Why We’re Here

 

Our Lord and Savior died on a cross, was buried in a tomb, and then rose from the dead! Because of this good news, at SJBC we’re striving to be a community that lives out three core values.

 

Worship

We want to give God the honor and adoration He is due.

Disciple

We want to fulfill the Great Commission by sharing the gospel and growing in Christ.

Serve

We want to demonstrate love and build up the body.

To be a member of SJBC is to BELIEVE and to COMMIT

What We Believe

  • We believe the Bible to be God's infallible Word, written by men who were definitely and uniquely inspired, and that it is our supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice. We affirm our belief in the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Scriptures in their original autographs (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21).

  • We believe in God the Father, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, and measureless in power. We rejoice that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of man, that He hears and answers prayers and that He saves from sin and death all that come to Him through Jesus Christ (Ex. 20:2-3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Jn. 3:16; Matt. 7:7; Heb. 7:25; Acts 4:12).

  • We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, born of a virgin, sinless in His life, who atoned for the sins of the world by His death on the cross. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension into heaven, His high priestly intercession for His people, and His visible, premillennial return to the world according to His promise (Jn. 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Heb. 2:17; Acts 1:11).

  • We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from God the Father to convict the world of sin, or righteousness and of judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, comfort and seal forever those who believe in Jesus Christ (Jn. 14:16-17; Rom. 8:14, 16, 26-27; Eph. 1:13-14).

  • We believe man was created in the image of God with a will and a mind of his own. Man chose to use his ability to act independently of and in disobedience to God. Judgment of death resulted and passed to all men, for all have sinned (Gen. 1:26-27; Gen. 3:6; Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:23; Rom. 5:12).

  • We believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Jn. 3:16, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 5:1, 8; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Cor. 5:21).

  • We believe in the competency of the individual soul to directly approach God; the priesthood of all believers; a regenerated church membership; the symbolic ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper; that each church is independent and autonomous and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority.

    We believe in congregationalism, where the gathered congregation stands as the final authority in decision-making, especially in matters of doctrine, membership, and the selection of leaders; the absolute separation of church and state; and a worldwide program of missionary endeavor in obedience to the final command of our Lord (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Acts 4:19-20, 8:26-29; 1 Cor. 11:23-30; Matt. 22:21, 28:18-20).

 

How We Commit

Becoming a member at SJBC means making a commitment to other members and taking responsibility for each other. We do that through a covenant, in which we endeavor to:

  • Attend regularly. (Heb. 10:24-25)

  • Walk together in brotherly love. (Jn. 13:34-35)

  • Exercise Christian care over each other. (Rom. 12:15; 1 Cor. 12:26; Gal. 6:2; Col. 3:16; 1 Th. 5:14; Heb. 3:12-14)

  • Give joyfully. (2 Cor. 9:7)

  • Serve according to giftedness. (1 Cor. 12:7; Eph. 4:11-16)

  • Witness as the Lord gives opportunity. (1 Pet. 3:15)

  • Pursue personal holiness. (Eph. 5:15-21; 1 Pet. 1:15, 2:11-12; 1 Jn. 2:15-17)

  • Submit to church discipline, repent of sin, and restore others in sin. (Matt. 18:15-18)