Affirmations of Faith

With Christians of many communions, Praise Place Ministries proclaims our belief in the triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that God is the Creator of the Universe, that He has been involved in human history from the beginning of time, and will reign at the end of time forever. God the Father is the planner, Jesus is the executor of the Father’s plan, and the Holy Spirit is the Comforter Who convicts man of sin including unbelievers and empowers the Christian believer. God is one in essence and three in personality yet one true God. Man is likewise a triune being made up of body, soul and spirit and yet one person.

Our Creator God intended that man have a covenant relationship with Him. We believe that because of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, mankind has broken our covenant with God. The sin nature of Adam is inherited in his descendants and has brought death. We are in need of redemption because mankind has sinned and comes short of the Glory of God in Jesus Christ.

Christians share a common belief, regardless of their denomination or background, that salvation comes through the grace of God by faith in the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The key element of the gospel of salvation is the incarnation of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, was tempted by Satan, healed the sick, cast out demons, and raised the dead. Jesus ministered to all people who were in need of a Redeemer in a hurting world, regardless of their background, race, culture or class. Jesus later was tried illegally for claiming to be the Son of God. He was beaten and went through an agonizing and torturous death by crucifixion. When Jesus said “It is finished”, He had finished paying for the sins of the entire world in all times. After taking the Old Testament saints triumphantly to heaven following his atoning work, Jesus rose up from the dead. Jesus was victorious over sin, death and the grave. Forty days later he ascended to heaven after promising to send the Holy Spirit. Jesus will return again in glory and will reign forever. Because God truly loves us despite our sin, God calls us to repentance, forgives us completely when we repent, and give us grace when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

As new persons in Christ, we become members of the body of Christ. We are initiated and incorporated into the body of Christ by the sacrament of baptism signifying that we have received the promise of the Holy Spirit who transforms us. Through the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, we commemorate the life and work of Christ on the cross. We celebrate the risen presence of Jesus Christ as we offer up our sacrifices of praise and worship, tithes and offerings, and time and talents. We become Christians when we have stated publicly that they have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and members of the Body of Christ. Children will be taught and encouraged to pray and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior when they are able to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People of all ages will be taught how to follow Christ through Bible study, prayer and by seeking God’s will for their lives as the listen for His voice. The local church is provided as a place to gather, study, fellowship, and worship God. We worship our Lord and Savior through music, art, banners and flags, mime, theatre, puppets, movement and dance to the Glory of God as well as in our daily lives. We praise God through the reading of Scriptures, singing of hymns and praise songs, preaching and teaching of the Word of God, encouragement and exhortation of other believers, and by our willingness to let God touch our lives to change in the power of the Holy Spirit and mold us as He wills.

The Holy Spirit of God is involved in our personal lives and in the church. The church is the body of believers who have received Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit works through the church by convicting unbelievers and believers of sin, comforting those in a time of trouble, and empowering Christians to live in a closer walk with Jesus. The Holy Spirit ministers to the church through spiritual gifts, given as the Spirit wills. The gifts of the Holy Spirit as confirmed by the Apostle Paul include the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, translation of tongues, apostleship, pastoring, teaching, evangelism, prophecy, hospitality/helps and administration.

We share with other Christians the belief that the Holy Scripture is our authority as given by the early church as the inspired Word of God. The Word of God is alive and powerful, and is God-breathed. The Bible is comprised of sixty-six books written by dozens of authors, is inerrant and infallible in its purpose. The eternal message of the Bible is the demonstration of God’s love for man throughout history. For spiritual edification and growth, the Holy Scriptures provide an essential light on the pathway of life and a guidebook for how to follow Christ in this world. We look expectantly to the Second Coming of Christ and to joys of heaven to follow this life.