AS A COMMUNITY OF CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLDS, WE ASK THAT OUR MEMBERS AFFIRM THE BASIC TENETS OF THE HISTORIC FOUNDATIONAL CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES EXPRESSED IN THE STATEMENT OF FAITH BELOW:
WE BELIEVE…
1. In one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing together in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through written revelation (Scripture) and general revelation (creation), He reveals His eternal power, invisible attributes, and unfailing love.
2. That Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, is true God and true man, and the eternal and only begotten Son of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven where, at the right hand of the Father, He serves as the perfect mediator between God and man.
3. That the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, co-equal with the Father and Son for all eternity, is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and, during this age, to convict, regenerate, baptize, indwell, transform, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and service.
4. The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the divine and final authority for Christian faith and life.
5. That mankind, both male and female, was created in the image of God but rebelled against Him and fell from their sinless state. Being severed from the Creator and subject to His divine wrath, man finds himself utterly hopeless, alienated from his God and fellow man, unable to restore himself without divine intervention by the Triune God.
6. Salvation is the free gift of God by grace and through faith alone in the person of Jesus Christ. His Death and Resurrection provide the only grounds for justification and salvation. All who believe are declared righteous in Christ, completely forgiven of the debt of their sin, adopted as children of God, and made co-heirs with Christ. Biblical faith is characterized by repentance and a changed life.
Additional Notes:
In keeping with God’s design for manhood and womanhood, we believe God created each person male or female as two distinct genders who, together, reflect the image of God; and that, as a representation of Christ’s relationship with His church, marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman.
While agreement with these foundational doctrines of the Christian faith is required for membership in A Candle in the Window Hospitality Network, we recognize that there is room for diversity on important, yet secondary, issues (such as church government, modes of baptism, spiritual gifts, eschatology, styles of music, diet, etc.) among committed believers. We humbly request that in these areas, our members show love and grace, making room for differences and remembering that the purpose of ACWHN is to facilitate biblical hospitality within the body of Christ and not to teach, persuade, or argue secondary doctrines.
