Preface –
God has established and ordained New Work Family Worship Center as a melting pot of varied individuals from numerous backgrounds and denominations. This is why New Work claims to be an inter-denominational (mixture of many denominations) and a non-denominational (not belonging to a particular denomination) church. The Holy Spirit has reached out and drawn people to our church because they feel at home, at ease, loved, cared for, protected. We have always taken what people have in regards to their faith, and built on that, not torn it down or destroyed it, not negated that anyone was less or more than anyone else because of their beliefs.
Knowing that there indeed are different make up of individuals that worship at NWFWC, we have and will continue to strive to make sure that Ephesians 4:3 is upheld, “Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together”. (Good News Translation)
While there are indeed various views of items in the scripture that could be left to the individual believer to work out themselves, the core of the Gospel message is Jesus Christ, Him crucified and resurrected for the salvation of all people. It is by our faith in Him alone, by His grace that we have salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ does the complete work in us, there is nothing we can do to improve upon that.
While this Statement of Beliefs lays out the basic beliefs of New Work Family Worship Center and Pastor Contreras, it in no way should preclude anyone from being able to freely worship and be a part of this assembly. Everyone is welcomed to enjoy the power and presence of Jesus Christ in our worship services without fear of being made to feel that they are less than anyone else because they may not believe exactly as everyone else.
With that, the entire family of God who worships at New Work Family Worship Center welcomes you!
The Eternal God –
There is one God, Creator (Father) of all things, infinitely perfect, who has chosen to reveal Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God. We believe in His substitutionary death for all men, His resurrection, and His eventual return to judge the world. God is a Spirit, the Holy Spirit, which is the very presence of God. We believe in His interaction with man. We believe in believers being filled with the Holy Spirit as manifested by the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit and the manifested changes made by His indwelling.
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 43:10-11; Matthew 1:23; John 1:14; John 1:18; John 4:24; John 10:30; John 10:36; John 14:9-11; John 14:16-17; I Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:15-17; Colossians 2:9; Ephesians 4:4-6)
Salvation –
We believe that due to the fall of man in the Garden, (See the section entitled The Fall of Man and the Entrance of Sickness and Sin), everyone is born with a sinful nature and that the work of Christ’s atonement at the Cross was to redeem everyone from the power of sin. We believe that this salvation from sin is available to all who are willing to receive it through the prayer of salvation. Salvation is not an act of what man can do, it is an act of God’s grace to us through our faith in Him. Salvation must come to an individual alone from Christ. No person can give salvation to anyone, it must be received from and given by Jesus Christ Himself.
(John 1:12; John 3:5; John 3:16-18; John 14:6; Acts 2:38; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9; I Corinthians 6:19-20; II Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:13-14; Titus 3:5-7; I Peter 3:18; I John 5:11-12)
The Sacred Scripture –
We believe in the scripture as the inspired Word of God and that it is the complete revelation of God’s will for mankind. We believe in the absolute authority of the scripture to govern the affairs of mankind. It is without error or contradiction. It has the completeness of what will help mankind in all areas of life if allowed. All things preached, taught or lived must be weighed against the scripture.
(Psalm 12:6; Psalm 19:7; Psalm 119:89; Proverbs 30:5; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 4:4; John 17:17; I Thessalonians 2:13;
II Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; II Peter 1:19-21)
Stewardship –
We believe that everyone is the steward of their life and resources, all of which ultimately belong to God, the ultimate Provider. We believe that the giving of financial support to the work of the Kingdom is a Biblical mandate and the measure of obedience to the scriptural principles of stewardship. You cannot out give God. The principle of giving was taught by God to the Old Testament believers in the tithe. Giving did not go away with the entrance of the New Testament but was taught by Jesus and the disciples. When you give to God the first-fruits, not what is left over, He is honored, and a covenant is established that the enemy cannot cross.
(Proverbs 3:9; Proverbs 11:25; Malachi 3:10-12; Matthew 6:19-21 Luke 6:38; I Corinthians 16:1-2; II Corinthians 9:7; II Corinthians 9:11; I Timothy 6:17-19)
The Church –
We believe in the Church as the eternal and universal Body of Christ consisting of all those who have accepted the work of Christ’s atonement. We believe in the need for a local assembly of believers for the purpose of evangelism to unbelievers, fellowship and edification of the body of Christ. Further we believe that the body of Christ does not encompass just one assembly or denomination for the gospel is for “whosoever will” and what Jesus told the disciples still stands today, “he that is not against us is for us.” The church is the body of Christ which is fitly joined together serving the purpose of the Kingdom. The church is the family of God, heirs and joint-heirs in Christ.
(Matthew 16:18; Romans 12:4-5; I Corinthians 1:10; I Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:4-7; Ephesians 4:16; Colossians 1:18; I Timothy 3:15; I Peter 2:9)
Prayer and Praise –
We believe in the worship of the Lord through singing, clapping, and the lifting of hands. God has blessed humanity with beautiful music and instruments to be used for His glory. He desires our praise, worship and adoration. When we praise Him, God dwells in, lives in, abides in our praise. We believe in the authority of the believer to ask freely of the Lord to meet their needs according to God’s perfect will and in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ. God desires for us to communicate with Him in prayer and worship, and He desires to communicate with and have fellowship with us.
(Psalm 95:1-6; Psalm 100:2; Psalm 150:1-6; Matthew 6:9-13; Mark 11:24, John 4:23-24 Acts 16:25-26; Ephesians 5:19; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 3:16; Colossians 4:2; I Thessalonians 5:17; I Timothy 2:1-2,8; Hebrews 13:5; James 5:13-18; Jude 1:20)
Healing –
We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the church body through the anointing of oil through the laying on of hands in prayer. God’s ability to heal has not changed and is still available today, He can heal the body, the mind, the spirit and the soul of man.
(Isaiah 53:4-5; Jeremiah 30:17; Matthew 10:1-8; James 5:6; James 5:14-16; I Peter 2:24; III John 1:2)
Evangelism –
The Lord commands us to evangelize all people and nations by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that this is the obligation of every follower of Jesus Christ. God is no respecter of persons in regards to salvation. He desires all tribes, tongues, nationalities and people to come to Him and freely receive eternal life.
(Matthew 9:37-38; Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 4:18; John 3:16; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:11-17; I Corinthians 15:1-2)
Commitment to Israel –
We believe in the promise of Genesis 12:3 regarding the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. We believe Christians should bless and comfort Israel and the Jewish people. Believers have a Bible mandate to combat anti-Semitism and to speak out in defense of Israel and the chosen people. God’s promises to the nation of Israel are still in place. Through the Jewish nation we have our saving Messiah.
(Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15; Genesis 15:18-91; Psalm 122:6; Isaiah 60:12; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Joel 3:2; Zechariah 2:8; Romans 11:17-18)
Personal Relationship with Christ/Priesthood of the Believer –
We believe that every believer has a unique relationship with the Lord. As His children, because of the work of Jesus on the cross and the rending of the veil of the Temple, every Christian has immediate access to the throne of Grace for God’s help, protection and provision in every area of their lives. Every person must be in charge of and work out his or her own salvation.
(Matthew 27:51; John 6:40; John 14:6; Romans 5:8; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:1; Romans 8:16; Ephesians 1:4-5; I Corinthians 1:9; II Corinthians 6:18; I Timothy 2:5; I Timothy 6:12-16; Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 10:12; I Peter 2:5-9;
I John 1:9; I John 4:9; Revelation 3:20)
Water Baptism and Communion –
We believe in the ordinances of water baptism by immersion (we have no issue with anyone who has been baptized any other way i.e. sprinkling or pouring since it is an act that was done in faith, further we do not believe that being re-baptized is required to be a part of NWFWC). We believe in the partaking of the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, in obedience to the Word of God. All those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior should be baptized as a public profession of their faith in Christ and should partake in the table of Communion as often as offered.
(Matthew 26:26-28; Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Luke 3:16; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:38-39, Matthew 29:19; Mark 16:16;
I Corinthians 10:16; I Corinthians 11:23-34; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:4-6; Colossians 2:12; I Peter 3:21)
The Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ –
We believe that the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ are two distinct events. The rapture is when Jesus Christ removes the church (all believers in Christ) from the earth before the tribulation. Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the Lord in the air. This will all occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. The second coming is when Jesus returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His millennial kingdom.
(Isaiah 26:19-21; Matthew 24:40-41; I Corinthians 15:50-54; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 19:11-16)
Gifts of the Spirit and Ministries –
God is a giver of gifts and ministries that He intends to be used for the benefit and edification of the individual believer and the Church body when and as needed. Just as a gift giver does not give one person the same gift that may be given to others, so are the gifts of the Spirit and various ministries of the church. What gift or ministry that God gives to one may not be given to all. He gives the gifts of the Spirit and various ministries to equip us to do what we need to do in the building of the Kingdom. One should not feel any “less” used of God or “slighted” if he or she is not used the same way as another believer. As in all things, everything should be done decently and in order in the body of Christ. All gifts and ministries are given to lift up the believer not offend, tear down or cause confusion. The gifts and ministries should be used under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and church leadership. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, we believe that the gifts and ministries He assigns are still the same. The gifts and ministries of the Spirit are not the main focus of the Gospel or the church, the main focus of the Gospel is the salvation of souls by the grace of God.
(Romans 12:4-8; I Corinthians 12:4-31; I Corinthians 14; Ephesians 4:11; Hebrews 2:4; I Peter 4:10-11)
The Role of the Man and the Woman as Created by God –
We believe that God created man and woman perfectly by grand design as He desired and intended for them to be. We believe that God instituted marriage to be between a man and a woman. Every person, regardless of their path or lifestyle, deserves respect and dignity, and we believe that Christians should show the love of Christ to all. This does not mean that by showing respect, dignity and the love of Christ, that a Christian supports any alternative lifestyle, it shows that the Christian is being Christ-like in doing what Jesus did, showing love.
(Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:18; Genesis 2:21-25; Mark 10:6-9; Ephesians 5:25; Ephesians 5:32-33; I Peter 3:7)
Eternal Salvation –
We believe that salvation in Christ is secure and eternal in Christ as long as the believer stays in Christ. He is the vine, we are the branches, we must abide in Him to receive life from Him. There is indeed nothing or no one that can remove a person from their salvation. Christ saves an individual with the intention of that individual living with and for Him until we arrive in our eternal home, Heaven. However, the Bible indicates that by our own actions, we can walk away from a relationship with Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ will woo us and pull us and love us, however, the choice is ours as to whether or not we walk in faith with Him. We cannot live in sin, act in sin, do things that non-believers do and expect that God will simply allow us to live in Heaven eternally because at one time we walked with Him. We must not just confess our sin, we are to walk away from our sin. Indeed, we all sin, we all fall short of the glory of God, the key is that we don’t live in sin, stay in the sin, we ask for forgiveness and press toward the mark daily, we simply do not just let our faith go, live however we please and expect God to be fine with that when the decision comes for our reward of eternity.
(Proverbs 28:13; Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:10; Luke 8:13; John 10:27-30; John 15:1-4; I Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:1; Galatians 5:4; Colossians 1:21-23; I Timothy 4:1; I Timothy 4:16; Hebrews 3:12; Hebrews 6:4-6; James 4:17;
James 5:19-20; II Peter 3:17; I John 3:8)
The Fall of Man and the Entrance of Sin and Sickness –
We believe that sin and sickness came into the world due to the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Because mankind sinned, and the ways of man became wicked, sin caused sickness to form and come to man. We do not believe that if an individual is sick, his or her faith is weak, or they have sin in their life. Sickness is no respecter of persons. Good people, people of great faith, have suffered at the hand of sickness, this in no way indicates a punishment for wrong in their life. In all things we remember what God told Paul, God’s grace is sufficient, and He will indeed not forsake us.
(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12-21; James 1:15; I Peter 2:24)
Satan and Demons –
We believe that Satan and demons are very real. It is their sole purpose to fight against the things of God and influence evil in the world. Satan and demons as we know them, were once angels in the realms of Glory. Due to Satan’s desire to be like God, he was expelled from God’s presence and with him, a third of the angels. The child of God should not fear Satan or demons, we should walk in the power and faith of God who makes all things subject to Himself.
(Isaiah 14:12-15; Matthew 12:45; Matthew 25:41; I Corinthians 10:20-21; Ephesians 6:10-12; Colossians 1:13; James 2:19; James 4:7; II Peter 2:4-10 I John 4:4; Jude 6; Revelation 20:10)
Angels –
We believe that angels are spiritual beings created by God to serve Him. They are very powerful beings who function as God’s messengers, who do His bidding and who minister to His children. God and God alone has the power to commission angels and give angels commands. We may pray to and seek God to allow angels to minister on our behalf however, there are no scriptures that give support that humans have the ability to pray to or command angels. God desires our attention to be on Him, praying to or being able to command angels would cause us to worship and pray to the created instead of the creator.
(Psalm 91:11; Psalm 103:20; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 24:31-35; Colossians 2:18; Hebrews 1:14; Hebrews 12:22; Hebrews 13:2; I Peter 3:21-22; Revelation 5:11-12)
Heaven and Hell –
We believe in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell. Heaven, the eternal abode of God, the place that He has gone to prepare for those who love and serve Him. Hell, the place prepared for Satan, his minions and all those who refuse God. Heaven is and will be a place of grand splendor. A place of such brilliance that it will be lit by the very presence of Jesus Christ Himself. It will be a place where there will be no more darkness, not more pain and no more heartache. Hell will be a place of torment, burning with fire that will never be quenched, a place absent from any peace. We do not believe in the annihilation of the wicked dead, meaning, that after an individual is judged and placed in Hell, they only burn until they are consumed. Both Heaven and Hell are eternal places.
(Psalm 16:11; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:41,46; Mark 9:48; John 14:2; Romans 2:6-8; II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 1:18; Revelation 20:10-15; Revelation 21:1-27)