Making and maturing disciples to the glory of God

What We Believe

OUR MISSION

Trailhead Christian Fellowship exists to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and to encourage and assist individuals in finding God’s purpose in their lives. We seek to glorify God through the growing of a biblical spiritual family devoted to the making of disciples of Jesus Christ.

Statement of Faith

1. The Bible

We believe that the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, are the inerrant, inspired Word of God. We believe the Scriptures are God’s truth, given to guide us to the knowledge that leads to salvation and to right, godly living. The Bible is the final authority for Christian faith and life. 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

2. The Trinity

We believe in one God, who exists eternally and in unity as three distinct yet fully divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are the same in substance, equal in power and glory, yet different in role.  Dt. 6:4; Mathew 28:19; John 15:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Eph. 2:18.

3. God the Father

God is spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. He is the only one living and true God whose name is the LORD, the Maker, Sustainer, and supreme Ruler of heaven and earth who has designed everything in existence for His specific purposes and glory.  God is fully omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere-present), not given to learning or subject to the will of man.  Isaiah 6:3; 55:8-11; Jer. 10:10; Rev. 2:4-11.

4. Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is fully and truly both God and man, having two natures inseparably united in one divine person without confusion, mixture, separation, or division. Each nature retains its own attributes. In the incarnation, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect life among us, died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, then arose from the dead and ascended into Heaven where He sits at the right hand of God as our Advocate.  He is the only Mediator between God and man, and He will come again in glory and judgment.  Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1-5, 14; Romans 1:1-5; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:6-11; Hebrews 1:1-4; 1 Peter 2:22-25.          

5. Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son, and He dwells in the hearts of believers, effecting their regeneration, sealing their salvation, and operating in their sanctification. The Holy Spirit is the Helper of believers and the Church, giving spiritual gifts and empowering godly obedience.  Luke 24:49; John 14:16-26; Romans 8:14-17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11; 12: 4-11; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 1 John 2:27.  

6. Creation

God, by the power of His word, created from nothing the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. He further preserves and governs all His creatures and all their actions according to His most holy, wise, and powerful providence. All of creation ultimately serves the purpose of glorifying God and expressing His might and majesty.  Gen. 1; Ps. 19:1-4; 104:24-32; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 11:3

 7. Man

After God made all other creatures, He created mankind, consisting of two biologically distinct sexes, both male and female.  Mankind is a special creation of God, bearing His image and possessing an eternal soul, marked with a conscience and an innate need to worship. The first man and woman were the historical persons of Adam and Eve, from whom all mankind are descendants. Ultimately, mankind’s purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  Gen. 1:26-27; Psalm 19:1; Is. 43:7; 1 Cor. 10:31

8. Marriage

God gave us the institution of marriage.  Marriage is the uniting of one biological man and one biological woman in a loving covenant commitment for a lifetime. God designed sexual intimacy as a gift to be exercised within the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman for the purpose of closeness, pleasure, and the means for procreation of the human race. Marriage is a symbol of the covenantal love that Christ has for His Bride, the Church, and is to be held in honor by all believers.  Genesis 1:26-28; 2:18-25; Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:22; Proverbs 5:15-17; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:13; 7:39; Ephesians 5:22-33; Hebrews 13:4.

9. Life

God gave us the gift of life.  God’s standard is that all human life should be considered sacred from conception; that life should be respected and protected.  Exodus 20:13; Jeremiah 1:4-5; Matthew 26:50-53.                                                                            

10. Fall/Sin

Adam sinned and fell in his responsibility, and he and the whole human race after him entered into a state of inability to conform to the character of God by their nature, thoughts, or actions.  Death originated due to sin entering the world, and thus mankind became estranged from their Creator, deserving of death as the just punishment for sin.  Genesis 3; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 5:15-21; Ephesians 2:1-3.

11. Salvation

Because all have sinned, atonement must be made in order for man to be reunited to God in right relationship.  Jesus Christ made a complete atonement for His people through His substitutionary, sacrificial death on the cross and subsequent resurrection from the grave.  He gives His righteousness to all believers and secures full redemption, reconciliation, and justification for all who repent of their sin and trust in Him alone for salvation.  Salvation is a gift from God by grace, not earned by any human works or merit. All who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and are given the gift of eternal life. Genesis 1:1,26; Psalm 51:5; Isaiah 53:4-12; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 10:45; John 1:12-13; 3:3-16; 10:28-29; Romans 3:21-28; 5:6-12; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:2-21; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:3-8.

12. The Church

We believe that the Church is composed of all persons who through faith in Jesus Christ have been redeemed by His blood and are born again of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. The Church is the body of believers of Christ who are united in fulfilling the Lord’s command to make disciples among all peoples.   The local church  preaches the gospel of Christ, worships God in spirit and in truth, administers the ordinances, embodies covenantal community, and exercises discipline.  Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 11:11-24; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 1:20-23; 4:15.

We shall join with other Christians of like-minded faith in common goals and ministries to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission.  Although our Church is independent of any denomination, we shall work with other Christians and Churches in the spirit of unity with our Lord and with each other.  Psalm 133:1; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:3-13; Philippians 1:3-11; 2:1-2.

13. Ordinances

We believe that Jesus Christ prescribed that His Church observes two ordinances to exalt and remember His work of the gospel: Water Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Our practice demonstrates the belief that baptism is for those who have expressed saving repentance and faith, symbolically demonstrating union with Christ’s death and resurrection, by being immersed in water in the name of the triune God. However, we do not require members to hold to a credobaptism viewpoint. The Lord’s Supper is for redeemed people of God to commemorate His death through partaking of bread and the fruit of the vine, symbolic elements of Christ’s broken body and shed blood. These ordinances have special significance to believers but are not of themselves a means of salvation. Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

14. Jesus Christ’s Return

Jesus Christ will return bodily to judge the world in righteousness and truth. After final judgment the redeemed will dwell with God forever in the new creation with glorified bodies, and the unredeemed will dwell forever in hell with Satan and his demons.  Daniel 7:9-14; Matthew 25:32-46; John 5:22-29; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 21:1-8.