Alignment Distinctives
See unique distinctions of our ecclesiology, core beliefs, and clarified theological convictions below.
Everyone within our network
matches varying levels of alignment.
Download our Network Overview to see required alignment
at each level of network membership.
Ecclesiology
Decentralized community
The Early Church operated in a decentralized structure, meeting in House Churches led by approved House Church Pastors so that each person in the broader Church could be part of a spiritual family with a pastor they were personally known and shepherded by. Decentralized from primary place and priest, House Church is the primary place of community and discipleship. We remove any other structures or programs that compete with participation in House Church.
Distributed leadership
House Churches are led by identified, trained, and empowered lay pastors, fulfilling all the qualifications listed in Timothy and Titus for an elder, carrying out all the functions of a pastor, and entrusted by the Church to shepherd people. House Church Pastors oversee the community, discipleship, benevolence, and discipline within their House Church, as well as perform baptisms, weddings, funerals, hospital visits, etc. for those in their
House Church.
Diverse community
House Churches are cross-generational, diverse gatherings of people in a home who share a meal, meet each other’s needs, and help one another grow in their faith. House Church represents a diverse spiritual family, rather than only a group of friends. Diversity includes ethnicity, spiritual maturity, gender, socio-economocial, and generational, with the sole identifier of inclusion being geographical proximity to a House Church.
Common oversight and identity
The Early Church gathered in large gatherings as well as House Churches throughout the week, all House Churches being overseen by a common plurality of Elders. In this way, House Churches are supported by Elders, given doctrinal and ecclesiological accountability, and live in community with other House Churches, helping ensure long-term health. Additionally, a Church of House Churches has exponential impact in their community through the shared resources and networking that an isolated House Church does not have on its own.
Core Beliefs
Belief statements
We believe there is only one God, who exists eternally as a Trinity of three persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. Each member of the Trinity is fully and equally God, yet personally distinct from one another.
We believe that God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, was crucified and died on the cross, was resurrected from the dead, and ascended to Heaven.
We believe the Holy Spirit of God comes to live within a person once they trust in Jesus as their Savior. The Holy Spirit indwells all believers to lead and empower life and relationship with God, to secure salvation, and to give gifts that build the church and spread the gospel.
We believe God created men and women to live in relationship with him. But, the first humans chose to rebel against God and brought sin into the world. Sin spread like a virus to all humans, and all have sinned, and that sin separated us from God.
We believe God created men and women in his image, that he made us to live forever. We will either exist eternally in community with God in Heaven through Jesus, or exist eternally separated from God in Hell by rejecting Jesus.
We believe that God loves the world, and by his grace delights and desires to grant forgiveness and eternal life to all who trust in Christ as their Savior. Jesus died on the cross as a perfect substitute for our penalty of sin, and resurrected to overcome the death penalty caused by sin. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ—not being good enough or doing enough good—that a person can be restored to a right relationship with God.
We believe that the Bible is God’s Word to us, written by men who were inspired by God. God wrote his Scriptures to reveal himself to mankind, to communicate with us, and to direct us in his best way to live life.
We believe that the Church is the Body of Christ consisting of believers worldwide, and that God has called believers to gather in local churches.
We believe that Christ will return to earth to conclude history and restore God’s plan for mankind.
Sex and gender
God created men and women out of his desire for design. In creation, physiologically, emotionally, sexually, etc. men and women are created differently to fit and function and fulfill purposes of their creation. Apart from obvious physiological signs, Scripture is clear that homosexuality is not God's design or desire for sexual and marital relationships. We do not elevate homosexuality over other sins, but respond to homosexuality as we would all sins. We love, encouraging repentance and submission to Jesus. When necessary in the church, as with all unrepentant sins, we respond with biblical steps of correction and discipline.
Abortion
God is the Creator of life. He decides and designs all life he creates. He initiates, and it is his decision when life is ended. Scripture is clear, and science reveals this truth to us, that life begins at conception. Ending life that God created is classified as murder. We respond to abortion as we do to other sins, such as murder. We encourage repentance, and teach forgiveness. God loved, forgave, and used repentant murderers in Scripture, and still does today.
Clarifying Theological Convictions
We consider these common theological topics often require further discussion with potential network churches.
Creation
We believe that God created—God literally created. We have freedom in theology of old earth or new earth. There is a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. This gap could have been milliseconds or millenniums. We don't believe in evolution creation. The focus is God, and God being Creator of creation, and creation being made to honor and reveal God.
Virgin birth
Jesus was born of a virgin. The sin nature is passed from father to children. Therefore, Jesus had no earthly father, and no sin nature.
Spiritual gifts / supernatural gifts
All spiritual gifts are given by God, and therefore all gifts are good. God gives gifts as he desires. All gifts are given to glorify Jesus and edify the Church. All believers have been given a gift or gifts by the Holy Spirit, but no believer has all of the gifts. No singular gift is necessary for or evidence of salvation. For example, tongues is a gift given to some who God chooses to give this gift, but not all believers have this gift. Therefore, tongues is not a sign of salvation, but a gift given to only some. We should eagerly desire the greater gifts (and tongues is the least of the gifts). We should seek to know and fully use our gifts for building up the Church.
Evangelism
Every follower of Christ is an ambassador on behalf of Christ. Christ reveals himself to the world through his followers. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, believers will be witnesses of Jesus to the entire world. Evangelism is the role of all, not just a gift for some.
Baptism
Baptism is a public confession of our faith by immersion, post-conversion. Jesus was baptized, he commanded his followers to be baptized, and told us to baptize others who follow him. The Greek word "baptizo" is the word used for baptism and means “immersion." Baptism by immersion is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Discipleship
Discipleship is the process of following and growing in our devotion and love of Jesus. Discipleship is the process of salvation that begins immediately after we trust in and receive Christ, and continues until we see Christ personally. Specifically, the beginning of our salvation is justification, the process of discipleship is sanctification, and the moment we see Jesus and remain with Him forever is glorification. Jesus made disciples. His main mandate to his followers was to go and make disciples. Discipleship is people leading people to know and love and follow Jesus.
Gender roles in ministry
Men and women are created equal but not exactly alike. Men and women have unique designs, given by the Creator. Through our unique designs, we have been given unique roles. Men and women have similar giftings, but not similar roles. Scripture delineates between the roles of women and men in marriage, home and in church. Women are crucial in their role in the marriage and family, as they are in church. Marriage and family don't exist without women, just as the church cannot exist without women fully functioning in their roles in the church. Scripture teaches that women lead in the church in a variety of ways, but God has reserved the roles of elders to men.
Alcohol
Scripture teaches that alcohol has many dangers associated with its use, and that alcohol is also a gift given by God—“wine that gladdens a man's heart.” Jesus made real wine out of water. Alcohol should be received and used as a gift of God. It must be used in its proper context and prescription given by God, just as other gifts, like sex. Sex is a gift given by God to be used within the context of marriage, and enjoyed within God's guidelines. Believers should never be drunk—meaning, affected in their emotions, decisions, etc. by alcohol. Believers should not be addicted to alcohol—meaning, they can go without drinking often, and should at times abstain from use to ensure there is no addiction. And, believers should be cautious of the times and places to consume alcohol, as the freedom to exercise its use should never discourage anyone in their faith.
Divorce
God's plan for marriage is that no husband and wife would ever divorce. Jesus did give an option for choosing and initiating divorce under the condition of an adulterous spouse. Jesus did not encourage divorce due to adultery, but gave an option due to the damage adultery inflicts on the offended spouse and on the covenant. Every person who is divorced is not accountable for the divorce. Just as some have been sinned against by being robbed are not accountable for the sin of the robber, or the one raped is not accountable for the sin of the rapist, or the one murdered is not accountable for the sin of the murderer, the one who had the sin of divorce committed against them is not accountable for the sin of the one who chose divorce. All persons in a marriage are sinners, and all persons will sin and be sinned against. Reconciliation and repentance should be pursued in all matters of sin in a marriage. In the case of abuse, there should be separation for safety, and ample opportunity for repentance given. We do not encourage a person to stay in an ongoing abusive situation, and in this case, would consider ongoing unrepentant abuse to be infidelity to the marriage covenant.
Eschatology
Concerning the timing of the return of Christ, we agree that Christ will return at the decision and discretion of the Father alone. The timing of Christ's return is unknown, even to Christ himself. But, Scripture is clear that there are signs indicating the general time of his return, and Scripture is clear as to many of the signs. We understand and accept that there are plausible biblical arguments concerning the timing of Christ's return, such as pre or post or mid-tribulation. We do not major on the mode of his return, but look forward to the moment of his return.
Eternal security
Salvation is a gift given by God, not based upon the goodness of the one who has received it. As it is given by the grace of God, not received by goodness, it cannot be remanded based upon the sin of the one who has been saved. Scripture teaches that the Spirit of God is given to us as a seal, guaranteeing our salvation. We have been adopted by the Father, our names are written in his Book of Life, we have been renamed, and Jesus said that nothing will take us out of his hand of protection and salvation.