What We Believe

We desire to provide a place in the Methow Valley where you can genuinely worship God and be challenged to grow and make a difference in the lives of others.

Come as you are… You’re with friends at CBC. Whether you’ve never been to church before or you were raised in church, you can always expect an encouraging and hopefully challenging experience.

We strive to create an atmosphere for people to connect with God and experience life change.

JESUS - GOD BECAME MAN

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He’s completely human and completely God at the same time. He is the only plan for bringing people who are far from God back into a right relationship with God. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He defeated death in His resurrection so that we could have life. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again to reign as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. (Matthew 1:22-23, Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1-5; 14:10-30, Hebrews 4:14-15, I Corinthians 15:3-4, Romans 1:3-4, Acts 1:9-11, I Timothy 6:14-15, Titus 2:13; Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 14:33; 16:16; 28:5-6; Luke 22:70; 24:46-47; John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 11:25-27; 17:1-5; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 8:1-3; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Gal 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15; 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16)

THE BIBLE - GOD WROTE A BOOK

The Bible is God’s Word to all people of all days. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it was inspired by God, the Bible is truth without error and is completely relevant to our daily lives. Scripture is fully trustworthy as our final and sufficient authority for all of life. (Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Psalms 119:11, 89, 105; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 22:29; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 3:16)

THE TRINITY - GOD, THREE IN ONE

God has existed in relationship with Himself for all eternity. He exists as one substance in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although each member of the Trinity serves a different function, each possesses equal power and authority. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 1:35; John 5:21-23; 14:10, 16-17; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8-10; James 2:19)

THE FATHER – GOD IS GREAT, GOD IS GOOD.

God is great: He is all powerful, all knowing, ever present, unchanging, completely worthy of our trust, and above all, holy. It is in Him that we live, move and exist. God is good; He is our Father. He is loving, compassionate, and faithful to His people and His promises. (Exodus 3:14; Numbers 23:19; Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; Psalm 11:4-6; Malachi 3:6; John 3:16; 4:24; 5:26; 14:1; Acts 17:28; Romans 3:3-4)

THE HOLY SPIRIT – GOD IS ALWAYS PRESENT

His presence assures us of our relationship with Christ. He guides believers into all truth and exalts Christ. He convicts people of their sin and reminds us of God’s righteousness and the coming judgment. He comforts us, gives us spiritual gifts, and makes us more like Christ. (Genesis 1:2; Psalms 51:11; 139:7; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Mark 1:10; Lk 1:35; 4:1; 11:13; 12:12; John 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 13:2; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Peter 1:21; Revelation 22:17)

ETERNITY – SOMEWHERE FOREVER

Man was created to exist forever. He will exist either eternally separated from God by sin or eternally in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. When you die, you will spend eternity in either Heaven or Hell. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is Heaven. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence. (John 3:16, 36; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:25; 5:11-13; Revelation 20:15)

THE CHURCH – GOD’S DESIGN FOR A COMMUNITY

The Church is a local community of baptized believers unified through faith in Christ. It is committed to the teachings of Christ and obeying all of His commands, and it seeks to bring the Gospel to the world. The Church works together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ. (Matthew 16:18-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-47; 5:11-14; 13:1-3; 14:23; 16:5; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:10-12; 5:22-32; Colossians 1:18; 3:15; 1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 21:2-3)

MAN – GOD’S IMAGE BEARERS

Man is made in the image of God and is the supreme object of His creation. Man was created to have fellowship with God but became separated from that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, man cannot attain a right relationship with God through his own effort. Every human personality is uniquely created, possesses dignity, and is worthy of respect and Christian love. (Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7, 18-22; 3; Psalms 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6; 6:6; 7:14-25; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Ephesians 2; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11)

THE HUMAN CONDITION AND SALVATION – THE DILEMMA AND GOD’S PLAN

We believe that God created mankind in His own image and for His glory as the crowning work of His creation. However, man sinned against God and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. This spiritual death has been transmitted to the entire human race (except for Christ) with the result that every person is born into the world with a sinful nature that rebels against God and is under His condemnation. (Genesis 1:26-28; 3; Psalm 8:3-8; 14:1-3; 51:5; Isaiah 59:2; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23; 5:12, 19; 6:23; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1-3)

Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works – only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith. We also believe the incredibly good news found in the Bible that those who turn from their sin and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior become spiritually new people who are declared “not guilty” for their sin and receive the gift of eternal life. This salvation is acquired through faith alone, apart from any good or religious works, and is based entirely on the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as humankind’s substitute. We believe that Christ’s resurrection demonstrated God’s full acceptance of His death as payment for sin and foreshadows the final resurrection of all believers. (John 3:16, 18, 36; 14:6; Romans 4:25; 5:1, 6-9; 6:23; 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 1:13-14; Titus 3:5)

We believe that the Holy Spirit comes to live in those who are “reborn” as God’s children. As Christians live in obedience to God, the Holy Spirit empowers them to gradually overcome the power of sin and become more like Christ. (John 10:28-29; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 2:12; 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:16: Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 5:23-24; Jude 24)

The blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the only way of salvation through the forgiveness of sin. Salvation occurs when people place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin. Salvation is a gift from God, and it cannot be earned through our own efforts. (Isaiah 1:18; 53:5-6; 55:7; Matthew 1:21; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:12; 3:16, 36; 5:24; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 16:30-31; Romans 1:16-18; 3:23-25; 5:8-10; 6; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 9:24-28; Revelation 3:20)

BAPTISM AND COMMUNION – DECLARING & REMEMBERING

We believe that Christian baptism is a public declaration of the believer’s salvation in Christ, identifying with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection symbolized by immersion in water. Baptism is symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, baptism is a way for us to publicly declare our new life in Christ. It is also a step of obedience based on God’s commands and allows us to follow the example of Jesus, who submitted himself to baptism to “fulfill all righteousness.”

The Lord’s Supper is the united commemoration by believers of Christ’s death until He comes and should be preceded by a careful self-examination (Acts 2:41; Romans 6:3-6; 1 Corinthians 11:20-29).