The Bible
SHCC believes the Bible is God’s written message to humanity which has been sovereignly preserved through the centuries. The human authors were under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit so that what was written was the very Word of God. Because it is inspired by God, it is true and trustworthy without any mixture of error, and it has the power to transform lives. Therefore, it is the supreme source of authority for Christian belief and behavior. The scriptures provide help and hope to mankind.
The Father
SHCC believes there is only one God. God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is personal as opposed to an abstract force. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present and all-good. He is both transcendent and immanent, and He is both holy and love. He has eternally existed in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one.
Jesus Christ
SHCC believes Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, is co-equal with God and has always existed. Because of His love for the world and obedience to the Father, He chose to lay aside His glory and come to earth in the form of a man. He was both wholly God and wholly man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Jesus lived a sinless life, taught with authority, and performed many miracles. He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice by acting as a substitute for humanity and dying on the cross in their place and for their sins. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death and to secure our salvation. He ascended to heaven, was given all authority, and will return again someday to manifest His eternal reign.
The Holy Spirit
SHCC believes the Holy Spirit is co-equal with God and has always existed. His purpose is to be a “Counselor” who assists us. He is present in the world to make people aware of their sin and need for Jesus Christ. To those who believe in Jesus, the Spirit brings salvation and new life. He then dwells in the life of every Christian from the moment of salvation, providing such things as assurance, power for service, understanding of spiritual truth, resistance to sin, guidance in following God, and development in Christ- likeness. He gives every believer at least one spiritual gift at the point of conversion for the purpose of serving others. The gifts are to be exercised in an orderly manner to build up and unify the church. As Christians we seek to live under the daily leadership of the Holy Spirit.
Human Beings
SHCC believes men and women are made in the image of God. They have a spiritual dimension allowing them to commune with God and a moral dimension allowing them to differentiate right from wrong. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. The human race has been marred by disobedience toward God. The scriptures call this disobedience “sin.” Sin separates people from God and causes a multitude of problems, both individually and corporately. The ultimate result of sin is spiritual death and eternal separation from God.
Salvation
SHCC believes that the problem of sin has no human remedy. Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of all humanity. Jesus Christ is the only way people can come to God to receive salvation. If it were possible to obtain salvation by some other means, Jesus Christ would never have had to come to earth and die on the cross. Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never please God with our own efforts or make up for our sin by self-improvement or any other good work. Both repentance (turning from sin) and faith (turning to God) are inseparable aspects of the single event of conversion. When we choose to repent of our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ, we are converted, receiving salvation and a new life. Salvation consists of God establishing our relationship with Him (justification), beginning His work of making us more like Christ (sanctification), and accomplishing His goal of making us like Christ when we die (glorification). Therefore, salvation is best viewed as a process in time, not a point in time. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of Christians. Consequently, nothing a believer can do can cause him or her to lose the gift of salvation.
The Church
SHCC believes the head of the church is Jesus Christ. The church is a local and unified group of believers who share a common faith in Jesus Christ, commitment to the scriptures, and follow Christ’s commission to make disciples. Church members are to model the life of Christ and as such are to live holy lives. Church members also care for one another, and are to support the church with their time, talents and treasures. The two offices of the church are pastor/ teachers and servant/caregivers. Though the church utilizes these two offices, all Christians have equal access to God and are gifted to serve Him as ministers. The leaders of the church are to model the servant leadership of Jesus. The church is an autonomous body, operating through both representative and democratic processes under the headship of Jesus Christ.
Last Things
SHCC believes God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to an appropriate end. Though some of the details of the events encompassing this time period are highly debated, there are many certainties. Jesus Christ will return to manifest the kingdom of God. At that time, the dead will be raised and all humanity will be judged by God. Those people who have accepted salvation through Christ will be received into heaven. Those people who had rejected salvation through Christ will be consigned to hell. Both heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence.