What We Believe

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being" - Acts 17:28

Our Denomination

Eastside Covenant Church is part of a larger network called the Evangelical Covenant Church. The Covenant is a rapidly growing, multi-ethnic family of churches that began in the U.S. in 1885. Our affirmations listed below allow our doctrine and beliefs to be lived out in a spirit of humility, in practical discipleship, and with evidence of a life transformed by Jesus.
Covchurch.org

The Six Affirmations of the Evangelical Covenant Church

The Centrality of the Word of God

We believe the Bible is the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct. The transforming power of the word of God directs the life of the church. This leads us to affirm both men and women as ordained ministers and affirm a traditional sexual ethic. The centrality of the word is our foundation for every act of justice and mercy.

The Necessity of New Birth

The Apostle Paul wrote, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, TNIV). New birth in Christ means committing ourselves to him and receiving forgiveness, acceptance, and eternal life. It means being alive in Christ, and this life has the qualities of love and righteousness, joy and peace.

A Commitment to the Whole Mission of the Church

The early Covenanters were known as “Mission Friends”— people of shared faith who came together to carry out God’s mission both far and near. Mission for them and for us includes evangelism, Christian formation, and ministries of compassion, mercy, and justice.

The Church as a Fellowship of Believers

Membership in the Covenant Church is by confession of personal faith in Jesus Christ and is open to all believers. We observe baptism and Holy Communion as sacraments commanded by Jesus. The Church is a family of equals sharing in the ministry of the church: as the New Testament teaches that within Christian community there is to be neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, but all are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

A Conscious Dependence on the Holy Spirit

The Covenant Church affirms the Trinitarian understanding of one God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The New Testament tells us that the Holy Spirit works both within individuals and among them. The Holy Spirit instills in our hearts a desire to turn to Christ, and who assures us that Christ dwells within us. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to us as individuals and binds us together as Christ’s body.

The Reality of Freedom in Christ

The Apostle Paul wrote, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1, TNIV). This freedom is a gift of God in Christ, and it manifests itself in a right relationship with God and others. United in Christ, we offer freedom to one another to differ on issues of belief or practice where the biblical and historical record seems to allow for a variety of interpretations of the will and purposes of God.

Core Beliefs

God

There is one eternally existing God who has three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is the creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible, and is therefore worthy of all glory and praise. God is perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, justice, and mercy. God is unchangeable and therefore is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Revelation

God has revealed himself to us through his son, Jesus Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God, the holy scriptures, and through all of creation itself.

Humankind

God created male and female in his image for His glory. Humans were created without sin and appointed as caretakers of the rest of God's creations, to be in perfect peace and fellowship with God, with one another, and with creation.

The Fall

When humanity chose not to obey God, they ceased to be what they were made to be and became distorted images of God. This caused them to fall out of fellowship with God, and fractured all of creation ever since that time.

Salvation

Jesus Christ came to reconcile us with God. He lived a life without sin and willingly died on the cross to be a sacrifice for our transgressions. God raised him from the dead and now, by grace, offers as a free gift eternal life to all who follow Christ, by faith, as their Lord and Savior.

The Church

The Church is meant to be the visible body of Christ, sent into the world to glorify God and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Resurrection

Jesus Christ is returning one day to judge both the living and the dead and to usher in the fullness of God's kingdom on earth.