Creation

God created the universe and everything ex-nihilo (out of nothing) in it in six, consecutive, 24-hour days.¹  The Triune God (The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) actively, fully, and harmoniously created all things by Himself and for His glory.²  God acted freely in creating all things and all of creation is dependent on the sovereign word of God.³  God created the earth and the entire universe with all systems in mature operation and appearance.⁴

God created humanity as the culminating work of His creation, consisting of two genders (male and female). All of humanity, both male and female, are created in the image and likeness of God.⁵  Each of these two distinct, complementary genders reflects the image of God.⁶  God created only one race of mankind, and all people alive today are the descendants of Adam and Eve and subsequently Noah.⁷  God created Adam and Eve to govern and rule the earth for him.⁸  God also created and established marriage to be a life-long covenant relationship between one man and one woman.⁹

Creation has been subjected to futility by the curse of sin¹⁰ and will be redeemed, along with all of the children of God, at the return of Jesus Christ.¹¹

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¹Genesis 1:1–2:3; Exodus 20:11, 31:17; Psalm 33:6, 9; Isaiah 45:18; Nehemiah 9:6; Hebrews 11:3  ²Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13, 33:4; Psalm 104:30; John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:15–17; Hebrews 1:10; Revelation 4:11  ³Ephesians 1:11; Hebrews 1:3; Revelation 4:11 ⁴Genesis 1:12–30  ⁵Genesis 1:26–27; 2:21–23  ⁶Genesis 1:27, 5:2, 9:6; 1 Corinthians 11:7; James 3:9  ⁷Genesis 1:26–27, 3:20, 10:1, 10:32; Romans 5:12; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5  ⁸Genesis 1:27–31; Genesis 2:15, 18  ⁹Genesis 2:18–24; Matthew 19:8–9; Mark 10:6–9  ¹⁰Genesis 3:14–19  ¹¹Romans 5:12–21; 8:18–25

Gender, Marriage, and Family

God created Adam and Eve, the first human beings, in his own image, equal before God as persons, and distinct in gender as male and female.¹ As those who bear the image of God, both men and women have dignity and value as human beings and should be treated as such. Gender distinctions between male and female reflect God’s original creation design and are meant for human good and human flourishing. The genetic differences between male and female, resulting in different reproductive structures, are integral to God’s design for self-conception as male or female. Therefore, self-conception as male or female should be defined by God’s holy purposes in creation and redemption as revealed in Scripture

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society.²  It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman, exclusively to one another, in covenant commitment for a lifetime.³   It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church,⁴ and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel for sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race. ⁵  Sin distorts sexual desires by directing them away from the marriage covenant and toward sexual immorality— a distortion that includes both heterosexual and homosexual immorality.⁶ Therefore, it is sinful to approve of homosexual immorality or transgenderism and that such approval constitutes an essential departure from Christian faithfulness and witness.

The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people.⁷   A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church.⁷   He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family.⁸   A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ.⁹   She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him¹⁰, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.¹¹

Children, from the moment of conception¹², are a blessing and heritage from the Lord.¹³

Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage.¹⁴   Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them¹⁵, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth.¹⁶  Children are to honor and obey their parents.¹⁷

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¹Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25 ²Genesis 2:18-25; Proverbs 18:22 ³Matthew 19:3-6 ⁴Ephesians. 5:32 ⁵Genesis 1:28, 2:25; Proverbs: 5:18-19; Hebrews 13:4  ⁶ Exodus 20:14; 20:17; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:18, 21; 22:5  ⁷ Ephesians 5:22-23 ⁷Ephesians 5:25 ⁸Ephesians 5:33; 1 Peter 3:7 ⁹Ephesians 5:22-23; I Peter 3:1  ¹⁰Genesis 2:23-24; 1 Corinthians 7:3-4; 1 Peter 3:8-9 ¹¹Psalms 128:3; Proverbs 31:10-31; Titus 2:3-5 ¹²Psalms 139:13-16 ¹³Psalms 127:3-5 ¹⁴Colossians3:18-21 ¹⁵Proverbs 6:20-23 ¹⁶Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Psalms 78:1-8 ¹⁷Exodus 20:12;  Colossians 3:20; Ephesians 6:1-3

Active church membership shall be open to all persons who confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and who have been baptized by immersion.  Faith Community Church, not any individual member, retains authority to accept and dismiss individuals from church membership.  An explanation of the process is defined in Section III of this Article.  Church members shall not receive any proprietary or voting rights of the Corporation, except on those matters which the Board chooses to submit to the members for affirmation.

Members may resign their membership by giving the Board of Elders a minimum of sixty (60) days written notice. The church shall have authority to refuse a Member’s voluntary resignation or transfer of membership to another church, either for the purpose of proceeding with a process of church discipline, or for any other reason the church deems necessary or prudent.

The officers of the Corporation shall be a Chief Executive Officer,  a Chief Financial Officer, and a Secretary.  The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the board, other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section III of this Article.