Our Statement of Faith may be obtained from vineyard USA. This document is the result of approximately ten years of work. The need for a statement of faith arose shortly after the beginning of the Vineyard movement in 1983. On one hand, we felt obliged to set forth our biblical and historically orthodox beliefs; on the other hand, we wanted to describe the values and priorities that make the Vineyard unique within the context of Evangelicalism. While many people have worked on this project, special thanks go to John Wimber out of whose calling and vision the Vineyard movement has emerged and matured. Also, to John McClure, senior pastor of Vineyard Christian Fellowship Newport Beach, California, who has shepherded the process along over this decade, and to Dr. Don Williams, senior pastor of Coast Vineyard in La Jolla, California, who rewrote our original statements into the cogent, biblical kingdom framework that follows. As evangelicals, the Bible is our final authority for faith and practice. Therefore, the statements that follow reflect our best attempt to understand and live out biblical precepts. Upon further reflection, greater biblical insight, or increased wisdom through experience, these statements could be revised. Until such a time, The Association of Vineyard Churches Board of Directors formally adopts this document as our official statement of faith as of the board meeting in November 1994. We now commend this for use by all our pastors in all our churches with the prayer that God will bless our sincere desire and humble attempt to be ambassadors of the rule and reign of His kingdom through our lives, that His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. --Todd Hunter, National Coordinator Paragraph 1: God the King and the Holy Trinity WE BELIEVE that God is the Eternal 1 King 2. He is an infinite 3, unchangeable 4 Spirit 5, perfect 6 in holiness7, wisdom 8, goodness 9, justice 10, power 11 and love 12. From all eternity 13 He exists as the One 14Living 15 and True 16 God in three persons 17 of one substance 18, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit19, equal in power and glory 20.
Paragraph 2: God the King: The Creator and Ruler of All Things WE BELIEVE that God's kingdom is everlasting 1. From His throne 2, through His Son, His eternal Word 3, God created 4, upholds 5 and governs 6 all that exists 7: the heavenly places 8, the angelic hosts 9, the universe10, the earth 11, every living thing 12 and mankind 13. God created all things very good 14.
Paragraph 3: Counterfeit Kingdom: Satan and Demonic Hosts WE BELIEVE that Satan, originally a great, good angel, rebelled against God, taking a host of angels with him1. He was cast out of God's presence and, as a usurper of God's rule, established a counter-kingdom of darkness 2 and evil on the earth 3.
Paragraph 4: The Kingdom in the Creation of Man, the Fall, and the Doctrine of Original Sin WE BELIEVE that God created mankind in His image, male and female 1, for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth 2. Under the temptation of Satan 3, our original parents fell from grace 4, bringing sin 5, sickness 6 and God's judgment of death to the earth 7. Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God's good creation 8. Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam's original sin 9. Human beings are born in sin 10, subject to God's judgment of death 11 and captive to Satan's kingdom of darkness 12.
Paragraph 5, 6, 7: God's Providence, Kingdom Law and Covenants WE BELIEVE that God did not abandon His rule over the earth 1 which He continues to uphold by His providence 2. In order to bring redemption, God established covenants 3 which revealed His grace to sinful people 4. In the covenant with Abraham, God bound Himself to His people Israel, promising to deliver them from bondage to sin and Satan and to bless all the nations through them .
Paragraph 6: WE BELIEVE that as King, God later redeemed His people by His mighty acts from bondage in Egypt 1 and established His covenant through Moses, revealing His perfect will and our obligation to fulfill it 2. The law's purpose is to order our fallen race 3 and to make us conscious of our moral responsibility 4. By the work of God's Spirit 5, it convicts us of our sin 6 and God's righteous judgment against us 7 and brings us to Christ alone for salvation.
Paragraph 7: WE BELIEVE that when Israel rejected God's rule over her as King 1, God established the monarchy in Israel2 and made an unconditional covenant with David 3, promising that his heir would restore God's kingdom reign over His people as Messiah forever.
Paragraph 8: Christ the Mediator and Eternal King WE BELIEVE that in the fullness of time 1, God honored His covenants with Israel and His prophetic promises of salvation 2 by sending His only Son 3, Jesus, into the world 4. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary 5, as fully God and fully man in one person 6, He is humanity as God intended us to be 7. Jesus was anointed as God's Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit 8, inaugurating God's kingdom reign on earth 9, overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation 10, preaching the good news of salvation 11, healing the sick 12, casting out demons 13 and raising the dead 14. Gathering His disciples 15, He reconstituted God's people 16 as His Church 17 to be the instrument of His kingdom 18. After dying for the sins of the world 19, Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day 20, fulfilling the covenant of blessing given to Abraham 21. In His sinless, perfect life 22 Jesus met the demands of the law 23 and in His atoning death on the cross 24, He took God's judgment for sin 25 which we deserve as law breakers 26. By His death on the cross He also disarmed the demonic powers 27. The covenant with David was fulfilled in Jesus' birth from David's house 28, His Messianic ministry 29, His glorious resurrection from the dead 30, His ascent into heaven and His present rule at the right hand of the Father 31. As God's Son and David's heir 32, He is the eternal Messiah-King 33, advancing God's reign throughout every generation and throughout the whole earth today 34.
Paragraph 9, 10: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church at Pentecost in power 1, baptizing believers into the Body of Christ 2 and releasing the gifts of the Spirit to them 3. The Spirit brings the permanent indwelling presence of God to us 4 for spiritual worship 5, personal sanctification 6, building up the Church 7, gifting us for ministry 8, and driving back the kingdom of Satan 9 by the evangelization of the world through proclaiming the word of Jesus 10 and doing the works of Jesus 11.
Paragraph 10: WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ 1 and that He is our abiding Helper 2, Teacher 3, and Guide 4. We believe in the filling or empowering of the Holy Spirit 5, often a conscious experience 6, for ministry today 7. We believe in the present ministry of the Spirit 8 and in the exercise of all of the biblical gifts of the Spirit 9. We practice the laying on of hands for the empowering of the Spirit 10, for healing 11, and for recognition and empowering of those whom God has ordained to lead and serve the Church 12.
Paragraph 11: The Sufficiency of Scripture WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit inspired the human authors of Holy Scripture 1 so that the Bible is without error 2 in the original manuscripts. We receive the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments 3 as our final, absolute authority, the only infallible rule of faith 4 and practice 5.
Paragraph 12: The Power of the Gospel Over the Kingdom of Darkness WE BELIEVE that the whole world is under the domination of Satan 1 and that all people are sinners by nature2 and choice 3. All people therefore are under God's just judgment 4. Through the preaching of the Good News of Jesus and the Kingdom of God 5 and the work of the Holy Spirit 6, God regenerates 7, justifies 8, adopts 9 and sanctifies 10 through Jesus by the Spirit 11 all who repent of their sins 12 and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord 13 and Savior 14. By this they are released from Satan's domain and enter into God's kingdom reign 15.
Paragraph 13: The Church: Instrument of the Kingdom WE BELIEVE in the one 1, holy 2, universal Church 3. All who repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit 4 and form the living Body of Christ 5, of which He is the head6 and all are members 7.
Paragraph 14: Baptism and the Lord's Supper WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church: water baptism 1 and the Lord's Supper 2. Both are available to all believers.
Paragraph 15: The Kingdom of God and the Final Judgment WE BELIEVE that God's kingdom has come in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ 1, that it continues to come in the ministry of the Spirit through the Church 2, and that it will be consummated in the glorious, visible and triumphant appearing of Christ 3 - His return to the earth as King 4. After Christ returns to reign 5, He will bring about the final defeat of Satan and all of his minions and works 6, the resurrection of the dead 7, the final Judgment 8 and the eternal blessing of the righteous and eternal conscious punishment of the wicked 9. Finally, God will be all in all 10 and His kingdom, His rule and reign 11, will be fulfilled in the new heavens and the new earth 12, recreated by His mighty power, in which righteousness dwells 13 and in which He will forever be worshiped 14.
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