Thrive Community Church stands on the tradition of historic evangelical confessionalism. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.We hold to the BF&M, 2000 as our comprehensive doctrinal statement. We wish to make known our convictions on the following five distinctive theological foundations.
1. Gospel Centrality
We believe the gospel is the good news of what God has graciously accomplished for sinners through the sinless life, sacrificial death, and bodily resurrection of his Son, our Savior King, Jesus Christ, namely our forgiveness from sin and its penalty- spiritual death, and complete justification before God. New life is available to all people through the atoning sacrifice of the Son. The salvation offered in this gospel message is received by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; no ordinance, ritual, work, or any other activity on the part of man is required in order to be saved.
This gospel is centered in Christ, is the foundation for the life of the Church, and is our only hope for eternal life; this gospel is not proclaimed if Christ’s penal substitutionary death and bodily resurrection are not central to our message. It is the mandate of each Christian to be fluent in the gospel and share it with others often.
This Gospel is not only the means by which people are saved, but also the truth and power by which people are being saved; it is the truth of the Gospel that enables and empowers us to genuinely and joyfully do what is pleasing to God and to grow in progressive conformity to the image of Christ.
Finally, this gospel is also the foundation for our confidence in the ultimate triumph of God’s kingdom, which we partially experience here on Earth through the Church, but will fully experience upon Christ’s second coming. This gospel assures all believers that their salvation will be made complete on the day of judgement, and they will be saved into eternal life in heaven, continually in the presence of the Father and in celebration with the saints.
(Mark 1:1; Luke 24:46-47; John 3:16-18; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 1:18-25; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2:2; 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; 9:13; Galatians 1:6-9; Ephesians 1: 7-10; Colossians 1: 19-20; 2 Timothy 1:8-14; 2 Peter 3: 11-13 Jude 3-4; Revelation 21:1-22:21)
This gospel is centered in Christ, is the foundation for the life of the Church, and is our only hope for eternal life; this gospel is not proclaimed if Christ’s penal substitutionary death and bodily resurrection are not central to our message. It is the mandate of each Christian to be fluent in the gospel and share it with others often.
This Gospel is not only the means by which people are saved, but also the truth and power by which people are being saved; it is the truth of the Gospel that enables and empowers us to genuinely and joyfully do what is pleasing to God and to grow in progressive conformity to the image of Christ.
Finally, this gospel is also the foundation for our confidence in the ultimate triumph of God’s kingdom, which we partially experience here on Earth through the Church, but will fully experience upon Christ’s second coming. This gospel assures all believers that their salvation will be made complete on the day of judgement, and they will be saved into eternal life in heaven, continually in the presence of the Father and in celebration with the saints.
(Mark 1:1; Luke 24:46-47; John 3:16-18; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 1:18-25; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2:2; 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; 9:13; Galatians 1:6-9; Ephesians 1: 7-10; Colossians 1: 19-20; 2 Timothy 1:8-14; 2 Peter 3: 11-13 Jude 3-4; Revelation 21:1-22:21)
2. God's Sovereignty
We affirm that God is totally sovereign in all matters in heaven and on earth and that because he is sovereign he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, according to his sovereign good pleasure and will.
We believe that through the work of the Holy Spirit, God will draw the elect to faith in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, graciously and effectually overcoming their stubborn resistance to the gospel so that they willingly believe.
We also believe that these, the elect of God whom he gave to the Son, will persevere in belief and godly behavior and be kept secure in their salvation by grace through faith.
We believe that God’s sovereignty in this salvation neither diminishes the responsibility of people to believe in Christ nor marginalizes the necessity and power of prayer and evangelism, but rather reinforces and establishes them as the ordained means by which God accomplishes his ordained ends.
(John 1:12-13; 6:37-44; 10:25-30; Acts 13:48; 16:30-31; Romans 3:1-4:25; 8:1-17,31-39; 9:1-23; 10:8-10; Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:8-10; Philippians 2:12-13; Titus 3:3-7; 1 John 1:7,9)
We believe that through the work of the Holy Spirit, God will draw the elect to faith in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, graciously and effectually overcoming their stubborn resistance to the gospel so that they willingly believe.
We also believe that these, the elect of God whom he gave to the Son, will persevere in belief and godly behavior and be kept secure in their salvation by grace through faith.
We believe that God’s sovereignty in this salvation neither diminishes the responsibility of people to believe in Christ nor marginalizes the necessity and power of prayer and evangelism, but rather reinforces and establishes them as the ordained means by which God accomplishes his ordained ends.
(John 1:12-13; 6:37-44; 10:25-30; Acts 13:48; 16:30-31; Romans 3:1-4:25; 8:1-17,31-39; 9:1-23; 10:8-10; Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:8-10; Philippians 2:12-13; Titus 3:3-7; 1 John 1:7,9)
3. Spirit Empowered
We recognize and rest upon the necessity of the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit for all of life and ministry.
The Holy Spirit is fully God, equal with the Father and Son, whose primary ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ; he also convicts unbelievers of their need for Christ and imparts spiritual life through regeneration (the new birth).
The Spirit permanently indwells, graciously sanctifies, lovingly leads, and empowers all who are brought to faith in Christ so that they might live in obedience to the inerrant Scriptures.
The model for our reliance upon the Spirit and our experience of his indwelling and empowering presence is the Lord Jesus Christ himself who was filled with the Spirit and entirely dependent upon his power for the performance of miracles, the preaching of the kingdom of God, and all other dimensions of his earthly ministry.
The Holy Spirit who indwelt and empowered Christ in like manner indwells and empowers us through spiritual gifts he has bestowed for the work of ministry and the building up of the body of Christ. Although there are different understandings of the nature and function of these gifts, we recognize that they are divine provisions central to spiritual growth and effective ministry and are to be eagerly desired, faithfully developed, and lovingly exercised in accordance with Scripture.
(Matthew 3:11; 12:28; Luke 4:1, 14; 5:17; 10:21; John 1:12-13; 3:1-15, 34; 14:12; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Acts 2:14-21; 4:29-30; 10:38; Romans 8:9; 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-13; 12:28-31
The Holy Spirit is fully God, equal with the Father and Son, whose primary ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ; he also convicts unbelievers of their need for Christ and imparts spiritual life through regeneration (the new birth).
The Spirit permanently indwells, graciously sanctifies, lovingly leads, and empowers all who are brought to faith in Christ so that they might live in obedience to the inerrant Scriptures.
The model for our reliance upon the Spirit and our experience of his indwelling and empowering presence is the Lord Jesus Christ himself who was filled with the Spirit and entirely dependent upon his power for the performance of miracles, the preaching of the kingdom of God, and all other dimensions of his earthly ministry.
The Holy Spirit who indwelt and empowered Christ in like manner indwells and empowers us through spiritual gifts he has bestowed for the work of ministry and the building up of the body of Christ. Although there are different understandings of the nature and function of these gifts, we recognize that they are divine provisions central to spiritual growth and effective ministry and are to be eagerly desired, faithfully developed, and lovingly exercised in accordance with Scripture.
(Matthew 3:11; 12:28; Luke 4:1, 14; 5:17; 10:21; John 1:12-13; 3:1-15, 34; 14:12; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Acts 2:14-21; 4:29-30; 10:38; Romans 8:9; 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-13; 12:28-31
4. Church, Mission, and Kingdom
We embrace a missional understanding of the local church and its role as the primary means by which God chooses to establish his kingdom on earth. The church has a clear biblical mandate to look beyond its own community to the neighborhood, the nation, and the world as a whole; thus mission is not an optional program in the church but an essential element in the identity of the church.
We are called to make Christ known through the gospel and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring his lordship to bear on every dimension of life. The primary way we fulfill this mission is through all of life discipleship. Discipleship which raises up, ignites, equips and sends out Kingdom leaders; multiplying missional communities, planting new churches, and sending out missionaries to the ends of the Earth. We are a sending people.
We also believe we are responsible neither to retreat from our culture nor to conform to it, but with humility, through the Spirit and the truth of the gospel, to engage it boldly as we seek its transformation and submission to the lordship of Christ.
(Isaiah 52:7; Matthew 10:5-25; 28:18-20; Luke 4:18-19; 24:46-47; Acts 28:31; Romans 10:14-15; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Galatians 2:10; Ephesians 3:10; 4:11-16; 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10)
We are called to make Christ known through the gospel and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring his lordship to bear on every dimension of life. The primary way we fulfill this mission is through all of life discipleship. Discipleship which raises up, ignites, equips and sends out Kingdom leaders; multiplying missional communities, planting new churches, and sending out missionaries to the ends of the Earth. We are a sending people.
We also believe we are responsible neither to retreat from our culture nor to conform to it, but with humility, through the Spirit and the truth of the gospel, to engage it boldly as we seek its transformation and submission to the lordship of Christ.
(Isaiah 52:7; Matthew 10:5-25; 28:18-20; Luke 4:18-19; 24:46-47; Acts 28:31; Romans 10:14-15; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Galatians 2:10; Ephesians 3:10; 4:11-16; 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10)
5. Prayer, Presence, and Personal Renewal
We believe in the priority of prayer as the primary means to usher in the presence of God. Time spent in the presence of God leads to increased dependence upon his lordship and personal spiritual renewal of the heart.
Personal renewal leads to corporate renewal amongst God’s people. We eagerly seek and anticipate an in breaking of the Holy Spirit in our city, which will lead to widespread revival; a supernatural, kingdom expanding work of the Spirit where many lost souls come to saving faith by grace.
We take personal responsibility for revival in our city by committing ourselves to the spiritual practice of prayer, contending for more of his presence and power in our midst.
Personal renewal leads to corporate renewal amongst God’s people. We eagerly seek and anticipate an in breaking of the Holy Spirit in our city, which will lead to widespread revival; a supernatural, kingdom expanding work of the Spirit where many lost souls come to saving faith by grace.
We take personal responsibility for revival in our city by committing ourselves to the spiritual practice of prayer, contending for more of his presence and power in our midst.