• The Church As a Community
  • Non-Denominational
  • Evangelical
  • The Scriptures
  • The Trinity
  • Jesus Christ
  • Personal Salvation
  • Baptism and the Lord's Supper
  • Government
  • Spiritual Gifts
  • Hope
  • Summary
  • The Apostles' Creed
  • The Nicene Creed
  • The Chalcedonian Creed
  • Our Response to the Current
    Social Issues and Moral Trends

    		•
    The Church as a Community

    Jesus Christ is the Head of the church; therefore, we depend upon Him for our life and direction. We believe the church is God's holy, indwelt people, and as such the church is:

    • to worship Him,
    • to be in community with one another,
    • to extend His redemptive message to the world.
    Therefore, Zionsville Fellowship is structured to promote these priorities. We emphasize the priesthood of the believer and encourage all members to a life of worship and service. This calls for a high degree of involvement of all the people in the church. We are committed to healthy relationships and see people as a priority. We believe in actively loving and caring for one another and, as a church, we seek to channel our time, money, personal resources, and energy into people. Consequently, before programs and facilities, we are interested in a substantial ministry to people. In order to accomplish this, our church life is simple and not highly structured. The Sunday morning meeting is informal with emphasis on worship, teaching, and fellowship. House groups meet during the week to promote care, encouragement, and growth among believers (Acts 2:41-47, 4:32-35; Rom. 12:9-17; Gal. 6:2; Eph. 1:7-12, 22-23, 2:19-22, 3:20-21, 4:1-2, 32, 5:23; Col. 1:18, 3:12-17; Heb. 12:1-17; I Pet. 2:5-12).

    Non-Denominational

    Our church did not originate from any particular denomination, does not belong to any conference or denomination, and does not prescribe to any one denomination's doctrinal statement, covenant, or constitution.

    Seeking the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, we wish to have association or fellowship with other groups of Christians or churches. We are open to opportunities for expressing our unity with the worldwide Body of Christ and working for His Kingdom (Eph. 4:3-6).

    Evangelical

    Webster's Dictionary defines an evangelical as one “emphasizing salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of preaching as contrasted with ritual.” At Zionsville Fellowship, we stand in this evangelical tradition.

    The Scriptures

    We believe the Bible is God's authoritative and inspired Word. It is without error in all its teaching, including creation, history, its own origins, and salvation. Christians are to submit to its divine authority, both individually and corporately, in all matters of belief and conduct (John 5:39; II Tim. 3:16-17; I Pet. 1:23-25; II Pet. 1:20-21).

    The Trinity

    We believe in the Trinity: that God is three Divine persons in One Nature, co-equal and co-existent. The Trinity is the basis of all reality and exists as infinite and personal. Because He is infinite, God is limitless in power, in presence, and in knowledge. He exists above and apart from all that He created. Because He is personal, He may be known by man (Matt. 3:16-17, 28:19-20; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:18, 14:8-20; II Cor. 13:14; I Pet. 1:1-2; Jude 21).

    Jesus Christ

    In lieu of the misunderstandings about the person of Jesus Christ, we would like to state clearly what we do believe regarding Him. To that end, we believe the following doctrines, which have their basis in the Bible, are essential:

    1. That Jesus Christ is the second Person of the Trinity; therefore, He has always been God.
    2. That He became a man through the virgin birth and yet did not cease to be fully God.
    3. That He led a perfectly sinless life, even while He was tempted in all respects like we are.
    4. That He performed supernatural miracles as acts of compassion and proofs of His deity.
    5. That He gave up His life as a sacrifice to God the Father in order to redeem man from sin and its consequences.
    6. That He rose again from the dead in order to show His victory over death.
    7. That He ascended into Heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father.
    8. That he will come again at the end of the age to judge all mankind; to the righteous He will give eternal life with Him; to those who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be eternal separation from Him.

    Personal Salvation

    We believe that the salvation of an individual is a free gift of God received through repentance from sin and faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This salvation is expressed in a public confession through baptism and participation in the church, the Body of Christ (John 1:12, 3:16-18, 10:28; Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 2:41; Eph. 1:13-14; I Pet. 1:3-5).

    Baptism and the Lord's Supper

    We believe baptism and the Lord's Supper were initiated by Christ and are intended for our participation in this age. They are, however, not to be regarded as means of salvation. We encourage all members to participate regularly at the Lord's Table (Matt. 1:16-17, 26:26-30, 28:19-20; Acts 2:37-41; I Cor. 11:23-34).

    Government

    We believe the government of the local church is carried out by a plural eldership which is committed to serving the congregation. These elders have authority under God; the people are devoted to their serving leadership. The elders meet regularly to study, pray, and administer the Word of God. Their primary function is the ministry of the Word and prayer. The deacons have a spiritual ministry to physical needs. They oversee the building and its use, and administer the church finances - including care of the poor, missionary giving, and the general finances of the church (I Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-9; Acts 6:1-7; I Pet. 5:1-3).

    Spiritual Gifts

    We believe each member of the body of Christ has at least one spiritual gift. Not all members have the same gifts, or the same ministries, or the same effects; but these gifts are given for the common good of the body. All members and gifts should work together. Spiritual gifts should be used to serve others and glorify God (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:1-11, 28-31; Eph. 4:7-13; I Pet. 4:10-11).

    Hope

    We believe in the hope that has always characterized the church of Jesus Christ. We look forward to the second coming of Christ in bodily form and our participation with Him in the Kingdom which He will fully establish (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; I Cor. 15:51-58; I Thess. 4:13-18; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 9:27-28; I Pet. 5:4).

    Summary

    We teach and hold to those doctrines which have their basis in the Scriptures, are in keeping with the creeds of the early church councils, and have been held in common by all communions of orthodox believers. We desire to be in the “mainstream” of what the church has always taught, both in doctrine and in practice. We are not interested in new or novel doctrines. Therefore, as concise statements of our belief, we have chosen three creeds which are universally accepted by all orthodox churches. These are the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Chalcedonian Creed.

    THE APOSTLES' CREED

    I believe in God, the Father almighty,
    Maker of Heaven and earth;
    And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord;
    Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
    Born of the virgin Mary,
    Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    Was crucified, dead, and buried.
    The third day He rose from the dead.
    I believe in the Holy Ghost,
    The holy catholic Church,
    The communion of saints,
    The forgiveness of sins,
    The resurrection of the body,
    And the life everlasting,
    Amen.

    THE NICENE CREED

    We believe in one God the Father All-sovereign,
    Maker of Heaven and earth,
    And of all things visible and invisible;
    And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
    Begotten of the Father before all the ages,
    Light of Light, true God of true God,
    Begotten, not made,
    Of one substance with the Father,
    Through Whom all things were made;
    Who for us men and for our salvation
    Came down from the heavens,
    And was made flesh of the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary,
    And became man,
    And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
    And suffered and was buried,
    And rose again on the third day
    According to the Scriptures,
    And ascended into the heavens,
    And sits on the right hand of the Father;
    And comes again with glory to judge the living and dead;
    Of Whose kingdom there shall be no end;
    And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and the life-giver
    That proceeds from the Father and the Son
    Who with the Father and the Son is
    Worshipped together and glorified together,
    Who spoke through the prophets:
    In one holy, catholic and apostolic church;
    We acknowledge one baptism unto remission of sins.
    We look for a resurrection of the dead,
    And the life of the age to come.
    Amen.

    THE CHALCEDONIAN CREED

    Therefore, following the holy Fathers we all,
    with one accord
    teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son,
    our Lord Jesus Christ,
    at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood,
    truly God and truly man,
    consisting also of a reasonable soul and body;
    of one essence with us as regards His manhood;
    like us in all respects, apart from sin;
    as regards His Godhead,
    begotten of the Father before the ages,
    for us men and for our salvation,
    of Mary the virgin, the God-bearer;
    one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten,
    recognized in two natures,
    without confusion,
    without change,
    without division,
    without separation;
    the distinction of natures
    being in no way annulled by the union,
    but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved
    and coming together to form one person and subsistence,
    not as parted or separated into two persons,
    but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word,
    Lord Jesus Christ;
    even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of Him,
    and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught us,
    and the creed of the Fathers had handed down to us.

    Our Response to the Current Social Issues and Moral Trends

    Due to the erosion of morality in our culture, we affirm our commitment to Biblical morality as set forth specifically in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. We maintain the following:

    1. The integrity of marriage and the family. We are dedicated to preserving the sanctity of the marriage covenant and we call for the care of the church, not divorce, as the solution to marriage difficulties.
    2. The right to life for all human beings from conception until natural death. We believe abortion either for convenience or for birth control is murderous and sinful.
    3. The unique creation of mankind as male and female. We believe homosexual practice is sin.