Our Beliefs, Distinctives, and Values

Our Statement of Faith is what all members of Ignite Church believe. Our Distinctives reflect what distinguishes Ignite Church from other churches who would affirm the basic doctrines. Our Values are what we want to be true for the culture of our church.

Our Statement of Faith

1

The Word of God

We believe that the Bible is the 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.

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

2

The Trinity

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

Genesis 1:1, 26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5–6; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1, 3; 4:24–26; 10:30–33; 14:9–11; Romans 1:19–20; 1 Corinthians 8:4–6; Ephesians 4:5–6

3

God the Father

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, 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 man, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

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

4

Jesus Christ 

We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only eternally begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit—truly God and truly man. 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; 20:28; Luke 1:26–38; John 1:1–3, 14; 20:28, 30–31; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6–8; 6:9–10; 8:32; 9:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 2:21–24; Hebrews 7:25; 9:28

5

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. We believe that He was sent from the Father and the 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 and seals every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide.

John 14:16–17, 26; 15:26–27; 16:8–14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 5:22–26; Ephesians 1:13–14

6

Regeneration

We believe that man was created by God in His own image; that man 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 new creatures, delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life.

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

7

The Ordinances

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 26:26–29; 28:18–20; Acts 2:38–41; 8:36–38; Romans 6:3–5; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

8

The Church

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 gathering of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized upon a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to one another and to a lost world.

Acts 1:8; 2:42; Romans 12:4–5; Ephesians 2:19–22; 5:22–27; Colossians 1:18; 3:16–17; Hebrews 10:23–25

9

Christian Conduct

We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the well-being of others; 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.

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

10

The Last Things

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the fulfillment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of the righteous, and the eternal suffering of the wicked.

Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:1–58; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; Revelation 20:4–15

Affirmations

Marriages and Unions

We believe and teach that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenantal commitment for a lifetime.  It is God’s unique gift to provide for the man and the woman united in marriage the framework for intimate companionship and the channel for sexual expression.  God’s Word teaches that marriage is the means for procreation of the human race and that it reveals the union between Christ and the Church.  (Gen. 1:27-28; 2:18, 21-24; Eph. 5:21-30).

Grateful for God’s gift of marriage and committed to following His Word, we believe and teach that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, incest, fornication, adultery, polygamy, and pornography is contrary to Scripture and God’s gift of sexuality and is sinful behavior.  Pastors at Ignite Church shall not officiate a same-sex marriage or union.

Humanity

We believe God created humankind immutably as male and female to reflect and bear His image. As such, human beings of every ethnicity, age, ability, as well as the pre-born deserve dignity, protection, honor, respect, and Christian love. Because of Adam and Eve’s free choice to sin, God’s image in all humankind has become distorted and relationship with God has become disrupted.  (Gen. 1:26–27; Ps. 139:13–14; Rom. 5:12; Col. 3:12–14; Titus 3:1–5; Rev. 7:9)

Distinctives

Evangelical

The word comes from a Greek word meaning “good news.” Evangelicals have four distinguishing marks: 1) biblicism—a high view of Scripture, seeing the Bible as God’s Word; 2) crucicentrism—a focus on Christ’s atoning death on the cross; 3) conversionism—a focus on the new birth and belief that sinful humanity must be converted; 4) activism—living out the gospel in works.

Baptist

We believe in the authority of Scripture as the final rule of all faith and Christian living. Baptism is reserved for believers, and is done by immersion into water as the entry point into membership. Further, Baptists maintain the autonomy of the local church and the authority to govern her own affairs.

Complementarian

We believe men and women are created in the image of God, and are therefore of equal dignity, value, and worth. As part of God’s good created order, men and women are to have different yet complementary roles and responsibilities in the home and church. As it relates to the church, men and women are both expected to lead; however, the office of elder is reserved for qualified men (1 Tim. 3; Titus 1).

Regeneration and Faith

We believe divine sovereignty and human responsibility are complementary truths taught in Scripture. Man cannot free himself from his bondage to sin (Eph. 2:1–3). Therefore, God must first initiate salvation in the heart of man. We are then responsible for responding in the faith that is supplied by God’s grace (Eph. 2:8–9). Regeneration precedes faith.

Spiritual Gifts

The Holy Spirit equips every believer with spiritual gifts for the building up of the church (1 Peter 4:10). Gifts are sovereignly bestowed and corporate in nature (1 Cor. 12:11). No one person possesses all gifts, which is why it is crucial that believers come together and use their gifts for the good of the whole. Spiritual gifts do not necessarily indicate spiritual maturity. The New Testament instead emphasizes spiritual fruit as the indicator of a mature believer (Gal. 5:22–23; Col. 3:12–17).

Family-Integrated

We believe the family is the foundational community to make disciples. We also believe that every family should be connected into the larger family of a local church. Our desire is to see all family members of all ages be connected to one another and the church.

Core Values

Gospel: Sharing the Good News of Jesus

The Gospel is the Good News of Jesus’ sinless life, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection.1 Christ’s work in the Gospel accomplished forgiveness of sin,2 eternal life,3 satisfaction of divine wrath,4 a righteousness credited to us,5 reconciliation to God 6—among many other benefits. The Gospel calls us to respond in faith and repentance7, evidenced by a transformed life of obedience.8

Since the Gospel is Good News, it ought to be shared with as many people as possible. Jesus likens those who share the Gospel to a farmer who scatters seed wide and far, anticipating an abundant harvest.9 It’s the Church’s great privilege to not only receive the Gospel by faith but also share it with others. At Ignite, the Gospel informs everything we do. It’s our foundation for building and house for living.

1: 1 Cor. 15:1–3; 2: Matt. 26:28; 3: Rom. 6:23; 4: Rom. 3:25; 5: 2 Cor. 5:21; 6: Rom. 5:10; 7: Mark 1:15; 8: 1 Thess. 1:5; 9: Matt. 13:3–9.

Discipleship: Becoming like Jesus

Ignite’s vision is to advance the kingdom of God by making strong disciples. The call to discipleship comes from our Lord Himself. In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus called the Church to “make disciples of all nations.” From the Church’s earliest days, discipleship has been the priority.1 We realize that if we fail to make disciples, we fail as a church. As such, our ministry priorities share the aim of making men and women mature, obedient followers of Christ. We want our people to be the strongest disciples possible in order to make the greatest impact imaginable.

1: See Acts 2:42–47; 1 Cor. 11:1; Eph. 4:15; Heb. 6:1.

Excellence: Doing our best for Jesus

We serve an excellent God. Scripture is filled with examples of God—and God’s people—working with excellence. Consider a few of them. God placed Adam in a well-watered, fruitful garden.1 The psalmist saw beauty in God’s creation.2 Israel constructed both the tabernacle and the temple with painstaking precision and with an eye toward its design.3 Israel’s worship leaders played their instruments skillfully.4 And we are told that the new Jerusalem for God’s people will be replete with magnificence.5 With this pattern in mind, our church strives to do our best for Jesus. The value of excellence informs even our ministry philosophy. We strategically have four ministry priorities: Worship Services, Groups, Outreach, and Multiplication. We focus on a few key ministries and strive to do them with excellence. To borrow Paul’s expression, we wish to “do all to the glory of God.”6

1: Gen. 2:5–10; 2: Ps. 8:3; 3: Ex. 35:4—40:33; 1 Ki. 6:1–38; 4: Ps. 33:3; 5: Rev. 21:9–27; 6: 1 Cor. 10:31.

Generosity: Giving our best to Jesus

At Ignite, we encourage our people to pool their kingdom resources so that we can do kingdom work. We simply could not do the work of the ministry without our people’s faithful giving. Generosity—that is, giving of our time, talent, and treasure—is a Christian’s distinctive mark and joyful privilege. We give freely, for God has lavished His mercy freely on us.1 We also give generously, because our resources belong ultimately to our Creator. We are stewards, called to be faithful with what God has given us.2 And finally, we give obediently—not under compulsion, but out of a desire to glorify Christ.3

1: Eph. 1:8; 2: Matt. 25:14-30; 3: 2 Cor. 9:7.