1. THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST.

The Church is the people of God called to embody the life and mission of Jesus in the world through the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke frames the book of Acts as the continuation of the Gospel story, describing it as the account of “all that Jesus began to do and to teach” (Acts 1:1). Though Jesus is no longer physically present, He continues His work through His people, who together constitute His body.

Jesus commissions the Church to bear witness to His life, death, resurrection, and reign in both word and action (Acts 1:8). This remains the Church’s essential vocation: to carry forward the ministry of Jesus by living as His presence in the world. The Church does not merely speak about Christ; it is called to make Him visible through its life, practices, and love.

This understanding shapes both our identity and our mission. The Church exists not for itself, but to participate in God’s redemptive work in the world, faithfully continuing what Jesus Himself began.

2. THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS THE CHURCH TO BE THE BODY OF CHRIST.

The Church cannot fulfill its calling apart from the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus instructed His disciples to wait for the gift of the Spirit before beginning their witness, making clear that the mission of God is sustained not by human effort, but by divine empowerment (Acts 1:4–8).

Throughout the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit animates the life of the Church—forming unity, granting courage, producing transformed character, empowering proclamation, and manifesting God’s power for healing and restoration. The Spirit both gathers the Church and sends it into the world, guiding its decisions and sustaining its faithfulness.

We believe the Holy Spirit continues to work in these ways today. Life in Christ is not self-generated but Spirit-dependent. Therefore, humility, attentiveness, and surrender are essential postures of the Christian life. Apart from abiding in Christ through the Spirit, the Church bears no lasting fruit (John 15:5). Our confidence rests not in our capacity, but in God’s faithful presence among us.

3. THE BIBLE IS THE STORY OF GOD FULFILLED IN JESUS

The Bible is the unified story of God’s creative, redemptive, and restorative work in the world. From the beginning, the Church has understood its life and mission through the Scriptures, interpreting its experience in light of God’s revealed purposes rather than the other way around (Acts 2).

Scripture bears witness to God’s covenantal faithfulness and finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible God and the culmination of the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (Colossians 1:15; Luke 24:27). The primary aim of Scripture is not information alone, but transformation through the knowledge of God.

For this reason, the Bible cannot be rightly understood apart from Jesus, nor can Jesus be known apart from the Scriptures that testify to Him. Our definition of “biblical” is therefore Christ-centered and whole-story shaped: a belief or practice is biblical if it is faithful to the full narrative of Scripture as fulfilled and embodied in the person of Jesus.

4. JESUS IS LORD.

The foundational confession of the Christian faith is that Jesus Christ is Lord (Acts 2:36). This declaration stands at the center of the Church’s life and proclamation. Jesus is not only Savior, but the risen and reigning King through whom God is renewing all things.

Salvation cannot be separated from lordship. Jesus saves us not only from sin, but to Himself and into His Kingdom. To confess Jesus as Lord is to acknowledge His authority over every aspect of life and to submit ourselves to His good and loving rule.

This confession reshapes our identity. Our primary allegiance is no longer defined by nation, culture, ideology, or self-construction, but by our belonging to Christ. Repentance and baptism mark our entry into this new reality, and daily repentance sustains our life within it (Acts 2:38). As citizens of the Kingdom of God, we learn to see ourselves and the world through the lens of Jesus’ reign.

5. CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IS ESSENTIAL.

Christian faith is inherently communal. From its earliest days, the Church was devoted to shared life together—gathering regularly, sharing meals, praying, learning, and caring for one another (Acts 2:42–47). This communal life was not optional but essential to the formation of Christian identity.

First, transformation requires community. Following Jesus involves unlearning old patterns and living into a new way of life, something that cannot be sustained in isolation. Second, the Gospel itself can only be fully lived out in relationship. Love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and grace are not abstract ideals but practices embodied among God’s people. Third, Christian community is commanded by Jesus, who taught that love for one another would be the primary witness to His life and Kingdom (John 13:34–35).

The Church is therefore called to be a people who belong to one another, growing together in faith and faithfulness as we follow Jesus.

6. THE CHURCH IS FORMED THROUGH SHARED PRACTICES

The life of the Church is shaped through shared rhythms and practices that form us into the people of God. In Acts, the early Christians devoted themselves to prayer, the apostles’ teaching, table fellowship, the breaking of bread, generosity, and worship in both homes and public spaces (Acts 2:42–47). These practices did not replace faith; they embodied it.

The early Church inherited a biblical understanding that identity is formed through intentional patterns of life. As Jewish followers of Jesus, they understood that daily, weekly, and yearly rhythms shaped desire, allegiance, and faithfulness. Without shared practices, Christian identity could not be sustained amid the pressures of surrounding culture.

While such practices can become empty or legalistic if misunderstood, they are not means of earning God’s grace. Properly received, they are means of participating with grace—creating space for God’s transforming work to take root in our lives. Shared rhythms anchor us in Christ and train us to live faithfully as His people in the world.

7. THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM IS GOOD NEWS FOR THE REAL WORLD.

The Gospel of the Kingdom is not abstract or private; it is good news for the whole of life. In Acts, the movement of the Spirit consistently leads God’s people outward—from private spaces into public witness, from prayer into proclamation, and from formation into mission (Acts 2).

Christian faith moves between attentiveness to God and engagement with the world. We listen for God’s voice, and then we live what we have received. A faith that never leaves the gathered community falls short of the Gospel. At the same time, engagement with the world must flow from ongoing formation in God’s Word and presence, lest the Church be shaped more by culture than by Christ.

The Church is therefore called to live as a distinct people for the sake of the world—embodying justice, mercy, reconciliation, and hope. The Gospel announces not escape from the world, but God’s renewal of it under the reign of Jesus.

8. PRAYER IS THE LIFE BLOOD OF KINGDOM LIVING.

Prayer is essential to the life and mission of the Church. In Acts, the Church is born in prayer, sustained through prayer, guided by prayer, and empowered for mission through prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 13:1–3). Prayer is not preparation for ministry; it is ministry.

The early Christians understood that their calling—to bear witness to Jesus and embody His Kingdom—was beyond their own capacity. Their dependence on God shaped a life of continual prayer, marked by listening, intercession, repentance, and praise.

Prayer roots the Church in humility and keeps its confidence grounded in God rather than in strategy or strength. As Jesus taught, fruitfulness flows only from abiding in Him (John 15:5). Without prayer, the Church becomes anxious and self-reliant. With prayer, it becomes attentive, responsive, and open to the transforming work of the Spirit.

9. CARING FOR THE POOR IS CENTRAL TO THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH.

Care for the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized is central to God’s heart and essential to the Church’s witness. In Acts, Luke highlights the early Church’s commitment to sharing resources and ensuring that no one among them was in need (Acts 2:44–45; 4:32–35). This concern was not peripheral, but integral to their life together.

While the specific economic practices of the early Church are not prescriptive, their posture is. Caring for the poor is not merely an act of charity; it is participation in God’s restorative justice. Scripture consistently reveals God’s concern for those harmed by sin and broken systems, and the Church is called to reflect that concern.

This work is not a strategy for evangelism; it is evangelism. To honor the dignity of the poor is to bear witness to the Kingdom of God and to the Gospel that restores the whole person—body, soul, and community.

10. BREATHTAKING GENEROSITY IS THE NORM.

The early Church was marked by extraordinary generosity. Believers gave freely of their resources, possessions, and even their livelihoods for the sake of the Gospel and the flourishing of others (Acts 4:32–37). Their generosity flowed from a deep trust in God’s provision and a shared commitment to the mission of Jesus.

Christian generosity goes beyond obligation or minimum requirement. It reflects a reorientation of life in which resources are no longer hoarded or protected, but stewarded for the purposes of God’s Kingdom. Because Jesus is Lord, nothing we possess is truly our own.

Such openhandedness is both an act of worship and a declaration of hope. As Jesus taught, investing in the Kingdom is the wisest use of our lives and resources (Matthew 6:19–21). Breathtaking generosity is not exceptional in the Church—it is normal for a people shaped by grace.

11. PASTORAL CARE EMPOWERS GOSPEL WITNESS.

Pastoral care is essential to the life and witness of the Church. In Acts, the apostles understood that caring for people was not secondary to the mission of God, but integral to it. They prayed for the sick, attended to practical needs, and established structures of care so that no one in the community was neglected (Acts 5:12–16; 6:1–7).

This care was not opposed to the ministry of the Word; it strengthened it. When pastoral care was practiced faithfully, the Church grew in maturity, unity, and witness. The Gospel was not only proclaimed but embodied in tangible acts of love.

Pastoral care reflects the heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who knows His people, tends to their wounds, and restores their souls. The Church is called to participate in this shepherding work—attending to the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of those within and beyond the community. In doing so, the Gospel takes on flesh and becomes credible, visible, and life-giving.

12. THE CHURCH IS A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS.

The Church is a people called and empowered to serve as a kingdom of priests, mediating God’s presence to the world. In Acts, ordinary men and women—unschooled and unremarkable by societal standards—bear extraordinary witness because they have been with Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:13).

Every believer is both temple and priest, called to participate in God’s mission through prayer, service, witness, and love. The work of the Church does not belong to a few professionals, but to the whole people of God, gifted and sent by the Spirit.

Church leadership is essential, but its purpose is not to replace the ministry of the Church. Rather, leaders are called to equip God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:12). Vision and mission arise from the life of the Church itself and are stewarded by leaders for the sake of faithfulness and fruitfulness.

13. THE GOSPEL IS GOOD NEWS FOR ALL NATIONS.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s good news for the whole world. From the beginning, Jesus commissioned His followers to bear witness beyond familiar boundaries—to all nations, cultures, and peoples, to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

This global vision did not come easily to the early Church. Formed within a particular culture and story, they struggled to imagine a Kingdom that fully embraced the nations. Yet through the work of the Holy Spirit, they came to understand that God’s redemptive purpose was never limited to one people, but always intended to bless all peoples through Jesus.

This mandate remains. The Church is called to participate in God’s mission by announcing and embodying the Gospel among every people group, especially where Christ is not yet known. Faithfulness to Jesus includes a commitment to global witness, shaped by humility, love, and hope in God’s reconciling work among all nations.

14. JESUS REDEFINES FAMILY.

In Jesus, God creates a new family that transcends ethnicity, culture, class, gender, and age. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus breaks down the dividing walls that separate people and forms one new humanity rooted in reconciliation and peace (Ephesians 2:14–16).

The early Church learned that baptism, not biology or social status, defined belonging. At the table of the Lord, all who confessed Jesus as Lord were welcomed as sisters and brothers. This new family was diverse, imperfect, and often uncomfortable—but it bore powerful witness to the reconciling nature of the Kingdom of God.

The Church is therefore called to pursue unity amid diversity, resisting tribalism and exclusion. In a polarized world, a community marked by shared life, mutual submission, and sacrificial love announces that a different way of being human is possible in Christ. Our life together is meant to display the breadth and beauty of God’s redemptive love.

15. WOMEN ARE LEADERS.

From the beginning of the Jesus movement, women were central participants in the life and leadership of the people of God. In the Gospels, women are named as disciples, commended for their faith, entrusted with theological revelation, and commissioned as the first witnesses of the resurrection (Luke 8:1–3; Luke 10:38–42; Luke 24:1–10; John 20:17–18). The Church is built on resurrection testimony, and women stand at its foundation.

This pattern continues in the book of Acts and the wider New Testament. Women were present in the Upper Room, received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and prophesied alongside men (Acts 1:14; Acts 2:17–18). They served as leaders of house churches, patrons of ministry, teachers of Scripture, and co-laborers in the Gospel (Acts 16:14–15, 40; Acts 18:26; Romans 16:1–7; Philippians 4:2–3).

This reflects God’s design and redemptive purpose. Women and men are created together in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and are equally recipients of the Spirit’s gifts, given for the building up of the Church (1 Corinthians 12:7; Galatians 3:28). While sin introduces domination and hierarchy (Genesis 3:16), redemption in Christ restores shared vocation and mutuality in the new creation.

Leadership in the Church is grounded not in gender, but in calling, character, and the gifting of the Holy Spirit. The Church does not empower women to lead; the Holy Spirit already has. Our calling is to recognize, affirm, and receive women as leaders as they follow Jesus, the Lord of the Church.

16. LIFE IS MESSY. HUMILITY IS NECESSARY. UNITY IS NON-NEGOTIABLE.

The early Church navigated uncertainty, disagreement, and complexity while seeking faithfulness to Jesus. As the Gospel spread into new cultures and circumstances, questions arose, conflicts emerged, and understanding developed over time. The early Christians learned theology not in abstraction, but through prayerful discernment as they sought to apply Scripture in light of the risen Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit.

This required humility. Rather than dividing at the first sign of disagreement, they labored to preserve unity, trusting that God was at work beyond their limited understanding. Their commitment to one another reflected a deep confidence in the Spirit’s guidance and a shared devotion to Christ.

We believe this posture remains essential. We hold our convictions with clarity and courage, but also with humility, recognizing that God and His Church are larger than any system we construct. Therefore, we make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).