We believe that the Bible is the true word of God that we apply to our lives as the standard for living.

We believe in one true God that created Heaven and Earth. He has revealed himself in relationship to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe that Jesus Christ, fully God and fully human, was birthed by a virgin, led a sinless life on earth while performing miracles, died in our place to pay for our sin on the cross and rose from the dead after three days.

We believe that Jesus Christ was sent to earth to live as man, to pay the price for our sins, and take on the consequence of death for us. it is through his death and resurrection that we are set free.

We believe that the intention of God was for every person to live in unity with him forever, however, due to the entertainment of sin, we now face the consequence of physical and spiritual death.

We believe that, following Jesus’ example in the Bible, water baptism is commanded in scripture to be a public symbol of a transformed life. Communion is to be a memorial of his suffering and death, and an opportunity to express participation in the Christian life together, as we wait for Jesus to come again.

We believe that we are made holy through the power and daily guidance of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the goals of the church should be to seek and save the lost, to allow the worship of God alone to unify us, to build up believers in faith, and to be loving and compassionate to all the world.

We believe that we carry out the goals of the church through ministry that leads others to know God and worship Him while being built up and having their needs met with love and compassion.

Holy Bible

The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible, and inerrant. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26).

Virgin Birth

Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary's womb; therefore, He is the Son of God

(Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35).

Trinity

There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and co-eternal

(I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11).

Salvation

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts

(Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22).

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind, and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory

(John 1:1,14, 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 2:5).

Repentance

Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance, we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation

(Acts 2:21, 3:19; 1 John 1:9).

Jesus is our message.

Our primary focus is to share the good news of Jesus with people who are far from God and to teach people how to follow Him. The message of Jesus, the Gospel, literally means “good news” and this good news is the central message of our church. Methods will come and go, yet our message will remain the same. Jesus is our message.

Matthew 28:18-20, Colossians 1:15-29, Romans 1:16-17

People are our priority.

Our love for God is revealed through our love for people. We believe that people matter to God, so they matter to us. People are our greatest asset. So, we value, celebrate, invest, and encourage them. We love all people regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic background. We are committed to doing anything short of sin to reach the lost for Jesus. Thrive City is a reaching church, a rescuing church, and an inviting church. We are a welcoming church and a “do whatever it takes” church because people are our priority. John 3:16, Luke 15, Luke 19:10

Faith is our perspective

We carry the perspective of faith. Faith in God who loves us and is working to complete what He started in us. We live faith-filled, believing that God can and will work on our behalf. This perspective gives us the ability to move forward into our future filled with confidence that the best is yet to come. Hebrews 11:1

Passion is our response.

We believe that the only response for all that Jesus has done for us is a life lived with passion. We believe that passion is contagious, and we choose to be passionate in our worship, prayers, serving, giving, and our response through the preaching of God’s Word. We are unapologetic about our passion and seek to respond to what God is doing in us through appropriate and meaningful expressions. Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37-40

Excellence is our standard.

We believe that excellence honors God, inspires people, and creates comfort. We believe that the most excellent message deserves the most excellent presentation. We believe that excellence is about doing the little things in a big way. God is into the details, so we are into details. We are passionate about creating excellent environments and experiences for people to encounter God. We will always do our very best with what we have. If we are going to do it, we are going to do it to the best of our ability. We hold a high standard of excellence for every area of our church. Excellence is our standard. Colossians 3:23-24, Daniel 6:3, 1 Kings 10

Generosity is our privilege.

We believe that Christians should be known as the most generous people. We should give cheerfully, regularly, and sacrificially. We believe that we should live with open hands always ready to give and receive. We believe in tithe and offerings motivated by grace, not guilt. Our church is not built on the generosity of a few but on the sacrifice and generosity of many. We’re generous with our time, talents, and treasure. God has given richly towards us; therefore, it’s our privilege to give back to Him. Generosity is our privilege. Malachi 3:10, Proverbs 11:24-26, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9

Serving is our calling.

We believe that every person has a calling to serve others. Serving others is one of the most fulfilling parts of the Christian life. Serving is not something we do; serving is who we are. We believe that anyone can be great because anyone can serve. At Thrive City our position is that if you're too big to serve, you're too small to lead. We believe saved people serve people. We are contributors, not consumers. Serving is not an option. Serving is our calling. 1 Peter 4:10, Matthew 23:11, Mark 10:35

In today’s society, it often feels like the world is looking to the Church for a list of things you’re not allowed to do so they can claim Christianity isn’t for them. It is important to realize and teach that Jesus came so we would be free from the laws of the Old Testament and legalism in the Church. Because we know that the only perfect person to ever walk the earth was Jesus, we do not expect people to be perfect at Thrive City. Being a part of our community and enjoying Sunday services together with us is an offering we make to all those who enter our building.

RELATIONSHIPS

We won’t and don’t promote any relationship above a relationship with Jesus, and therefore will choose grace, reconciliation, and communication even amongst differences. The Bible is clear about relationships being chiefly important to God. Thrive exists as a space where all people can meet with God, which won’t happen if everyone is not welcomed. We trust the Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin, which requires us to do the job of welcoming anyone who wants to participate in our services.

IDENTITY

We won’t and don’t promote ANY identity category above our identity as children of God. We do understand that there are systems in place that marginalize people groups, the effects of which have been causing extreme pain and trauma for decades. We have to put our focus on the one identity that is above them all and the only one that unites all people: God created us all, and died for us all. No exceptions.

ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS

We won’t and don’t promote any alteration of sound mind. We encourage all members to be active in relationships that teach, challenge, and promote the Holy Spirit’s involvement in their everyday choices. This way, honest conversation, feedback, and accountability guide all decision-making, especially those surrounding addictive behaviors. With sound judgment and within reason, alcohol consumption, legal and safe drug use, and recreational gambling does not disqualify a person from membership in our community.

INTIMACY

We won’t and don’t promote sexual intimacy outside of marriage because sexual sin leads to heart-level connection and soul ties. If done outside of the highest level of commitment, deep injury is almost always a result- even if not immediately apparent. We provide counsel and accountability to those who are dating, engaged, and married toward healthy boundaries in intimate relationships.

ABORTION

We won’t and don’t promote abortion, but count it as a privilege to walk alongside those who have decisions to make regarding pregnancy, adoption, family involvement, and pre/post-natal support. If you would like resources in these areas, please reach out to us at care@thrivecity.church.

LEADERSHIP

We won’t and don’t value any voice above the voice of God, but do believe that God has called and appointed both men AND women for leadership roles at Thrive. Being a leader comes with a higher spiritual responsibility of influence than a regular attendee. Our organization of leaders is guided by the Pastoral Team and requires a deeper level of commitment. For more information on learning about our leadership process, please contact your Team Leader.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

We won’t and don’t believe that any gift from God is more valuable than any other. We know that God has made each person unique, and believe that there is a part for everyone to play in making a difference in our church and community. For more information on learning about how God has uniquely designed you, please consider attending Growth Track.

We welcome conversations regarding our statement of faith, values, and culture but ultimately know that the church has been separated for centuries on these issues: because all believers will live for eternity in Heaven, we strive to be a church where people from many different backgrounds can come together, worship freely, and learn/process/wrestle out what we believe together, as our knowledge and collective experience with Jesus Christ, the Living God, grows.

If you have any questions about the above doctrines of Thrive City Church, please reach out to Pastor Ben.