The Bible is God's word to us. The scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are also the church's witness to God's gracious activity in the world and in human life. The Bible is above all the record of God's saving work in and through the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In scripture and in human experience, God has revealed himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God created the world in love, provided for the needs of people, and called a special community into faithful, obedient relationship with Himself. God came among us in Jesus Christ to teach us; to forgive and overcome our sins; and to call us into lives of joyful service. God sent the Holy Spirit to bring the church into being, to empower our worship and our lives in Christ, to illuminate the Word, and to make all things new.

God has commissioned the church to be his witness in the world, and has given the church all that it needs to carry out its vocation. By proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ, by loving one another, by prayer, and by serving the poor, we fulfill our calling as God's people.

In baptism, we acknowledge the forgiveness of sins, and we are received joyfully into God's new community. In the Lord's Supper, we remember Christ's atoning sacrifice, and we rejoice in the renewing presence of Christ himself. In these sacraments, we celebrate our unity with all Christians everywhere.

We exist and serve solely by the grace of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit. God, who created us, has saved us from sin, and has equipped us to live according to his plan for human existence, in and through Jesus Christ.

Scripture declares that history is moving toward God's appointed purpose in Jesus Christ. We look in hope for the day when Christ's Lordship shall be fully revealed, when sin and suffering shall be no more, and when God's peace and goodness shall reign in every heart and in all creation.