Campus-Kreuzzug für Christ

youth for postive change

About God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and are one God. Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; I Peter 1:2; II Corinthians 13:14.

About Humankind
We are all made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. We are the supreme object of GodÂ’s creation. Although human kind has tremendous potential for good, we are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin". This attitude separates us from God. Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2.

About Eternity
We all were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. The place of eternal separation from God is called Hell. Heaven is the place of eternal union and eternal life with God. John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15 (Hell); Matthew 25:41; Revelation 21:27 (Heaven).

About Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all by dying on the cross. He arose from the dead after three days, demonstrating His power over sin and death. He was seen by over 500 people and returned to the Father to prepare a place for us. Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; John 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; I Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11.

About Salvation
Salvation is a gift from God to humankind. We can never make up for our sin by self improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as GodÂ’s offer of forgiveness can we be saved from sinÂ’s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment we receive Jesus Christ into our life by faith. Click here if you are interested in the Alpha class, which is a great place to explore these issues, ask questions, and go on your own spiritual journey at your own pace. Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, John 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:21.

About Discipleship
The Christian is called to live out the Great Commandment - to love God with all our heart and soul and our neighbors as ourselves; and the Great Commission - to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all Jesus commanded us. This is called disciplship, and it is what every Christian is called to. It simply means following after Jesus. Making disciples is at the very heart of who we are as a church, so we have made a separate statement clarifying what we mean by this. Click here to see our statement on discipleship. Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 22:37-40.

About Eternal Security
Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in this salvation for eternity. 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 this security. John 10:29; II Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10-14; I Peter 1:3-5.

About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son (of God). He is present in the world to make humankind aware of our need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live under his control daily. II Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12; 3: 16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1.

About the Bible
The Bible is GodÂ’s word to all humankind. It was written by human authors who were under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit so that what they wrote is the Word of God. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20,21; II Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160; Psalm 126; Proverbs 30:5.

About the Covenant
We are a covenant keeping church. God enters into a covenant (special binding agreement) with those whom he calls to be his sons and daughters. Covenant people have a special relationship with God and have a special responsibility. We keep covenant with God by living our lives as his children, by keeping covenant with our spouses and family and by keeping covenant with all believers regardless of race, age, gender or marital status. Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 32:38-40; II Corinthians 6:16-18; Romans 8:12-17; Acts 2:39; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Galatians 3:28-29; Ephesians 4:1-6.

About the Church
The Church is the living Body of Christ on earth. He is the head and the source of its life. We believe that all true believers want to be a part of the Church so they can grow in their faith, worship and fellowship with other believers, and make a united impact upon society. Ephesians 5:23; Romans 12:4-8; I Corinthians 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:1-16; Colossians 1:15-20. Click here if you'd like to see previews of our worship services, which is one of the ways we seek to be the church.

About the Sacraments
We believe there are two sacraments given by Christ to strengthen our faith as members of His Church. The first is Holy Baptism which is a sign and seal of GodÂ’s eternal covenant of grace for us and our children. Baptism symbolizes the washing away of our sins through the blood of Christ.

The second is the Sacrament of Holy Communion. The broken bread symbolizes the broken body of Christ. The cup symbolizes the blood of Christ poured out at the Cross for our salvation.. Christ is spiritually present in the bread and juice. When we celebrate Holy Communion our strength is strengthened. Genesis 17: 1-10; Deuteronomy 7:9; Matthew 19:13-15; 28:19; Acts 16:14-15; 30-33; Mark 14:22-25; I Corinthians 11:23-26; I Corinthians 1:16.

About Final Things About the End of Time
When history has run the course laid out for it in GodÂ’s plan, Jesus Christ will return in power and glory to judge the world and to complete the total victory over sin, death and Satan. At that time those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will enter heaven to be with him forever. Those who have not believed will be eternally separated from God. Acts 1:6-11; Mark 13:24-27; Revelation 1:7; I Peter 4:5; Matthew 24:29-31; 25:31-46.

What it means for us to be Reformed
Although we generally go by “Emmanuel Church,” our official name is “Emmanuel Reformed Church.” We’re part of a group of churches that connects way back to the 1500s when there was a great renewal in the churches in Europe. That period was called the Reformation – a time when a lot of Christians reformed their spiritual lives in order to get reconnected with God through the scriptures. So our name reflects that heritage. Click here to learn more about the Reformed faith.

The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, God's infallible written Word, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely, verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it was written without error (inerant) in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters on which it speaks.

We accept those areas of doctrinal teaching on which, historically, there has been general agreement among all true Christians. We desire to allow for freedom of conviction on other doctrinal matters, provided that any interpretation is based soley upone the Bible alone, and that no such interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the minstry to which God has called us.

We explicitly affirm our belief in basic Bible teachings, as follows:

1. There is one true God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the characterisitcs of personality.

2. Jesus Christ is God, the living Word, who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. Hence, He is perfect Deity and true humanity united in one person forever.

3. He lived a sinless life and voluntarily atoned for the sins of men by dying on the cross as their substitute thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone.

4. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died.

5. He ascended bodily into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own.

6. Man was originally created in the image of God. He sinned by disobeying God; thus, he was alienated from his Creator. That historic fall brought all mankind under divine condemnation.

7. Man's nature is corrupted, and he is thus totally unable to please God. Every man is in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

8. The salvation of man is wholly a work of God's free grace and it not the work, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby justified them in His sight.

9. It is the priveledge of all who are born again of the Spirit to be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit, but is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believer the testimony of God in His written word.

10. The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth and seals them until the day of redemption. His fullness, power and control are appropriated in the believer's life by faith.

11. Every believer is called to live so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God.

12. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of all men, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith.

13. God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification through the Scriptures and for mutual encouragement.

14. At physical death the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting glory and blessing.

15. At physical death the unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting judgement and condemnation.

16. Jesus Christ will come again to the earth - personally, visibly and bodily - to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.

17. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation. The fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all worldly and personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to "Him who loved us and gave Himself for us."