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OUR BELIEFS

We believe that our theology forms our identity and mission; that who we are and what we do is grounded in who God is. We also believe that we are to “contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all.” As such, we hold firmly to historic Christian orthodoxy as expressed in the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds. In addition to these, Boise Gospel Church claims the following Statement of Faith.

  • We believe that the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament, is the authoritative and powerful word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

    2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31–32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32

  • We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; and that these are the same divine essence, are equal in every divine perfection, and they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

    Genesis 1:1–26; John 1:1–3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19–20; Ephesians 4:5–6; 1 Peter 1:2

  • We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, justice, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that he infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that he concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that he hears and answers prayer, and that he saves from sin and death all who come to him through Jesus Christ.

    Genesis 1:1–2; Luke 10:21–22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1–2; 2:5–6; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6

  • We believe in Jesus Christ, God's unique and eternal Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in his substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for his people, and personal, visible return to earth.

    Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1; 20:28; Romans 9:5; 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21-23; John 20:30‑31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6-8; 6:9–10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Timothy 3:16

  • We believe in the Holy Spirit sent by the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, distributing gifts as he wills for the edification of the church and that he is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide.

    John 14:16,17,26; 15:26–27; John 16:9-14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 5:22-26

  • We believe that man was created by God in his own image; that he sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual, and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under condemnation. We believe that those who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become a new creation, delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life.

    Genesis 1:26; 5:2; Genesis 3; Genesis 2:17; 3:19; Ecclesiastes 2:11; John 3:14; 5:24; John 5:30; 7:13; 8:12; 10:26; Romans 9:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 19:3,20; 20:10;14,15; 21:18; Psalm 51:7; Jeremiah 17:9; James 1:14; Romans 3:19; 5:19; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9; John 3:16; John 1:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1

  • We believe in the universal church; a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers united in Jesus Christ and associated for worship, work, discipleship, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.

    Ephesians 2:19-22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:19-21; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23-25

  • We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the well-being of all peoples; that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.

    1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1-3; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 14:15,23-24; 1 John 2:3-6; 2 Corinthians 9:6‑9; 1 Corinthians 4:2; Colossians 1:9-10

  • We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that Christians should be baptized in the name of the triune God and regularly share in the Lord’s Supper to commemorate his death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

  • We believe that marriage joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive, lifelong union and that God designed and directs sexual intimacy exclusively for one man and one woman married to each other.

    Genesis 1:27–28; 2:23–24; Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:24–32; Exodus 20:14,17; Leviticus 18:6–7, 23; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, 18–20; 7:2; Matthew 5:27–30; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Luke 10:27; 1 John 4:8–9; Romans 1:18‑32; 5:8

  • We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the final establishment of his kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment of all people, the endless misery of the wicked, and the eternal joy of the righteous in God’s presence.

    Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 20:4-6,11-15

OUR CORE VALUES

We are all about these 5 things, and it is by our commitment to these things that we believe we can keep the Gospel of Jesus at the center of everything we do.

  • We preach Christ crucified. It is through the paradox of the cross that we find the way to God, the truth of God, and the life that only God gives. The gospel is the center of the church and the cross is the center of the gospel. We are also formed by the cross. We will proclaim Christ who laid His life down for us, and we will seek to embody the self-denying love and sacrifice of Christ by our own love and sacrifice for each other and the community around us.

  • We have been saved into God’s family to share together in the eternal love of the Father and Son. We are called to live out our whole life in that family, enjoying and displaying it until Jesus returns. We live and learn together, growing in our devotion to Christ and to his body, the church. We also belong to the family of God that extends around the world and back through time, meaning the full Christian life is local, global, and historic.

  • We love the city of Boise and are committed to its flourishing. We believe that God has placed us in certain neighborhoods to labor for the reconciliation of those neighbors. Boise is where our church lives and the place where God has sent us. So we seek the renewal of our communities through proclamation of the gospel and intentional living, knowing that where Jesus is lifted up many will be drawn to Him.

  • We are part of God’s global mission to reconcile the world to Himself. Jesus died for all people, and one day believers from every nation and language will worship together around God’s throne. Therefore, we are deeply committed to God’s mission beyond Boise and around the world, striving to encourage and equip other local churches and leaders to be witnesses and disciple-makers in their communities.

  • We believe life with Jesus is simple. Buildings and programs are not the church. We are the church as we deepen our devotion and conformity to Christ, together. Simplicity means prioritizing clarity, beauty, and non-anxious rhythms that invite us to truly abide in Christ. It means having time to be present with one another and in our communities. We want to grow because people are being saved and changed by the gospel, not because we are attracting spectators.

OUR CONVICTIONS

The following convictions shape our culture and how we choose to function as a church. While these are not the same as our core values and do not rise to the same level of importance as our statement of faith, we choose to emphasize these insofar as we believe that scripture gives clear guidance to each.

  • We believe the gospel has the power to transform every aspect of our lives and therefore should be the center of everything we do as a church. We believe the gospel is the essential message for entering the kingdom and that it’s proclamation releases God’s power for salvation. Sunday is an important day for us to retell and rehearse the gospel together, and to scatter from there to proclaim the gospel more.

  • Our theology is rooted in the major tenets of the Protestant Reformation: that salvation comes to us only in God’s Word (sola scriptura) by faith alone (sola fide) and grace alone (sola gratia) through Christ alone (solo Christo) and for God’s glory alone (soli Deo gloria). This means that, as points of emphasis, we affirm the authority of God’s Word, God’s sovereignty in salvation, the centrality of Christ, and the glory of God as our ultimate end.

  • We believe that prayer is a primary means of communion with God, both as individual believers and as a corporate body. Through prayer we express our complete dependence on God and surrender to his will and purpose. Prayer is essential to our worship, evangelism, and growth in Christlikeness.

  • We believe that generosity is a product of gratitude for the grace of Jesus Christ. As we understand the extravagance of His generosity, we are moved to gratitude. As we become more like Him, we will become more generous. Generosity is a whole way of life, part of our identity as followers of Jesus, and a discipline that we practice as a family.

  • Local church membership is about visibly embracing the reality of our standing as members of God’s family, of Christ’s body, and of the Spirit’s missional people. Membership happens when we, who are bound in Christ, make an informed commitment to each other and to the faith and mission of BGC.

  • We believe that the consistent New Testament ideal is that each body of believers be led by a plurality of qualified male elders. These elders/pastors are given several formal responsibilities that ultimately amount to bearing responsibility for the spiritual health and doctrinal soundness of the church. The nature of such work envisions a spiritual fatherhood that elders provide the church, serving the church with gentleness, integrity, and authority.

  • We believe that God, in his good plan to create men and women in his image, has given them equal value and dignity as well as distinct and complementary roles. While the office of pastor/elder is reserved for men, to serve as “fathers” of the church family, the role of women as “mothers” of the church family is equally necessary and invaluable. It is essential that pastor/elders seek out formal and informal input from their sisters in Christ.

  • We believe that baptism is for those who have repented of their sin and professed faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Baptism is a visual and symbolic act of identification with Christ in his death and resurrection. In obedience to Christ’s command and as a testimony to God, the Church, oneself and the world, believers are baptized by immersion in water, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

  • We believe that all of the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in scripture are available for believers today. That said, we do not believe in a second work of grace or that expression of any particular gift is a necessary sign of regeneration. We believe the apostle Paul, in calling for order, provided rules for the church to discern the more miraculous gifts, providing for ways to limit their misuse.

  • We believe that Jesus' great commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, established the way that God’s kingdom would grow through multiplication. The apostles obeyed this command by multiplying disciples, multiplying leaders, and multiplying churches. We want to do the same. We will always prioritize gospel ministry that aims to multiply believers through evangelism, leaders through training, and churches through church planting.