Our Beliefs

These basic doctrines within the Branch Life Church Statement of Faith represent what we believe to be core elements of Biblical teaching.


Our Distinctive Beliefs demonstrate our particular interpretation of the Bible in several areas. These Distinctive Beliefs are not universally held by all followers of Christ.


View our doctrinal beliefs below or download our full doctrinal & distinctive beliefs statement.

  • Revelation

    We believe that it is possible for man to know God (1) but only to the extent God reveals Himself to man, for apart from the divine self-revelation, finite man cannot know the infinite God (2). 


    We believe that God reveals Himself to all people through creation and conscience. This gives them a general sense of God's existence (3); a general awareness of His power (4), wisdom (5), majesty (6), and goodness (7); and a sense of man's ultimate accountability to God (8). We believe that God has further revealed Himself through the incarnation of His Son (9), and through the Holy Scripture (10).

  • Scripture

    We believe that the Bible is the final, complete, and infallible authority for our lives; that the Bible consists of sixty-six Old Testament and New Testament books; that as originally written, it is in its entirety verbally inspired by God; and that it is indeed the Word of God (11).

  • God

    We believe that there exists one living and true God (12); that in His being He is infinite (13), eternal (14), self-existent (15), unchanging (16), and ever-present (17); that in His nature He is spirit (18); that He is personal (19); that He is perfect and absolute in all His attributes (20), including those of His Holiness (21), His power (22), and His knowledge (23); that He is therefore sovereign in His position, just in all His decrees, and righteous in all His actions; that He is the cause of all existence beside Himself (24); and that the full comprehension of His person is beyond the capacity of finite man (25).


    We further believe that in His divine and infinite being there is a trinity of persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (26), sharing equally in every divine perfection while executing distinct but harmonious offices in every divine work (27). 


    God the Father

    We believe that the Father is truly God, and that in the Godhead He occupies a functional but not a positional superiority (28). These functions include, but are not limited to, creation (29), planning redemption (30), sending the Son (31), sending the Holy Spirit (32), raising the Son from the dead (33), and giving authority to the Son to judge the world (34). It is to the glory of the Father that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (35).


    God the Son

    We believe that Jesus Christ is truly God (36); that He is eternal (37), was active in the creation (38), and entered the realm of humanity by means of birth from a virgin, human mother, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit (39); and that although in His humanity He possessed a human nature and human limitations (40), yet without sin (41), He nevertheless did not cease to be God. We believe that the purpose of the incarnation was to provide redemption for men (42) by means of a predetermined (43), substitutionary (44), propitiatory (45) death on the cross; that Christ bodily rose from the dead (46) and ascended into heaven (47); and that He will one day return to earth (48). Furthermore, we believe that Jesus is presently the Advocate (49) and Great High Priest (50) of His people, the exalted Head of His Church (51), and the only Mediator between God and man (52).


    God the Holy Spirit

    We believe that the Holy Spirit is truly God (53); that Scripture was given by Him (54); that He convicts of sin; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony (55); that He is the regenerating agent in the new birth (56); that He seals (57), indwells (58), guides (59), gifts (60), teaches (61), confirms (62), sanctifies (63), and comforts (64) believers.

  • Satan

    We believe in the spirit being of Satan who was created by God as an angel but through pride and Rebellion became the enemy of his Creator. Satan is the unholy and temporary god of this world and ruler of all powers of darkness and sin (65).

  • Sin

    We believe in the reality of sin, that sin is departure from the purpose and will of God, and that the active originator of sin in the universe was Satan (66).

  • Creation and Humankind

    We believe that God created all things (67) and that man was created and is made in the image of God (68). Man was originally created sinless (69) but by choice fell from his sinless state (70). All of mankind are now sinners by nature and by choice (71), naturally inclined to evil (72), utterly devoid of the righteousness required by the law of God (73), and therefore, under just condemnation without defense or excuse (74).

  • Salvation

    We believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  Each person must choose to accept the forgiveness, salvation, and the reconciliation that God offers to us through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. There is nothing we can do to deserve this life—it is a free gift of God, and our responsibility is simply to receive it. 


    Grace

    We believe that it is by grace, God’s unmerited favor, we are saved through faith, and this is not from ourselves, but it is a gift of God. Grace is given freely not based on any good works, kind deeds or through baptism, intercessory prayer or communion (75).


    New Birth

    We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again (76); though formerly dead in sin, we are made alive in Christ (77). 


    Repentance and Faith

    We believe that repentance, a change of mind and purpose from sin and toward God, is an integral part of saving faith (78), and that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation (79). We believe that saving faith is trusting in Christ alone for salvation. 


    Justification

    We believe that justification, occurring at the time of new birth, is that judicial act of God whereby He imputes the righteousness of Christ to the believer and therefore declares the believer righteous; that it includes the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life, not in consideration of any works of righteousness we have done, but solely by grace through faith in Christ (80). 


    Sanctification

    We believe that sanctification is the work of God in all believers by which He changes our hearts and minds, and He continues making our character more and more like Jesus Christ (81).


    Eternal Destiny

    We believe that death seals the eternal destiny of each person. At the final judgment, each unbeliever will be separated from God and condemned to the lake of fire. Each believer will be received into God’s loving presence and rewarded for their faithfulness to Him in this life. Believers will spend eternity with God in the new Heaven and the new Earth (82).


  • Marriage & Family

    We believe that the Bible teaches marriage is to be exclusively the union of a biological man and woman. We also accept the Biblical prohibition of sex outside of marriage (83) and instructions to husbands, wives, and children as fully applicable to believers today (84).

  • The Church

    We believe, since Pentecost, born-again believers everywhere compose the Church in the universal sense, but the church is always expressed locally. The local church consists of a group of born-again, baptized believers who are organized according to Scripture; willingly submitted to the authority of the Biblically established leadership of the elders/overseers/pastors; served by deacons; self-governing; meeting together for the worship of God, fellowship, growth in Christ, serving each other, and reaching the lost (85). 


    The Ordinances of the church are symbolic acts of obedience and provide a vivid picture of the love and grace of God.  We believe Baptism and The Lord’s Table are the two God-given ordinances for the church.  


    Baptism

    Baptism is an outward sign of a person’s internal faith in Jesus Christ. This physical demonstration symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, but more importantly, communicates a believer’s loyalty and allegiance to Jesus Christ in a public way. Baptism is commanded in Scripture as an initial act of obedience by Christ-followers, but it is not conditional for one’s salvation. We believe in believer’s baptism by immersion in water (86). 


    The Lord’s Table

    The Lord’s Table (or Communion) is a physical act in which believers remember the death of Jesus. Jesus gave instructions for this act of worship to be an important time of remembrance, self-examination and proclamation (87).

Connected to Christ | Reaching Our World

Values

Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit." Every branch has two sides. One side is connected to the tree. The other reaches into the world, giving shade, shelter, fruit, and even air. This truth frames Branch Life's approach to what we do. These values guide how we seek to connect people to Christ and reach our world.

Unity

We believe that we are BETTER TOGETHER.

Generosity

We strive to be RADICALLY GENEROUS with our time, energy, and resources for the sake of our community.

Truth

We depend on GOD'S WORD to strengthen our connection to Christ as the Spirit leads us.

Connection

We value culturally engaging worship, practical teaching, and AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS.

Multiplication

We are fiercely committed to MULTIPLYING disciples, leaders, and churches.