ZionÕs Gate Church – What We Believe
Mission/Vision Statement
We Believe:
The Tri-unity (Trinity) of God:
The Unity of God and the Trinity of God are both clearly taught
throughout the Word of God. The Tri-unity of God is, in fact, the foundation
stone of the Christian faith.
THEREFORE WE BELIEVE:
In One God - And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of
the Father, light of light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of
one substance with the Father
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and Son, is worshipped,
glorified, who spoke by the prophets. All the persons of the Godhead (Trinity)
are co-eternal and co-equal
Jesus is the Son of God who became incarnate to identify with and redeem
man through His shed blood.
That He (Jesus), through His own will, laid down His life, humbled
Himself and endured the shame of the cross at Calvary, so that all who believe
upon Him would be saved and cleansed by His blood from all sin, past, present
and future.
The Scriptures
The Bible is the
inspired Word of God. We believe it is the product of holy, God-appointed men
who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant, as
recorded in the New Testament, we accept as our infallible guide in matters
pertaining to conduct. (2 Timothy 3:16, 1
Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:21)
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 (II
Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26).
ManÕs fall and Redemption
We believe man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God.
Through AdamÕs transgression and fall, sin came into the world, and death was
the result. Man is spiritually dead and separated from God. Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, was sent to give His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore
man back to God by providing us with salvation. Salvation is the gift of God to
man, separate from works and the law, and it is by grace, through faith in
Jesus Christ that we are saved. (Romans
5:14, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, 1 John 3:8, Ephesians 2:8; Galatians 2:16, 3:8;
Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22).
That all mankind is spiritually, eternally lost and in need of a Savior
for the redemption of their souls; That our personal righteousness falls short
of Gods just demands and that only through Jesus Christ can we be made
righteous enough to be justified in His sight.
Salvation is a free gift from God that cannot be earned nor merited
through our own good works or personal desire. In order to be saved one must
believe in their heart that Jesus died for their sins and rose from the dead,
repent of their sins and accept by faith Jesus as Savior and Lord.
That "whosoever" calls on His name with the intent of being
saved from their sins and coming under His loving Lordship "shall in no
way be cast out"
That the Church is His Living Body on earth, here to carry out His
purposes, plans and will.
As He came to seek out that which was lost and to bring deliverance,
salvation, healing, forgiveness and restoration, so the church is commissioned
to do the same.
The Blood of Jesus
The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and
is completely sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself
to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who
believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death (I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23,
5:9; John 1:29).
Jesus Christ Indwells All Believers
Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and
live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their
lives over to him thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as well as Savior.
They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was
buried, and rose again from the dead (John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4;
Romans 8:11; Revelations 3:20).
Regeneration by the Holy Spirit
For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely
essential (John 6:44, 65).
Sanctification by the Holy Spirit
We believe the Bible teaches that, without holiness, no man can see the
Lord. We believe that sanctification which leads to a holy life is a definite,
yet progressive work of grace. This process begins at the time of the new birth
and continues throughout our Christian life. (Hebrews 12:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 2 Peter 3:18, 2 Cor.3:18,
Phil.3:12-14, 1 Cor.1:30)
The Holy Spirit produces the "born-again" experience in the believer;
it is He who imparts new life. (John
3:6-8).
The Holy Spirit produces and engraves the character of Jesus in our
hearts as we behold His face and as we function in the Body of Christ.
The Holy Spirit enables us to embrace our birthright as the children of
God and thus we can confidently cry "Abba Father" (Gal 4:6).
The Holy Spirit was sent to inhabit the redeemed man: spirit, soul and
body (lCor:3:16)
The Holy Spirit
was sent to be our personal friend, companion, helper and as the one who would
empower each believer to carry out the will of God on earth. He is the Spirit
of Truth, the Spirit of Holiness, the Spirit of Life, the Spirit of Glory, the
Spirit of Grace, the Holy Spirit of Promise, and the Comforter. He will
"lead us in all truth" and "show us things to come".
The Holy Spirit
reveals to us the mind, heart and will of the Father, and enables us to obey
His commands as He leads us into His rest, peace and freedom.
Baptism with the Holy Spirit
We believe the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift from God as promised
by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation and is received
by faith, subsequent to the New Birth. The baptism, or in filling of the Spirit
gives a believer power to be a witness for Christ, and is the entry point for
the supernatural, victorious life. This experience is received by faith and
then the believer is commanded to continually Ōbe filledĶ with the Spirit. We
believe when an individual is baptized in the Holy Spirit they also receive the
ability to pray in other tongues and communicate with God by the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit that indwells them.
(Matt. 3:11, John 14:16,17, Acts 1:8, 2:4,38, 19:1-7, Romans 8:26-27, 1
Corinthians 14:2)
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to
build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection,
and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of these gifts are not
necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All
believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in
their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and
should never be used in violation of biblical parameters. (Hebrews 2:4;
Romans 1:11,12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; II Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; I Corinthians
12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10).
Healing of the Sick
We believe healing for the physical ills of the human body is available
by the power of God through the prayer of faith, and/or by the laying on the
hands and/or by the supernatural gifts of the Spirit. It is provided for in the
atonement of Christ, and is the privilege of every member of the Church today. (Mark 16:18, James 5:14-25, 1 Peter 2:24,
Matthew 8:17, Isaiah 53:4-5)
Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus,
and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a
sign, which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus' work on the
Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit. (Psalm
103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; James
5:14-16; I Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29).
That Jesus is "the same yesterday, today and forever". So His
quotation from Isaiah 61: 1, 2 also
in Luke 4:18,19,21:" The Spirit
of the Lord is upon Me, because He has sent Me to preach the gospel to the
poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and the recovering of the sight to the blind, to set at liberty them
that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord" is to be
understood in the literal sense and expresses most clearly the prophetic
mission of Jesus to lost mankind.
That the above passage still reflects the desire of the Father for the
full redemption of man; spirit, soul and body; and still represents the
ministry of Jesus in the church today.
That Jesus is our High Priest who represents us to the Father and is our
Advocate who ever lives to make intercession for us. Therefore we can
"come boldly" before His throne of grace to receive mercy and help in
our time of need.
The Two Sacraments:
Water Baptism:
Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded
by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew
28:19; Acts 2:38).
The Lord's Supper:
A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of
bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken
in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark
16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25).
We Believe:
Gods Will For Provision
It is the Father's will for believers to become whole, healthy and
successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive
the full benefits of GodÕs will while on Earth. That fact, though, should never
prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of ChristÕs provision in
order to better serve others.
Spiritual (John 3:3-11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10).
Mental and Emotional (II Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans
12:2; Isaiah 26:3).
Physical (Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24).
Financial (Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians
9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19).
Resurrection of the Just & the Return of Our Lord
We believe in the physical, bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We
believe His coming is imminent. When He comes, the dead in Christ will rise
first, then we who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. (Acts 1:11,
1 Thessalonians 4:16,17, Revelation 20:6)
That Jesus is our soon to return King with whom the redeemed will rule.
Heaven
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers taught in the
Gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:3, 12,
20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter
1:4).
Hell
After living one life on earth, those who rejected ChristÕs offer of
salvation through his death and shed blood will be judged by God at the White
throne judgment and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with
the Devil and the Fallen Angels (Matthew
25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8).
ZionÕs Gate - Mission / Vision:
A Worship Center
We believe that we were created in God's image for His pleasure and that
our highest priority and place is to live in constant worship and praise to our
God.
That God dwells in and "inhabits" the praises and worship of
His people is clear from scripture.
THEREFORE:
Our focus will be to always seek to exalt Him whether in our personal lives
or in the congregation, and to conduct our services with the emphasis on Spirit
led expressions of worship providing a scriptural basis for all our practices.
To develop those individuals called by God in the leading of worship in
song, music, dance and other forms of artistic expression designed to bring
glory to God.
To diligently seek God's leading in His releasing of "new
song" and "spontaneous worship and praise" in our gatherings whether
in small groups or large congregational gatherings.
Mission / Vision:
Comprehensive Outreach:
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth".
We will consider Gig Harbor our Jerusalem, the outlying communities,
cities and our state as our Judea, the rest of the states as our Samaria and
then the world, as that which comprises" the ends of the earth"
Safe Haven:
Our mission is to provide a "safe haven" for those in need of
spiritual restoration regardless of past history, background, personal failure
or sin, accompanied with a commitment to offer scriptural restoration in an
environment of love, acceptance and forgiveness.
Safe Haven:
We seek to promote a "safe place" in our theology and practice
not giving way under pressure to "new movements" nor practices that
find no scriptural precedence and would seek to impose itself or dominate our
times of gathering.
We will place a high priority in allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, control
and have "His way" in our services, seeking to be sensitive to His
desires, leading and giftings, with a willingness on our part to give place to
Him at all our gatherings.
To encourage the use of all the gifts of the Spirit in an atmosphere of
reverence and order with a desire for growth, maturity and use, so to profit
all.
Mission/Vision:
5 Fold Ministry (Eph. 4:11-12)
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for
the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ"
We believe God has given and intended for each of these offices to be
fully operative in the government of the church. That where these gifts are not
operative, the church is not able to function and grow the way God intended.
THEREFORE: It is our desire
To identify those who operate under the anointing and calling of God in
these offices and gifts and to allow them their proper place in the church.
To identify and train those called to function in these ministries.
To assist each individual in finding those gifts, administrations,
callings and offices that God has divinely placed on their lives and equip them
to be released into Holy Spirit empowered ministry.
Teaching of the Word of God:
To instruct, teach, encourage and exhort every believer in the Word of
God whether the new disciple or the seasoned believer.
To insure that every individual has a comprehensive understanding of
God's Word and how it applies to their life.
To deliver the Word prophetically as well as in a systematic teaching
through the Bible.
The Church as a Healing Center:
Because we believe God's character is to heal and restore, we will
aggressively apply ourselves to the scriptural mandate for all believers to lay
hands on the sick with faith and expectancy that God will honor His Word and
bring Divine healing and restoration of the body as well as the soul to all who
come to Him.
To invite all those in need of healing to come and receive prayer in an
environment and atmosphere where healing is taught and believed in.
To equip each member to go out into the community and pray effectively
for the needs of the hurting, hopeless and lost.
Home Church Gatherings:
To develop pastoral leadership for multiple home church throughout the
city(s) where individual giftings can be discovered and practiced in a non-intimidating environment.
That every member of the church will avail themselves to small intimate
home church groups where personal needs, whether spiritual, physical or
material can be met in a loving secure environment.
Where one can use their giftings of the Holy Spirit to assist in
counseling and prayer for the various needs that will arise in the lives of
others.
Where power evangelism can take place. Where new comers can meet with
others and develop trusting relationships
Mission / Vision:
Prayer and Intercession:
To raise up groups men and women committed to intense, effectual prayer
for the church, pastoral leadership, the city of Gig Harbor and all other areas
of concern and direction by the Holy Spirit.
To be a church committed to prayer and fasting that the powers of
darkness which dominate our cities, government, country and even the church
would be completely and utterly defeated and lives would be loosed and freed by
the power of God.
To be a church committed to praying for God's provision and blessing on
other churches and works of God in our community.