Our Constitution
ARTICLE I
name
The name of this church shall be Northside Community Church.
ARTICLE II
purpose
We are a fellowship united in the Body of Christ, committed to teaching, serving and imitating Jesus without compromise or apology.
ARTICLE III
statement of faith
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. We further believe that all Scripture should be interpreted in the literal, historical, grammatical sense in which it demonstrates itself. (II Tim. 3:16-17, II Peter 1:20-21, Matt. 5:18, Rev. 22:18-19)
The Trinity
We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that these three are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption. (Deut. 6:4; II Cor. 13:14; Matt 28:19; Gen. 1:26; Matt. 3:16-17)
God The Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit; perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Gen. 1:1; I Chron. 29:11; Isa. 37:16; John 3:16; 4:24; 14:6; Rom 11:33; I Pet. 3:12; Rev. 4:8)
God The Son
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God; having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. We believe that He accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. We further believe that Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Mediator, Intercessor and Advocate. (Luke 1:35; John 1:1, 2, 14, Rom 3:24-25; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:3-5; 3:22; Acts 1:9-10; Rom 8:34; I Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:25; 9:24; I John 2:1-2)
God The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. We believe that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation, and that this is not a “second blessing” to be sought, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth through the process of sanctification and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. We believe that the Spirit distributes gifts to all believers, enabling them for service for the building up of the body of Christ. We believe that the “sign” gifts have ceased to function in our society today for the most part and what we see evidenced today in most of the Charismatic movement is false. But we would also say that God is not bound by our understanding of the gifts and He is able to work within our world in a way that will bring the greatest glory to Himself. (John 16:8-11; II Cor. 3; I Cor.12:12-14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13-14; John 16:13; I John 2:20,27; Eph. 5:18; Heb. 2:3-4)
Creation and the Fall of Man
We believe in the creation of all things by the direct act of God as opposed to the evolutionary theory of origins, whether atheistic or theistic in concept. We also believe that man and woman were the direct creation of God, not in any sense the product of an animal ancestry, but made in the image of God. We believe that, by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, mankind became sinful and man became the progenitor of a fallen race which is sinful both in nature and practice, alienated from the life and family of God, under the righteous judgment and wrath of God, and that mankind is utterly unable to do anything to merit God’s favor. (Gen. 1:1-3:24; Ps. 33:6, 9; Isa. 40:28; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 11:3; Rev. 4:9-11; Matt. 19:4; I Thess. 5:23; Eph. 2:3; Rom. 3:23, 5:12; Eph. 4:18; John 8:42-44; Rom 1:18, 3:19; Mark 7:21-23; Matt. 19:25-26; Rom. 7:18)
Salvation and Eternal Security
We believe that the salvation of sinners comes through the Son of God who is the Savior by virtue of His substitutionary death for sinners. We believe that salvation is completely dependent upon the grace of God and can be obtained only through the gift of God, and that mankind can in no way merit salvation; that the basis of salvation is faith in the shed blood of Christ; that the condition of salvation is faith alone in the resurrected Son of God; that the instruments of salvation are the Word of God and the Holy Spirit who applies the Word to the heart of people to bring conviction of sin; and that in salvation the believer is called, justified, glorified, regenerated, forgiven all sin, and endowed with all spiritual blessings in Christ; that the true believer is secure in Christ, nothing being able to separate them from God, and that this security is dependent upon God's ability to keep the believer and not the believer’s ability to keep themselves. We believe that when one is born again they pass immediately out of spiritual death into spiritual life, and from the old creation into the new; and as soon as they are saved they are in possession of every spiritual blessing and absolutely complete in Christ, and are therefore in no way required by God to seek a so-called “second blessing,” or a “second work of grace.” We believe that God is a holy and righteous Father and that, since He cannot overlook the sin of His children, He will, when they persistently sin, chasten them and correct them in infinite love; but having undertaken to save them and keep them forever, apart from all human merit, He, who cannot fail, will in the end present every one of them faultless before the presence of His glory and conformed to the image of His Son. (John 5:24,14:16-17, 15:26, 16:7-11, 17:11, 23; Acts 13:39, 16:31; Rom 5:1, 6:23; Col 2:10; Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:8-10, 1:3; Heb. 7:25; Jude 24; I John 2:1-2)
Christian Conduct
We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of all people, and that their conduct should be blameless before the world. They should be a faithful steward of their possessions and seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ. We further believe that we must accept as our solemn responsibility the duty and privilege of bearing the Gospel to a lost world in order that we may bear much fruit, remembering that a victorious and grateful Christian life is possible only for those who have learned they are not under law but under grace, and who in gratitude for the infinite and undeserved mercies of God have presented themselves wholly to Him for His service. (I John 3:8-11, 4:19, 5:4; John 14:23, 15:16; Col 3:1; Titus 3:8; II Cor. 5:19; Rom 6:14, 12:1-2)
The Church
We believe in the universal Church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head, made up of all born-again believers of this present Church age. Its mission is to witness concerning its Head, Christ Jesus, by spreading the gospel among all nations. We further believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-27; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 11:2, Acts 14:27, 20:28-32; I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
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 in the name of the triune God, and that this act is in obedience to the example of Jesus Christ and is not a basis for salvation. We believe that the Lord’s supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death and that the Bread and Cup are symbols of our Lord’s death and resurrection on our behalf. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matt. 28:16-20; Acts 2:38, 10:47-48; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12; Matt. 26:26-28; I Cor. 11:23-29)
Satan
We believe in the existence of Satan, who originally was created a holy and perfect being, but through pride and unlawful ambition rebelled against God, thus becoming utterly depraved in character. He became the author of sin and the cause of the fall. We believe that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he will be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:1-11, 25:41; Rev. 20:10; I Peter 5:8; Gen. 3:1-19)
The Second Coming of Christ
We believe in the “Blessed Hope” -- the personal, imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones, known as the Rapture; and in His subsequent return to earth, with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom. (Zech. 14:4-11; Luke 21:36; I Thess. 1:10, 4:13-18, 5:9; Rev. 3:10, 19:11-16, 20:1-6)
The Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people; the saved to eternal life with God in Heaven, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment, forever separated from God in the Lake of Fire also known as Hell. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26, 23:43; John 5:28-29, 11:25-26; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23, 3:21; II Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:5-6, 10-15, 21:8)
Worship
We believe that worship is the offering of yourself to the purposes of God. As individuals we are to obey God in all things, offering ourselves to Him. As a local body of believers we believe that our corporate worship is to be governed by psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. The intent of our corporate worship is to bring people into the very presence of God, lifting up Christ so we may more fully understand who God is and what He has done for us. (Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 5:19-21)
ARTICLE IV
affiliations
This church is autonomous, but it may enjoy fellowship, cooperate and affiliate with organizations of like doctrine.
ARTICLE V
amendments
This constitution can be amended at the annual meeting of the congregation. A quorum of 50% of church members eligible to vote must be present, and a 2/3 majority vote of the members present and voting is needed to approve the amendment. The amendment must be posted in a visible location in the church building, and the purpose of the meeting must be announced on two consecutive Sunday mornings in church prior to the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be presented for consideration.
ARTICLE VI
dissolution
Should a situation arise that deems this corporation should be dissolved, its assets and property shall not be used to benefit any private person or individual member but shall be transferred to such other tax-exempt, Christian, nonprofit organization as the church at the time of such dissolution shall direct its vote.
