OPENING STATEMENT

Next to the list of absolute beliefs you will find below we also think it is very important that everyone learns to discover what “they” really believe. Connections Church is firm about what it stands for in the biblical sense but we also believe our vision has to remain flexible because it is growing in another sense. The people of Connections make up the whole so a big goal for us is to encourage people to find out what they believe and how that then can help our church follow and obey the Lord’s mandate for us. Don’t just check to see if you like what Connections is all about but rather look to find out if we are the right description for where God wants you to put your beliefs into action.

GENERAL BELIEFS
  1. Jesus Christ
    Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our Lord and Savior and our love for Him causes us to worship Him in Spirit and Truth. He’s alive and He’s fantastic! It is our desire to serve Him with all our might. We are not special people, only people who love a special God. The God we serve has an incredible love for every person on planet earth, and it is His sacrificial love for every person that is our inspiration and pattern for living.
  2. The Holy Spirit
    With our desire to give God our best, comes excitement and exuberance in our church meetings and event planning strategies. We are eager to allow the Holy Spirit to meet people, wherever they may be in life. Some may call us radical. However, we believe that the mighty Holy Spirit is present in the world, and in the hearts of born again believers, having been sent by Jesus Christ Himself. Because of this, church is the most exciting place in town! The Holy Spirit is a person, and is here to help us pray effectively, heal the sick, free those who are oppressed and bring salvation to the lost. It is through His power and a continuing personal relationship with God the Father and other believers that people reach their true and greatest potential in life.
  3. The Bible
    Connections Church holds the Bible and the Bible alone to be the literal inspired Word of God. It is our textbook for life itself and inspires an unshakable faith in a God who never leaves nor forsakes us. Maintaining a high level of Gods’ word in our daily lives energizes us spiritually and drives us to greater levels of readiness to succeed in the things He calls us to do.
  4. The Church
    We do not believe Connections is the only true church, but just one really important part of the body of worldwide Christians who belong to Jesus Christ. We believe in building the Kingdom of God by working closely within our own ranks and networking with other genuine believers and churches. Godly leadership builds the church as it follows Jesus closely.
  5. The Enemy
    Our only real enemies are Satan, Sin and Superficiality. We hate sin because it separates people from experiencing the love God has for them! It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit that these can be effectively dealt with in an individual’s life. Spiritual superficiality is the act of professing Christianity without character, passion and obedience to the faith. God has called us to be people of conviction and integrity and we believe that by the grace of God we can live a blameless life. Both of these evils originated with Satan who aims to exalt himself at the expense of stealing, killing & destroying others. The Bible says, “…but the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8) This is Good News!
  6. Who can come to Connections Church?
    In a word-anyone! You, your family, your friends, even the more challenging people in your life-anyone is welcome here. People of different occupations, race, color and creed find a spiritual home in this church. We believe there are no barriers, which cannot be bridged through the love of God. Your life could be forever changed when you attend Connections!
  7. Our Purpose
    According to scripture, we are the “Body” of Christ, being individual members of a great spiritual collective among mankind. The Gospel of Jesus Christ as we carry and display it, is the greatest tool for effectively reaching AND developing people to be great and do great things! Therefore, we believe our local purpose is dual in nature. Until Jesus returns, as our name suggests, we are committed to first “connecting” people with God and then through Him to one another! This means we must work at providing an alternative for people who are looking for more than mere traditional forms, religious services and who desire real, fulfilling spiritual experiences.We invite God’s people to seek genuine Christian expression with us through our ongoing gatherings for worship, biblically-based research and teaching, spontaneous preaching, prayer, fellowship, evangelism, Christian discipleship and spiritual gift development and spiritual readiness preparation/warfare. For the sake of truly reaching these goals we encourage the practice of personal accountability and corporate participation in something larger than self.Out of this vision we believe many other kinds of visions, ministries and even churches will emerge through the lives of those the Lord uses us to teach, train and equip to follow Him. We are completely committed to following both the natural and supernatural means Jesus uses in building His church. There is room for both large dreams and specific detail within our vision, new and old concepts, radical and conservative strategies, creative and administrative roles.This church is also dedicated to giving believers access to the multiple and diverse kinds ministries the Bible describes as necessary for true spiritual growth. Because we are independent but work within an interdependent, connectional system of churches and ministries the people at Connections Church continuously interact with quality and proven ministers of God from both within our movement and without.
  8. Oversight
    Connections Church is driven by the leadership of a pastor who is accountable to elders both outside of and within the church itself. It is closely connected to TORCH Ministries in the United States as well as being a part of the Global Connexions International network of churches. From this foundation we use the anointing God has given us to extend, establish, and build the Kingdom of God through the primary vehicle of people building. Again, we also work with other genuine believers, churches and ministries in non-controlling ways wherever we encounter them. Even as a church our specific vision is driven by our commitment to always remain a vital part of the larger Christian world. Experience teaches us that humility and submission to godly authority allows us to win more victories and have more fun than by standing alone!
DOCTRINAL POSITION

Doctrines of the Christian Faith

We hold to the following foundational beliefs found in God’s Word:

  1. The Scriptures Inspired
  2. The One True God
  3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
  4. The Fall of Man
  5. The Salvation of Man
  6. The Ordinances of the Church
  7. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
  8. The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
  9. Sanctification
  10. The Church and Its Mission
  11. The Ministry
  12. Divine Healing
  13. The Blessed Hope
  14. 1The Millennial Reign of Christ
  15. The Final Judgment
  16. The New Heavens and the New Earth

For a more in-depth view of these Bible doctrine please refer to: http://ag.org/top/Beliefs/Statement_of_fundamental_truths/sft_full.cfm#7

Biblical Inerrancy

For a complete definition of our view of the inspiration of the scriptures please refer to: http://www.bible-researcher.com/chicago1.html

FINAL WORDS

The hour seems late when viewed through the Bible and current events but we intend to take our generation for Christ and then keep passing on the keys of our success to whatever generations are yet to come. Life is short, it is important to know what you believe and where you belong in God’s grand scheme of things. We hope your interest in the Connections Church experience leads you to joining us in the exciting process of doing church a whole new way! If not, be blessed in your pursuit of Jesus and stay ready, He is coming quickly!!