christ will be evident through my regular participation in the corporate worship services and involvement in a Covenant Group (Ps. 119:97, 10:51; Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:23-25).
I covenant to submit to the authority of the Scriptures as the final arbiter on all issues (Psalm 119, 2 Tim. 3:16-17). I covenant to follow the biblical procedures of church discipline, and submit myself to discipline if the need should ever arise (Matt. 18:15-17,Gal. 6:1-5).
I covenant to have friendly Christian relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ from other churches, but I will not function in leadership or as a member in another church family (Hebrews 13:17).
2. To Grow in my relationship with God.
I will endeavor to maintain a close relationship with the Lord through regular personal Bible reading, prayer, fellowship and practice of the other spiritual disciplines. I have read and understood the Statement of Faith and agree to not be divisive to its teaching. I also understand the importance of submission to church leadership and will be diligent to preserve unity and peace (Hebrews 13:7, 17; Ephesians 4:1-3)
3. To Give of my resources for God’s work.
I will strive to properly manage the resources God has given me, including my time, body, gifts and talents, attitudes, finances and possessions (Eph.5:15-18; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:1-16; Gal 5:22-26; Proverbs 3:9-10). This includes regular giving to Northbridge that is sacrificial and cheerful (2 Corinthians 8&9). I commit to using the spiritual gift(s) God has given me for the building up of the church, both at Northbridge and universally (I Pt. 4:10-11; Romans 12:1-8, 1 Corinthians 12:7-31)
4. To Gain friendships with lost people and disciple them to Jesus.
I covenant to practice the humility and sacrificial attitude of Christ by considering the needs of others (Philippians 2:1-11), not gossiping (Pr. 16:28, Matt.18: 15-17), and actively seeking spiritual friendships for the purpose of discipleship Matthew 28:19-20, Pr. 17:17).
Covenant Agreement
I commit myself to the Northbridge Church family and agree to aid in fulfilling its missional purpose to both be and bring the gospel to our community. God enabling me, I will strive to consider my commitment to this Membership Covenant on a yearly basis. I understand that it is a self-evaluative tool, as well as an affirmation of my continuing conviction and purpose. My responsibility will be to notify the Northbridge leadership if at any time I can no longer commit to this covenant, or if I have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding Northbridge Church.