Beliefs & Practices - eleven34 COMMUNITIES

What we believe and how we practice those beliefs matters deeply. As Christians, these beliefs must be firmly rooted in the Bible, God’s Holy Word given to Mankind. These beliefs do not waver with emotion or culture, though their expressions may vary. Here is the eleven34 Communities Statement of doctrinal stance, our core values, and our practices to live out those values.

Recognizing that those in the Church and throughout Church history have held varying interpretations of Scripture and doctrinal Truth, we want to clarify our stance within historical, biblical Christianity. The Nicene Creed (below) offers a beautifully articulated summary of our most fundamental doctrinal stances.

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

* Note: catholic refers to the universal Church, the Bride and Body of Christ – not in specific reference to the Roman Catholic Church

Doctrinal Stances:

THE TRINITY

It is the testimony of both the Old and New Testaments and of the Christian Church that God is both One and Triune. The biblical revelation testifies that there is only one God and that He is eternally existent in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

2 CORINTHIANS 13:14 | JOHN 1:14 | MATTHEW 28:19 | MATTHEW 3:16-17

GOD THE FATHER – YHWH

God the Father is the creator and sustainer of all things, and He created the universe in love. He created man in His own image for fellowship and called man back to Himself through Christ after the rebellion and fall of man.

2 TIMOTHY 3:16 | HEBREWS 4:12 | 1 PETER 1:23-25 |
2 PETER 1:19-21

GOD THE SON – Yeshua/Jesus

Jesus Christ is eternally God. He was together with the Father and the Holy Spirit from the beginning, and through Him all things were made. For man’s redemption, He left heaven and became incarnate by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary; henceforth, He is forever one Christ with two natures—God and man—in one person.

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT – Ruach ha’Kodesh

The Holy Spirit is God, the Lord and giver of life, who was active in the Old Testament and given to the Church in fullness at Pentecost. He empowers the saints for service and witness, cleanses man from the old nature and conforms us to the image of Christ. The baptism in the Holy Spirit, subsequent to conversion, releases the fullness of the Spirit and is evidenced by the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11 | LUKE 11:13 | JOHN 7:37-39, 14:16,17, 16:7-14 | ACTS 2:1-18

HOLY SCRIPTURE – The Bible

We affirm that the Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, is alone the only infallible, inspired Word of God, and that its authority is ultimate, final, and eternal. It cannot be added to, subtracted from, or superseded in any regard. The Bible is the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction, and reproof. It contains all that is needed for guidance in godliness and practical Christian conduct.

2 TIMOTHY 3:16 | HEBREWS 4:12 | 1 PETER 1:23-25 | 2 PETER 1:19-21

THE ATONEMENT

Christ’s vicarious death on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world, but its benefits are only applicable to those who receive Jesus as their personal Savior. Healing—body, soul, and spirit—and all of God’s provisions for His saints, are provided for in the atonement, but these must be appropriated.

ACTS 4:12 | ROMANS 4:1-9, 5:1-11 | EPHESIANS 1:3-14

THE FALL OF MAN

We believe that man, in his natural state, is a sinner- lost, undone, without hope, and without God. As God’s most precious creation, God gave his very best for each and every human to ever be born, but it is up to each individual to receive Him.

ROMANS 3:19-23 | GALATIANS 3:22 | EPHESIANS 2:1,2,12

SALVATION

The Word of God declares clearly that salvation is a free gift of God, based on the merits of the death of His Son, and is appropriated by faith. Salvation is effected by personal repentance, belief in the Lord Jesus (justification), and personal acceptance of Him into one’s life as Lord and Savior (regeneration). The new life in Christ includes the privileges of adoption and inheritance in the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Salvation is an act of free will in response to God’s personal love for mankind. It is predestined only in the sense that God, through His omniscience, foreknew those who would choose Him. It is secure in the eternal, unchanging commitment of God who does not lie and is forever the same. Salvation should produce an active lifestyle of loving obedience and service to Jesus Christ our Savior.

ACTS 4:12 | ROMANS 4:1-9, 5:1-11 | EPHESIANS 1:3-14

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

We believe that the Scriptures portray the life of the saint in this world to be one of balance between what is imputed to us as Christians and what is imparted to us according to our faith and maturity. Hence, God’s provision for His children is total, and the promises are final and forever. The shortcomings of the individual and of the Church are because of the still progressing sanctification of the saints. The Christian life is filled with trials, tests, and warfare against a spiritual enemy. For those abiding in Christ until their deaths or His return, the promises of eternal blessing in the presence of God are assured. To remain faithful through all circumstances of life requires dependence upon the Holy Spirit and a willingness to die to personal desires and passions.

THE CHURCH – Its Purpose & Leadership

The goal of the Church is to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) make disciples of all nations and to present the saints complete in Christ. The five-fold ministry of Ephesians 4 governs the Church, the offices of elder and deacon, as well as other offices mentioned in scripture. Church policy is a balance between congregation and eldership authority, emphasizing the final authority of the Church leadership. It is essential to the life of the Church that scriptural patterns of discipline are practiced and that oversight for Church discipline, individual and corporate, is exercised by the leadership of the Church.

BAPTISM AND COMMUNION

The Word of God enjoins on the Church two perpetual ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first, baptism, is the outward sign of what God has already done in the individual’s life and is a testimony to all that the person now belongs to Jesus. It is identification with Jesus and is effected in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the death of the Lord and is done in remembrance of Him until He comes again; it is a sign of our participation in Him. Both institutions are restricted to those who are believers.

MATTHEW 28:19 | 1 CORINTHIANS 11:24-26)

ESCHATOLOGY

We affirm the bodily, personal, second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saints, the millennium, and the final judgment. The final judgment will determine the eternal status of both the saints and the unbelievers, based on their relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We affirm the final state of the new heavens and the new earth.

BIBLICAL MARRIAGE

We believe in unconditional love for everyone while remaining unwavering in our loyalty to God’s Holy word. We believe that because God our Creator established marriage as a sacred institution between one man and one woman, the idea that marriage is a covenant only between one biological man and one biological woman has been the traditional definition of marriage for all of human history. Because of the longstanding importance of the Traditional Definition of Marriage to humans and their relationships and communities, and, most importantly, the fact that God has ordained that marriage be between one man and one woman, as clearly conveyed in God’s inerrant Scriptures, including for example in Matthew 19:4-6 where in speaking about marriage Jesus referred to the fact that “he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,”

eleven34 Communities Core Values

Passionate and whole love for God – total surrender/submission to Him
Selfless love for others
Unity among Christians – diverse family of brothers and sisters
Disciples Making Disciples
Expanding God’s Kingdom (here and in eternity)
Christ is the Center of our Purpose, Identity, and Fulfillment
Devoted Worshippers
Loving Families
Equipped Disciple Makers
Spirit-Filled Missionaries
Suffering Sojourners

eleven34 Communities PRACTICES

Simplicity rather than Production
Spirit-Led Gatherings over humanly planned service order
Contribution over Consumerism
Small Gatherings
Communion, Worship, Word, Prophecy
Intentional and multiplying discipleship
Regular church multiplication