WHAT WE
BELIEVE

Here's the quick summary:

We're here to point people to Jesus, teach the Bible and encourage people to continue on the path following Jesus, practicing the things He teaches in their everyday lives.

 

Our purpose is grounded in Scripture, including John 14:6, 1 John 2:6, and 1 Corinthians 11, which emphasize following Christ's example.

 

People often embark on their faith journey with a mix of emotions. They may feel relief from sin's burden through salvation but also encounter confusion amidst various Bible translations, denominations, and conflicting opinions from family and friends.

 

People generally navigate this journey in two ways: some become overwhelmed and drift away from faith, while others dive into Bible study and church participation trying to grow as quickly as possible. However, these all or nothing extremes can be unhealthy.

 

At the heart of both extremes are the questions people have about how to handle the Bible itself.  Do you need to learn it all?  Is it all equally important?  Where do I start?  While we wholeheartedly believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and all of it can be useful for teaching, correction, encouragement, and inspiration, it’s essential to understand that not all parts of the Bible are equally important. We classify God's teachings into three categories: 

 

1. Essential for Salvation: These core teachings are crucial for salvation.

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2. Important for Growth: These lessons are necessary for spiritual growth.

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3. Personal Preferences: These are non-essential matters of personal belief with room for diversity.

 

The number of essential lessons is minimal, making them easily attainable for the new believer in the beginning leg of their journey. Important growth lessons are more extensive but designed to be learned over your life as you faithfully follow Jesus. Personal preferences allow for diverse perspectives without affecting salvation.

 

Category 1: Essential for Salvation includes teachings about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, humanity, eternity, the priesthood of believers, salvation, and baptism. (Click the link below to see our full statement of beliefs)

 

Category 2: Important for Growth encompasses various teachings that aid spiritual development and maturity, such as serving others, managing emotions, and deepening prayer life.  (Click the link below to see our full statement of beliefs including a more detailed list of these Important lessons.)

 

Category 3: Personal Preferences comprises non-essential beliefs, like views on end times, angels, or miraculous gifts.  (Click the link below to see a more detailed explanation about personal preferences in our full document)

 

Like Jesus, it’s our desire to maintain a balance between grace and truth. Grace and truth work together to create a wholesome faith experience encouraging people to “major on the majors”, allow each other time to grow and mature around the Important lessons and recognize early on that there is great freedom in Christ for people to embrace a variety of personal preferences that have no impact on salvation.  

 

In matters of personal preference, we emphasize love, unity, and avoiding unnecessary division. Our goal is to foster a supportive community that prioritizes essential beliefs while respecting diversity in non-essential matters.  We call this a "Team Jesus" approach to life as a Christian and ministry in general.  

 

If these beliefs and Team Jesus approach resonate with you then we invite you to get connected with us at The Journey Church Online and explore your faith further. Reach out to us, and we'll connect you with resources and people to assist you on your journey of becoming a disciple of Jesus.  After all discipleship is best in the context of relationships with others who also want to follow Jesus and grow to be more and more like Him as they do.