General Beliefs

Eastgate Christian Church is a community of faith where people strive to honor God by following the teaching and example of Jesus Christ.  Our vision statement encapsulates how we try to do this: "Seeking God, Sharing Christ, Serving Others."  

In Seeking God, we recognize that God, who created us and who cares for us, has instructions for the best ways to lead our lives.  Through worship, prayer, and study of the Bible, we try to learn about God's instructions and expectations for our lives so that we can enjoy better lives.

Through Sharing Christ, we celebrate the gift of forgiveness and love to each of us through Jesus Christ.  We try to experience and spread this love and forgiveness through our celebration of Communion, through fun activities and dinners, and by helping each other in a variety of ways.

By Serving Others, we realize that God has given us a variety of ways that we can help others who would benefit from our assistance.   Through financial gifts to ministries and social service agencies, through hands-on volunteer projects, and through increased awareness of the needs of others, we help people in our community, our country, and around the world.

Here are a few important beliefs that shape how we live out our vision of faith:

• Communion - We believe that the celebration of the Lord's Supper is our central act of worship, during which we share bread and drink in Jesus' name.  Through Communion, we are powerfully gathered in God's presence.  This opportunity to be in God's presence is so important that we want all followers of Christ to experience it and share in it.  You do not need to be a member of our church (or any church).  All are welcome to participate fully in Communion at Eastgate.

• Baptism - We believe that baptism with water and prayer is an important celebration of a person's personal commitment to be a faithful Christian and a member of the church.  As such, we baptize people when they can express their desire to be baptized and explain what baptism means for their faith.  Our baptism includes the tripartite formula practiced by many churches, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  All members of Eastgate have been baptized. However, we do not only recognize this style of baptism -- we affirm all forms of baptism practiced in Christian churches, and we do not require or encourage rebaptism. If someone comes to us by transfer of membership who wishes to be baptized, we encourage them to speak with our senior minister who is open to this conversation. 

• Study and Prayer - We believe that each person is able to develop a deep and personal relationship with God.  The best ways to do this are through worship, prayer, and study of the Bible.  Our pastor helps nurture us in these spiritual practices by teaching and preaching sermons that explore real life issues through the Biblical wisdom and teaching.

• Priesthood of All Believers - We believe that pastors and ministers are important in the church. We also believe that every Christian has gifts for leadership and service.  So, our worship services feature a variety of men and women praying, teaching, and leading worship in a variety of ways.  Our elders help to provide pastoral care as "Shepherds" in addition to our senior minister.  Our activities and volunteer efforts usually represent the passions of the people who inspire us to participate.

• Unity of the Church - We believe that the church of Jesus Christ is visible in many forms and manifestations.  While we have particular beliefs, we recognize that we do not have all wisdom or all of the answers.  (Frankly, we probably don't even know all of the questions.)  Instead of spending so much time on disagreements, we strive to seek unity through the compassion, forgiveness, generosity, and love of Jesus.  This, by the way, is also a key part in how we approach both Communion and baptism, as explained above.