Statement of Faith

We believe that the Bible is inspired by God and our final authority for faith and life. We believe in one God, our Creator and Sustainer, who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe that man was created in the image of God. He sinned, however, and as a result, decay, physical death, and spiritual death (separation from God) have passed down to all men. We believe that all men are born with a sinful nature and can only be saved from it through the work of Christ by the grace of God.

We believe that Christ died for our sins as our substitute. Those who believe in Him are declared righteous by God on the basis of His blood shed on the cross.

We believe that the Holy Spirit makes us aware of our need for Christ, enables us to believe in Him, and indwells us upon believing to assure us of our relationship to Christ and our hope of eternal life. The Holy Spirit also empowers us to lead holy lives.

We believe in the personal, visible return of Jesus Christ at the end of this age.

We believe in the future bodily resurrection. The saved will enjoy everlasting blessedness. The unsaved face eternal punishment.

Distinctive Characteristics

A number of characteristics distinguish us from many other churches.

• Plurality of leadership. A board of elders is responsible for the spiritual life of the fellowship, and a board of deacons is responsible for the practical needs of the body.
  Priesthood of all believers. We do not distinguish between clergy and laity, but believe the Holy Spirit imparts spiritual gifts to all believers for the effective working of the local body (Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Peter 2:5,9; Rev. 1:6).

• Worship Service. A central focus of the worship at Countryside is the Lord’s Supper. We observe it weekly as a time of sharing from the Scriptures, praying and singing that is centered around the person and work of Jesus Christ and the salvation that He provided through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. We partake of the emblems of bread and wine, representing the body and blood of the Lord Jesus sacrificed for our sins. It is open to every believer who is not openly or willfully living in sin (1 Cor. 12:23-34). Following the Lord’s Supper is teaching from the Word. (Childcare is available.)

• Autonomy of the local church. We are not aligned with a denomination and our only head is Christ (Eph. 1:22-23, 5:23).