LEARNING ABOUT HCC

We are Christians

This belief is centered in a relationship with the living God whom we love, worship and serve.

We believe Jesus is the Christ, Son of the living God and Savior of the World.

We live for an audience of One. This means that we live is to please God, not people.

We believe that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

We believe that everyone needs a Savior, and that Savior is Jesus Christ.

The Bible: We believe the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God.

The Bible is our source of knowledge about God and Christ, and contains all the truth necessary for understanding our way to salvation. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

We believe ine one truine God - God the Father, God the Son: Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. Each person of God possesses the same nature and being; and is wrothy of praise and obedience. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all present and the creator of all things. (John 1:1-7)

God is our creator with all power and authority who relentlessly pursues His creation despite our choices. Our Father desires to be in a relationship with us so that we may experience His great love and purpose for our lives. (Genesis 1:1; Luke 15:11-32)

We believe Jesus Christ is uniquely the Son—fully God and yet fully human, sent by God, to be born of Mary. Jesus is eternal, one with God, and reveals teh glory of God. It is because of His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead that people can be forgiven of their sins, brought into relationship with God, and promised real life here and now and eternal life to come. He ascended to the Father in victory adn will come again (Colossians 1:15-23; Philippians 2:5-11)

We receive the Holy Spirit after placing our faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the presence of the living God in us as we come to faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit speaks to us, guides us, brings us close to God, and empowers us from worship, service, prayer, understanding, witness, and living in the character of Christ. The Holy Spirit proceeds from and is continually bringing glory to both the Son and the Father. (John 6:63; Romans 8:15-16)

When someone receives Salvation through Jesus, the Holy Spirit leads and guides that person to live in joyful obedience to God. Christians learn to live out their faith through reading the Bible; by praying and building a personal relationship with God; and by building relationships with other Christians. They grow in the joys of worship, serving, and loving God and neighbor.

We believe all people have sinned, and therefore rightly deserve separation from God. On our own, we can never overcome sin or please God. Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrifice that makes possible our forgiveness and reconciliation with God. This is not because of anything we might do for God, but out of His grace and love for us. We are called to confess our sin, turn from sinful choices, and trust in Jesus Christ and his teachings in all things. These are the requirements for us to receive the gifts from God of forgiveness and eternal life. (Romans 2:22-26,5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

As the result of commitment and obedience to God through Jesus Christ, we grow in faith.  Our love for God and for one another becomes more complete. As we grow in our Christian faith, our desire to please God and live like Jesus also grows. (Romans 8:29)

We believe that God desires for all of us as His children to spend eternity with Him in heaven. God will judge our eternal destiny, but those who have not accepted Jesus’ offer of forgiveness of sin and new life risk living apart from Him for all eternity in hell. (2 Peter 3:9)

We believe that communion is a remembrance of the suffering and death of Christ and a way of drawing Christians’ focus back to the essentials of faith on a regular basis.  We believe in an open table—that all who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are welcome to participate in this blessing from God. (Luke 22:14-21)

We acknowledge and celebrate the grace of God, freely offered to us before we were even aware of it.  We confess our sin, accept membership in the family of Christ, and vow to trust in and serve Jesus Christ.  Baptism is the public sign of God’s covenant with us.  It is a communal celebration; the congregation vows to nurture and support those being baptized—adults or infants.  We believe baptism may occur at any age.  We enter this world as imperfect beings in need of salvation, and it is through God’s grace that we can be in this covenant relationship with Him. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-39, 16:15,33)

We are committed to the understanding of God's grace.

We believe that through grace, the invitation of God is open to everyone. 

We believe that God is holy, and that He calls us to live holy lives. We believe in a personal conversion that opens a personal relationship with God. 

We believe that the Holy Spirit works to transform our hearts and our characters into the image of Jesus Christ. 

We believe that the culture should not change the church, but that the church should change the culture.

The church is a collection of all people who believe in Jesus Christ for salvation and seek to live their lives in obedience and love to Him.

The Scripture commands believers to gather together to offer themselves to worship, prayer, teaching the Bible, being baptized, taking communion, having fellowship, serving each other with talents and gifts, and outreach to the community.

Wherever God's people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church. Under the care of pastors and leaders, the church's members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of promoting and pleasing Jesus.