We Believe

ON THIS PAGE, YOU WILL FIND:
Our Church Mission Statement – Our Church Objectives
Our Beliefs (Reformation Solas; Baptist Faith And Message (2000);
Abstract of Principles (1858); Apostles’/Nicene Creeds

KLONDIKE CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT:  To be a church passionate about proclaiming and living the Gospel by loving God and our community for His Kingdom and glory.

A Friendly Church Growing Together In Size, Maturity, And Service

Klondike Church is a fellowship of Christian people committed to the spiritual and relational growth of its members and all others whom it is able to influence. We see this as the meaning of the Great Commission, which states to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). This is fulfilled in three ways:

1. Size. God did not intend the church to be stagnant. It is to be a growing church, and this means that each local church must reach out to non-Christians through a thoughtful program of evangelism and world missions. The primary mission field is to be local. Consequently, Klondike Church has a major concern to win people to Jesus Christ from our immediate city of Pensacola. But the church is also conscious of the needs of the United States of America and the whole world and therefore also supports missionaries domestically and internationally.

2. Maturity. Growth is not only or even primarily numerical. The most important growth is that of the individual believer through study of the Bible, worship of God, prayer, and fellowship with other Christians. Klondike is therefore committed to furthering personal growth on every level. It is committed to a thorough program of expository Bible teaching, meaningful and mature worship, adult and age level classes, and numerous fellowship opportunities.

3. Service. The Lord Jesus Christ set the pattern for Christian service when he washed the disciples’ feet on the eve of his crucifixion. In following this pattern, Klondike Church desires to serve the community in which God has placed it by a variety of service ministries.

CHURCH OBJECTIVES:
1. To uphold strong expository preaching by skilled men of God.
(Nehemiah 8:5-8; Matthew 7:28; Luke 24:25-27; John 21:15-17; Acts 2:42; 17:1-4; 18:4; I Timothy 1:13, 14; 2; 3:14-4:5; II Timothy 4:2).

2. To worship God in a worthy manner through thoughtful words, prayers and superior music.
(I Chronicles 16:8-36; Nehemiah 12:27-47; Psalm 33:1-3; 95:1-7; 100:1-5; 150:1-6; John 4:23, 24; I Timothy 2:1-4; Revelation 4:6-5:14).

3. To supply competent pastoral care for each member of the church family.
(Acts 20:28-31; I Peter 5:1-4)

4. To provide an effective Christian education program to inform, train and disciple our congregation, especially the next generation.
(Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Psalm 119:9; Proverbs 22:6)

5. To advance the missionary work of the church in the Pensacola area and throughout the world.
(Genesis 22:17, 18; Matthew 24:14; 28:18-20; John 17:18; Acts 1:7-8).

6. To serve the social and physical needs of our community.
(Proverbs 19:17; Micah 6:8; Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 4:18, 19; 14:12-14; James 1:27, 2:14-26).

THE FIVE DRIVING BELIEFS OF OUR CHURCH:

I. SOLA SCRIPTURA – Scripture Alone
We reaffirm the inerrant Scripture to be the sole source of written divine revelation,which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured.
We deny that any creed, council or individual may bind a Christian’s conscience, that the Holy Spirit speaks independently of or contrary to what is set forth in the Bible, or that personal spiritual experience can ever be a vehicle of revelation.

II. SOLUS CHRISTUS – Christ Alone
We reaffirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father. We deny that the gospel is preached if Christ’s substitutionary work is not declared and faith in Christ and his work is not solicited.

III. SOLA GRATIA – Grace Alone
We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God’s wrath by his grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life. We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerated human nature.

IV. SOLA FIDE – Faith Alone
We reaffirm that justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. In justification Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God’s perfect justice.
We deny that justification rests on any merit to be found in us, or upon the grounds of an infusion of Christ’s righteousness in us, or that an institution claiming to be a church that denies or condemns sola fide can be recognized as a legitimate church.

V. SOLI DEO GLORIA – To God Alone Be The Glory
We reaffirm that because salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God, it is for God’s glory and that we must glorify him always. We must live our entire lives before the face of God, under the authority of God and for his glory alone. We deny that we can properly glorify God if our worship is confused with entertainment, if we neglect either Law or Gospel in our preaching, or if self-improvement, self-esteem or self-fulfillment are allowed to become alternatives to the gospel.

We Also Hold To: The Baptist Faith And Message (2000) (http://www.sbc.net/bfm2000/bfm2000.asp)

and The Abstract of Principles of 1858

The Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds

The Abstract of Principles of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1858)

I. The Scriptures. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience.

II. God. There is but one God, the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things, having in and of himself, all perfections, and being infinite in them all; and to Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence and obedience.

III. The Trinity. God is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being.

IV. Providence. God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not in any wise to be author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures.

V. Election. Election is God’s eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life — not because of foreseen merit in them, but of his mere mercy in Christ — in consequence of which choice they are called, justified and glorified.

VI. The Fall of Man. God originally created man in His own image, and free from sin; but, through the temptation of Satan, he transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity inherit a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law, are under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.

VII. The Mediator. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the divinely appointed mediator between God and man. Having taken upon Himself human nature, yet without sin, He perfectly fulfilled the Law, suffered and died upon the cross for the salvation of sinners. He was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended to His Father, at whose hand He ever liveth to make intercession for His people. He is the only Mediator, the Prophet, Priest and King of the Church, and Sovereign of the Universe.

VIII. Regeneration. Regeneration is a change of heart, wrought by the Holy Spirit, who quickeneth the dead in trespasses and sins enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the Word of God, and renewing their whole nature, so that they love and practice holiness. It is a work of God’s free and special grace alone.

IX. Repentance. Repentance is an evangelical grace, wherein a person being, by the Holy Spirit, made sensible of the manifold evil of his sin, humbleth himself for it, with godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self-abhorrence, with a purpose and endeavor to walk before God so as to please Him in all things.

X. Faith. Saving faith is the belief, on God’s authority, of whatsoever is revealed in His Word concerning Christ; accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification and eternal life. It is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and is accompanied by all other saving graces, and leads to a life of holiness.

XI. Justification. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal of sinners, who believe in Christ, from all sin, through the satisfaction that Christ has made; not for anything wrought in them or done by them; but on account of the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith.

XII. Sanctification. Those who have been regenerated are also sanctified, by God’s word and Spirit dwelling in them. This sanctification is progressive through the supply of Divine strength, which all saints seek to obtain, pressing after a heavenly life in cordial obedience to all Christ’s commands.

XIII. Perseverance of the Saints. Those whom God hath accepted in the Beloved, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere to the end; and though they may fall, through neglect and temptation, into sin, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, bring reproach on the Church, and temporal judgments on themselves, yet they shall be renewed again unto repentance, and be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

XIV. The Church. The Lord Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is composed of all his true disciples, and in Him is invested supremely all power for its government. According to his commandment, Christians are to associate themselves into particular societies or churches; and to each of these churches he hath given needful authority for administering that order, discipline and worship which he hath appointed. The regular officers of a Church are Bishops, or Elders, and Deacons.

XV. Baptism. Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein he is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of his giving himself up to God, to live and walk in newness of life. It is prerequisite to church fellowship, and to participation in the Lord’s Supper.

XVI. The Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of Jesus Christ, to be administered with the elements of bread and wine, and to be observed by his churches till the end of the world. It is in no sense a sacrifice, but is designed to commemorate his death, to confirm the faith and other graces of Christians, and to be a bond, pledge and renewal of their communion with him, and of their church fellowship.

XVII. The Lord’s Day. The Lord’s Day is a Christian institution for regular observance, and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private, resting from worldly employments and amusements, works of necessity and mercy only excepted.

XVIII. Liberty of Conscience. God alone is Lord of the conscience; and He hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in anything contrary to His word, or not contained in it. Civil magistrates being ordained of God, subjection in all lawful things commanded by them ought to be yielded by us in the Lord, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

XIX. The Resurrection. The bodies of men after death return to dust, but their spirits return immediately to God — the righteous to rest with Him; the wicked to be reserved under darkness to the judgment. At the last day, the bodies of all the dead, both just and unjust, will be raised.

XX. The Judgment. God hath appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world by Jesus Christ, when every one shall receive according to his deeds; the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment; the righteous, into everlasting life.