11. Baptism and the Lord's Supper
WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church: water baptism, 151. and the Lord's Supper, 152. Both are available to all believers
Beliefs
Events
1Deuteronomy 33:27; Romans 1:20; 2Psalm 95:3; Isaiah 43:15; 3Psalm 147:5; Job 11:7-9; 4James 1:17; 5John 4:24; 6Matthew 5:48; 7Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 115-16; 8Psalm 104:24; Proverbs 2:6; Isaiah 28:29; 9Exodus 33:19; Psalm 63:2; Psalm 31:19; 10Psalm 33:5; Psalm 89:14; Isaiah 30:18; 11Exodus 15:6; 121 John 4:8; 13Isaiah 43:13; 14Isaiah 45:5; 1 Corinthians 8:4; 15Psalm 42:2; Psalm 84:2; 16Jerimiah 10:10; 17John 1:18; John 10:30; John 14:9; John 14:16-17; John 14:26; John 15:26; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 18John 1:1; John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 19Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 1:4; 20Revelation 5:13; Ephesians 3:14-21
21 Psalm 45:6; Psalm 145:13; Daniel 4:3; 22Psalm 93:1-2; 23John 1:1-3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:15-16; Hebrews 1:1-2; 24Genesis 1:1; Psalm 95:3-5; 25Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; 26Psalm 103:19; Psalm 104:24-29; 27Psalm 96:4-6; 28Psalm 89:11; 29Psalm 103:20-21; 30Colossians 1:16-17; 31Psalm 104:5; 32Psalm 103:22; 33Psalm 22:28; Psalm 47:8; 34Genesis 1:31
35Revelation 12:7-9; 362 Corinthians 11:14; Colossians 1:13-14; Ephesians 6:12; 37Mark 3:22-26; Ephesians 2:1-2; 1 John 5:19
38Genesis 1:26-27; 39Genesis 1:26; 40Genesis 3:1; Revelation 12:9; 41Genesis 3:8; Romans 1:21; Romans 5:16; 42Romans 5:12; 43John 5:14; 441 Corinthians 15:22; 45John 8:44; 1 John 5:19; 46Romans 8:20-23; 47Psalm 51:5; 48Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 2:5; Romans 2:12; Hebrews 9:27; 49Galatians 1:3-5; Galatians 4:8-9; Colossians 1:13
50Psalm 24:1; Psalm 96:10; 51Isaiah 40:22; Hebrews 1:3; 52Romans 9:4; 53Ephesians 2:12; 54Genesis 17:3-8; Genesis 12:2-3; Genesis 15:4-6; Romans 4:3-5; Romans 4:16; Romans 4:20-25; Galatians 3:6-9; Galatians 3:13-14
55Exodus 15:3-18; 56Exodus 19:3-6; Exodus 24:3-4; Exodus 24:7; Romans 8:3-4; Romans 8:12-14; 57Deuteronomy 5:1-3; Deuteronomy 30:15-18; Galatians 3:23-25; 58Psalm 25:8-10; Romans 7:7; 59John 15:26; John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:14-17; 60Romans 7:13; Galatians 3:19; Galatians 3:21-22; 61Romans 2:1-11; 62Galatians 3:24; Philippians 3:8-9
631 Samuel 8:6-8; 641 Samuel 8:21-22; 1 Samuel 9:15-16; 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 10:24; 652 Samuel 7:11b-16; Psalm 89:34-37; 66Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-5; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 34:23
67Mark 1:15; Galatians 4:4; 68Romans 1:2-4; 69John 1:14; 70John 1:17-18; 71Luke 1:30-35, 72John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-7; 73Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 Peter 2:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:29; 74Luke 3:21-22; Luke 4:16-21; 75Mark 1:14-15; Luke 11:20; Luke 17:20-21; 76Luke 4:1-13; 77Luke 4:43; 78Luke 4:40; 79Luke 4:41; 80Luke 7:14-17; 81Mark 1:16-17; 82Mark 3:13-15; 83Matthew 16:18; 84Luke 9:1-2; Luke 10:1-17; 85John 1:29; John 6:51; John 4:9-10; 86Mark 8:31; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5; 87Galatians 3:13-14; 88Acts 3:14-15; Hebrews 4:15; 89Romans 5:18-19; 901 Peter 2:24; 91Galatians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 92Romans 1:18; Romans 1:32; Romans 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; 93Colossians 2:13-15; 94Matthew 1:1; 95Luke 1:68-72; Luke 2:10-11; Matthew 9:27; 96Acts 2:24-28; 97Acts 2:29-36; 98Romans 1:1-4; 99Hebrews 1:1-3; 1001 Corinthians 15:24-26; Ephesians 1:19-23; Revelation 5:5
631 Samuel 8:6-8; 641 Samuel 8:21-22; 1 Samuel 9:15-16; 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 10:24; 652 Samuel 7:11b-16; Psalm 89:34-37; 66Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-5; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 34:23
112Romans 8:9-10; 113John 16:7; 114John 14:26; 115John 16:13-15; Romans 8:14; 116Luke 24:49; Acts 4:31; 117Acts 8:18-19; Acts 19:1-2; 1181Corinthians 2:4-5; 2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 6:4-7; 119Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:15-17; 1201 Corinthians 12:7-11; 1 Corinthians 14:1; 1 Corinthians 14:5; 1Thessalonians 5:19-21; 121Acts 8:14-17; Acts 19:6; 122Mark 1:41; Luke 6:18b-19; Mark 16:18; 123Acts 13:1-3; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6
1242 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; John 14:26; 125Psalm 19:7-9; Psalm 119:30; Psalm 119:43; Psalm 119:89; Matthew 5:17-18; John 3:34; John 10:35; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 22:6; 126Luke 24:44; 2 Peter 3:15-16; Revelation 22:18-19; 127Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35; 128Matthew 7:21; Matthew 7:24; Luke 1:38; James 1:22-25
129Luke 4:5-7; 1 John 5:19; 1301 Corinthians 15:22; Ephesians 2:1-3; 131Romans 1:21-23; Romans 1:32; 132Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 5:6; 133Mark 1:14-15; Acts 8:12; Acts 28:31; Ephesians 5:5; 134John 16:7-11; 135John 3:5-8; 1 Peter 1:23; 136Romans 5:1-2; Romans 5:9; 137Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6; 138Ephesians 5:25; Hebrews 13:12; 1391 Peter 1:1-2; 140Acts 2:38; 141Romans 10:9; 1421 John 4:13-15; 143Colossians 1:13-14; Philippians 3:20
144John 17:20-21; Ephesians 4:3-6; 1451 Corinthians 3:16-17; 146Matthew 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 2:18-19; 1 Peter 2:9-10; 147Titus 3:4-7; 148Romans 12:4-5; 149Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:23; 1501 Corinthians 12:27
151Matthew 28:19-20; 1521 Corinthians 10:14-17; 11:23-26
153Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 4:23; Matthew 12:28; 154Matthew 6:10; Matthew 10:7-8; Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:11; John 15:26-27; Romans 14:17-18; 155Mark13:26; Acts 1:9-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; 156Revelation 19:11-16; 157Matthew 25:31-32; 1 Corinthians 15:23-25; 158Revelation 20:10; 1591 Corinthians 15:51-52; 160John 5:28-30; Revelation 20:11-15; 161Matthew 25:31-46; 1621 Corinthians 15:24-28; 1631 Timothy 6:13-16; 1642 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:5; 165Revelation 21:27; 1661 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 7:9-12
1. God the King and the Holy Trinity
WE BELIEVE that God is the Eternal 1. King, 2. He is an infinite, 3. unchangeable, 4. Spirit, 5. perfect, 6. in holiness, 7. wisdom , 8. goodness, 9. justice, 10. power, 11. and love,12. From all eternity, 13. He exists as the One, 14. Living, 15. and True, 16. God in three persons, 17. of one substance, 18. the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 19. equal in power and glory.
2. God the King: The Creator and Ruler of All Things
WE BELIEVE that God's kingdom is everlasting, 21. From His throne, 22. through His Son, His eternal Word, 23. God created, 24. upholds, 25. and governs, 26. all that exists, 27. the heavenly places, 28. the angelic hosts, 29. the universe, 30. the earth, 31. every living thing, 32. and mankind, 33. God created all things very good.
3. Counterfeit Kingdom: Satan and Demonic Hosts
WE BELIEVE that Satan, originally a great, good angel, rebelled against God, taking a host of angels with him.35 He was cast out of God's presence and, as a usurper of God's rule, established a counter-kingdom of darkness36 and evil on the earth.37
4. The Kingdom in the Creation of Man, the Fall and The Doctrine of Original Sin
WE BELIEVE that God created mankind in His own image, male and female, 38. for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth, 39. Under the temptation of Satan, 40. our original parents fell from grace, 41. bringing sin, 42. sickness, 43. and God's judgment of death to the earth, 44. Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God's good creation, 45. Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam's original sin, 46. Human beings are born in sin, 47. subject to God's judgment of death, 48. and captive to Satan's kingdom of darkness.
5. God's Providence, Kingdom Law and Covenants
WE BELIEVE that God did not abandon His rule over the earth, 50. which He continues to uphold by His providence, 51. In order to bring redemption, God established covenants, 52. which revealed His grace to sinful people.53 In the covenant with Abraham, God bound Himself to His people Israel, promising to deliver them from bondage to sin and Satan and to bless all the nations through them.
WE BELIEVE that as King, God later redeemed His people by His mighty acts from bondage in Egypt, 55. and established His covenant through Moses, revealing His perfect will and our obligation to fulfill it, 56. The law's purpose is to order our fallen race, 57. and to make us conscious of our moral responsibility, 58. By the work of God's Spirit, 59. it convicts us of our sin 60. and God's righteous judgment against us, 61. and brings us to Christ alone for salvation.
6. Christ the Mediator and Eternal King
WE BELIEVE that in the fullness of time, 67. God honored His covenants with Israel and His prophetic promises of salvation68 by sending His Son, 69. Jesus, into the world, 70. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, 71. as fully God and fully man in one person, 72. He is humanity as God intended us to be, 73. Jesus was anointed as God's Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit, 74. inaugurating God's kingdom reign on earth, 75. overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation, 76. preaching the good news of salvation, 77. healing the sick, 78. casting out demons, 79. and raising the dead, 80. Gathering His disciples, 81. He reconstituted God's people, 82 as His Church, 83. to be the instrument of His kingdom, 84. After dying for the sins of the world, 85. Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day, 86. fulfilling the covenant of blessing given to Abraham, 87. In His sinless, perfect life, 88. Jesus met the demands of the law, 89. and in His atoning death on the cross, 90. He took God's judgment for sin, 91. which we deserve as law-breakers, 92. By His death on the cross He also disarmed the demonic powers, 93. The covenant with David was fulfilled in Jesus' birth from David's house, 94. His Messianic ministry, 95. His glorious resurrection from the dead, 96. His ascent into heaven and His present rule at the right hand of the Father, 97. As God's Son and David's heir, 98. He is the eternal Messiah-King, 99. advancing God's reign throughout every generation and throughout the whole earth today.
WE BELIEVE that when Israel rejected God's rule over her as King, 63. God established the monarchy in Israel, 64. and made an unconditional covenant with David, 65. promising that his heir would restore God's kingdom reign over His people as Messiah forever.
7. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church at Pentecost in power, 101. baptizing believers into the Body of Christ, 102. and releasing the gifts of the Spirit to them, 103. The Spirit brings the permanent indwelling presence of God to us, 104. for spiritual worship, 105. personal sanctification,106 building up the Church, 107. gifting us for ministry, 108. and driving back the kingdom of Satan by the evangelization of the world, 109. through proclaiming the word of Jesus, 110. and doing the works of Jesus.
WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ, 112. and that He is our abiding Helper, 113. Teacher, 114. and Guide, 115. We believe in the filling or the empowering of the Holy Spirit, 116. often a conscious experience, 117. for ministry today, 118. We believe in the present ministry of the Spirit, 119. and in the exercise of all of the biblical gifts of the Spirit, 120. We practice the laying on of hands for the empowering of the Spirit, 121. for healing, 122. and for recognition and empowering of those whom God has ordained to lead and serve the Church.
8. The Sufficiency of Scripture
WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit inspired the human authors of Holy Scripture, 124. so that the Bible is without error, 125. in the original manuscripts. We receive the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, 126. as our final, absolute authority, the only infallible rule of faith, 127. and practice.
9. The Power of the Gospel Over the Kingdom of Darkness
WE BELIEVE that the whole world is under the domination of Satan, 129. and that all people are sinners by nature, 130. and choice, 131. All people therefore are under God's just judgment,.132. Through the preaching of the Good News of Jesus and the Kingdom of God, 133. and the work of the Holy Spirit, 134. God regenerates, 135. justifies, 136. adopts, 137. and sanctifies, 138. through Jesus by the Spirit, 139. all who repent of their sins, 140. and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord, 141. and Saviour, 142. By this they are released from Satan's domain and enter into God's kingdom reign.
10. The Church: Instrument of the Kingdom
WE BELIEVE in the one, 144. holy, 145. universal Church, 146. All who repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, 147. and form the living Body of Christ, 148. of which He is the head, 149. and of which we are all members.
12. The Kingdom of God and the Final Judgment
WE BELIEVE that God's kingdom has come in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, 153. that it continues to come in the ministry of the Spirit through the Church,154 and that it will be consummated in the glorious, visible and triumphant appearing of Christ, 155. His return to the earth as King, 156. After Christ returns to reign, 157. He will bring about the final defeat of Satan and all of his minions and works, 158. the resurrection of the dead, 159. the final judgment, 160. and the eternal blessing of the righteous and eternal conscious punishment of the wicked, 161. Finally, God will be all in all, 162. and His kingdom, His rule and reign, 163. will be fulfilled in the new heavens and the new earth, 164. recreated by His mighty power, in which righteousness dwells, 165. and in which He will forever be worshipped.
VCCCM is affiliated with the The Association of Vineyard Churches, headquartered in Stafford, TX, USA. For the Association of Vineyard Churches Doctrine of Faith click here: VineyardUSA
You can reach us at the church office Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The need for a statement of faith arose shortly after the beginning of the Vineyard movement in 1983. We were growing quite rapidly and people were coming into the movement from a variety of theological backgrounds and church traditions. To remain true to the faith once and for ever given to the saints, we knew it was necessary to develop a statement of faith that was faithful to Scriptures and represented the diversity of those who are committed to live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and in relationship with one another in the Vineyard. The Bible is our final authority in matters of faith and practice. Therefore, the statements that follow reflect our best attempt to express what we believe, and how we are to live out that faith at this time. Upon further reflection, greater biblical insight, or increased wisdom through experience, these statements could be revised. Until such time, the Vineyard USA Board of Directors has formally adopted this document as our official statement of Faith.
The understanding that the Kingdom of God is the integrating motif of our understanding of the story of God, the Bible and our theology has influenced the structure of this document. From beginning to end, this Statement of Faith reflects our understanding that biblical theology is eschatological in nature and this eschatological dimension is expressed in terms of the Kingdom of God.
We pray that God will bless our sincere desire and humble attempt to be ambassadors of His rule and reign through our lives and that His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Vineyard Community Church - Central Maryland
255 Najoles Road, Millersville, MD 21108
P.O. Box 1170, Millersville, MD 21108
410.987.3440 office | 410.987.8369 fax | office@vcccm.org
Vineyard® is a trademark of the Association of Vineyard Churches
Copyright 2008 Vineyard Community Church. All Rights Reserved
