God
There is one and only one living and true God. He is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. God is perfect in all His attributes. Though God is one Person, He reveals Himself as bearing three relationships to man. He is the eternal triune God, three in one: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. Jesus is the clear revelation of God. He is God showing Himself to us. He is one with the Father. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is one with the Father and the Son. He is God in spiritual manifestation. The Holy Spirit is a Person, possessing all the attributes of God. The Holy Spirit is present in the world to make people aware of their need for salvation through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He convicts of sin, comforts during difficult times, provides power for living, provides understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He also gives every believer a spiritual gift, or gifts, by which they minister to the church. As followers of Christ, we seek to live under His control daily. It is not how much of the Holy Spirit the Christian has, but how much of the Christian the Holy Spirit has.
The Bible
The Bible is God’s word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Bible contains the message of God’s love, redemption, and purpose for mankind. It is the supreme source of Truth for Christian beliefs and living. The Bible has God for its author, salvation for its end, and, truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.
Human Beings
People are created in the image of God, and are called to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by sin that separates us from God and causes many problems in life.
Salvation
Salvation is God’s free gift to us. It cannot be earned by good works or self-improvement. It is given by God’s grace. However, it must be accepted. Only by receiving Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness, can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty of death. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith, we are saved. Eternal life with God begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his or her life by faith.
Eternal Security
The Bible teaches the security of the believer. Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If a person has been genuinely saved, he or she cannot lose their salvation. In other words, “once saved, always saved.” Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives the believer this security.
Eternity
People were created to exist forever. Death is not the end but the beginning. Heaven and hell are real places. We will live eternally in one of those two places. Those who have never trusted Christ will be forever separated from God in hell. Those who have trusted Christ will live forever in heaven in the presence of God.
Lordship of Christ
We acknowledge that NVBC is Jesus’ church. Therefore, we choose to submit ourselves and the plans of the church to His will. We desire for NVBC to become more and more like Jesus. (Ephesians 1:22-23; Matthew 16:18)
Godly Leadership
We believe that our church should be led by godly, Spirit-filled staff and lay people who set an example for other believers to follow. We believe that the leaders of NVBC should be servant leaders, displaying the heart and character of Christ.
(Ephesians 4:11-13; John 13:14-15)
Grace-Orientation
We emphasize God’s grace through Jesus Christ and, therefore, encourage our people to serve Him from hearts of sincere love and gratitude rather than guilt and duty.
(Romans 6:14)
Corporate Worship
We worship God because He alone is worthy of worship. Therefore, we value gathering together weekly, according to the Lord’s command, to meet God as we glorify the Father, lift up the name of Jesus, and experience the presence of the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 2:47; Hebrews 10:25)
Biblical Teaching and Preaching
We believe that the Bible is God’s inspired Word that, when applied, leads to changed lives. Therefore, we strive to teach and preach God’s Word with sincerity and authority so that believers will mature in Christ and unbelievers will come to know Him.
(2 Timothy 3:16)
Sense of Community
We believe that we are called to be the family of God, cultivating Christ-like relationships with other believers. Building relationships is indispensable to spiritual birth and spiritual growth. We believe that life change happens best in small groups.
(Acts 2:42, 44-46)
Mobilized and Committed Congregation
We believe that God has gifted every member to serve in the body of Christ. It is the responsibility of the leaders to equip believers for works and service. It is the members’ responsibility to commit their time, talents, and treasures to NVBC and be loyal to the fellowship.
(Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Peter 4:10)
Lost People
We believe that lost people matter to God, and therefore, matter to us. We desire to reach as many people for Christ as possible. It is our personal and corporate responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission by telling others about Jesus.
(Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 15)
Prayer
We believe prayer is our power source. Through private and corporate prayer, we ask God to reveal His purposes and display His power at NVBC.
(Matthew 7:7-11, Acts 2:42)
Excellence
We believe that we should do ministry with excellence. When we do and give our best, we honor God and follow His example of excellence.
(Colossians 3:23-24)