Hope Covenant is a Christian church. We follow Jesus, we teach from the Bible, and we worship God as the creator and ruler of the universe.
We believe that a relationship with Jesus Christ has the power to change lives. Through our relationship with Christ, we are healed, renewed, redeemed, forgiven, transformed, loved. It is our passion to share this message of faith and hope with the world.
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
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven and will return again to earth to reign as King.
Matthew 1:22,23, Isaiah
9:6, John 1:1-5,14:10-30, Hebrews 4:14-15,
1
Corinthians 15:3-4, Romans
1:3-4, Acts 1:9-11, Titus 2:13
About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is coequal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make all people aware of their 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. He gives every believer spiritual gifts to use for God's glory. As Christians we seek to live under His control daily.
Acts 1:8, John 16:7-13,14:16-17, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 2:12, Ephesians 1:13,5:18
About the Bible
The Bible is God's Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Bible defines itself as "God-breathed; and it is the supreme source of knowledge and truth for Christian beliefs about living.
2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Psalm 119:105, Proverbs 30:5
About Human Beings
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God's creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin". Sin separates us from God and causes our relationship with Him to be broken in a way we cannot fix on our own.
Genesis 1:27, Psalm 8:3-6, Isaiah 53:6a, Romans 3:23, Isaiah 59:1-2
About Salvation
Salvation is God's free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin's penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life to Jesus in faith, we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into one's life by faith.
Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 14:6, Titus 3:5, Romans 10:9-10
About Eternity
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life in Heaven. Heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence.
John 3:16, 14:17, Romans 6:23, 8:17-18, Revelation 20:15, 1 Corinthians 2:7-9
In addition to Essential Beliefs, we uphold the
following:
In Non-Essential Beliefs we have liberty. We choose to focus on where we agree rather than contend on where we might disagree. In all our beliefs, we show grace as God has shown such abundant grace to us. For further reading, the ECC Covenant affirmations give guidance to our theological practice and methods of ministry.
Romans 14:1,4,12, 1 Corinthians 13:2
Affiliation
Hope Covenant is part of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) - a rapidly
growing multi-ethnic denomination in the United States and Canada
with ministries on five continents
of the world. Founded in 1885 by Swedish immigrants, the ECC values
the Bible as the Word of God, the gift of God's grace,
ever-deepening spiritual life that comes through faith in Jesus
Christ, the importance of extending God's love and compassion to a
hurting world, and the strength that comes from unity within
diversity.
What makes the Covenant unique from other denominations is the fact that while it strongly affirms the clear teaching of the Word of God, it allows believers the personal freedom to have varying interpretations on theological issues that are not clearly presented in Scripture.