OUR VISION: 

To be a Christ-centered community, making disciples and loving people.

OUR BELIEFS:

The following statements constitute the doctrine of Emmanuel. As you consider Emmanuel as your church home and contemplate church membership, it is essential that you understand what we believe.

1.     The Bible: We believe the 66 books of the Bible are God’s written Word to man. The authors of the Bible describe it as “perfect,” “pure,” and “truth” (Ps 19:7; 1 Pet 2:2; John 17:17). Therefore, we believe the Bible is nothing less than God’s Word (Ps 119:89; Isa 40:8; Matt 5:18; 2 Tim 3:16–17; 2 Pet 1:20–21).

2.     God the Father: We believe in one God who eternally exists and reveals Himself in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) having each the same nature, attributes, and perfections that are worthy of the same worship and confidence (Deut 6:4; Ps 90:2; Matt 3:16–17; 28:19; John 1:1–2, 14; 10:30; 14:15–17; Acts 5:3–4; 1 Cor 8:6; 2 Cor 13:14).

3.     Jesus Christ: We believe Jesus Christ is fully God in the flesh and fully man, that He was born of a virgin, and that He lived a sinless life in which He taught and performed mighty works, wonders, and signs exactly as revealed in the four Gospels and Acts. We believe He was crucified, died to pay the penalty for our sins, and was raised bodily from the dead on the third day. Forty days later, He ascended to the Father’s right hand where He is head of the church and intercedes for believers. From there, He is coming again personally, bodily, and visibly to this earth to set up His future kingdom (Isa 7:14; 9:6; Heb 1:1–2; 7:25; Luke 1:30–35; John 1:1–5, 10–14; 14:3; Col 2:9; 1 Cor 15:3–4; Acts 1:3, 11; Rev 20:4).

4.     The Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit is a person and is God, possessing all the divine attributes (Acts 5:3–4). He convicts of sin (John 16:7–11), regenerates (John 3:5), indwells (1 Cor 6:19), baptizes (1 Cor 12:13), and seals all believers at the moment of their salvation (Eph 1:13; 4:30). He fills yielded believers (Eph 5:18) with the goal of conforming them to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29).

5.     Humanity: We believe man was created in the image and likeness of God, but in Adam’s sin, mankind fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God (Gen 1:26–27; Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:21–22). We believe all men are totally depraved and, of themselves, are unable to remedy their lost condition (Rom 3:9–18, 23; 6:23; Eph 2:1–3, 12).

6.     Salvation: We believe the sole condition for receiving eternal salvation is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for man’s sin and rose from the dead (John 3:16–18; 6:47; Acts 16:31). This saving transaction between God and the sinner is simply the giving and receiving of a free gift (John 4:10; Eph 2:8–9; Rev 22:17). We believe no act of Christian obedience, preceding or following faith in Christ may be added to, or considered as a part of, faith as a condition for receiving eternal salvation (Rom 4:5; Gal 2:16; Titus 3:5). The believer is eternally secure since salvation is based solely upon the finished work of Jesus Christ (John 10:28–29; Rom 8:31-39).

7.     Christian Obedience: We believe the Scriptures present several motivations for Christian obedience: gratitude to God for saving us by His grace (Rom 12:1–2; 2 Cor 5:14–15; Gal 2:20), love for God and His glory (Isa 42:8; Eph 1:5–6; 1 Pet 1:6–9), the knowledge that God both blesses obedience and disciplines disobedience in His children (Prov 3:11–12; Heb 12:3–11; Rev 3:19), and the fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7; 2 Cor 5:11; 7:1). A final compelling motivation is the sobering reality that every Christian must stand before the judgment seat of Christ, not to determine his/her destiny in heaven or hell, but to assess the quality of his/her Christian life on earth (2 Cor 5:10; Rev 22:12). Anticipating either reward or loss of reward at the judgment seat also should motivate believers to perseverance and faithfulness to God’s revealed will (1 Cor 3:10–17; 9:24–27; James 5:8–9; 1 John 2:28).

8.     The Second Coming: We believe Jesus Christ could return for the Church at any moment (John 14:1–3; 1 Cor 15:51–52; 1 Thess 4:13–18). The “blessed hope” of Christ’s imminent (i.e., any moment) return has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer (Titus 2:11–14). We also believe Jesus will physically return to earth to set up His kingdom, and there will be a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (Isa 65:17; 66:22; Zech 14:2–4; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 19:11–16; 20:4–6; 21:1).

9.     Human Destiny: We believe at physical death the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord (2 Cor 5:6–8; Phil 1:21–23) and the unbeliever into eternal separation from Him (2 Thess 1:6–10). The bodies of all the dead shall be raised: those of believers to a resurrection of glory, those of unbelievers to a resurrection of eternal condemnation (Dan 12:2–3; Rev 21:1–11). All of the lost will experience conscious, physical punishment in a literal and eternal place called the lake of fire (Luke 16:19–31; Rev 20:1–15).

10.  The Church: We believe the Church is composed of all persons who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ, are united together in the body of Christ of which He is Lord and Head, and are commissioned for the God–given tasks of worshiping, fellowshipping, teaching, evangelizing, and exercising spiritual gifts (Acts 2:42, 47; Rom 12:5; Eph 1:22–23; 5:23–24; 1 Cor 12:12–14; 2 Cor 11:2).

11.  The Ordinances: We believe the ordinances for the believer are water baptism by immersion (Matt 28:19–20; Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12, 35–38) and the Lord’s Supper as a memorial (Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor 11:23–29). They are, however, not to be regarded as a means of salvation (Eph 2:8–9), but both are an evidence of obedience and fellowship with the Lord (John 15:10–11, 14).

Our Perspective on Biblical Marriage

Emmanuel Bible Fellowship desires to build strong marriages and families.  We view marriage as a gift from God for both believers and non-believers (Gen. 2:24), but since we are living in a broken world we know that marriages can fail and we need to be prepared to respond in grace and truth (John 1:14).

Marriage is a God-ordained, public covenant between one man and one woman that results in a “one-flesh” relationship (Gen. 2:24; Prov. 2:16-17; Ezek. 16:8; Mal. 2:14).  God’s heart for marriage is that it would be a permanent, life-long relationship based on the fact that God is a covenant keeping God and His strength within us enables us to maintain, rebuild and restore any marriage.

God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16) but He allows it because of the hardness of people’s hearts (Deut. 24:1-4; Matt. 19:8), and His instruction to “let man not separate” (Matt. 19:6; Mark 10:9) is actually an instruction to the new bride and groom to not, by their actions, do anything to separate this covenant.  It’s not a blanket statement prohibiting divorce for any reason.  Our view on the Biblical teaching of marriage is that God desires for marriages to be life-long, but due to sin there are at least two valid causes for divorce apart from death: sexual immorality/unfaithfulness (Matt. 5:31-32; 19:9 – the breaking of the “one flesh union”) or desertion by an unbelieving spouse (1 Cor. 7:15). 

The Bible allows, but does not require, divorce for sexual unfaithfulness.  God’s extreme grace towards us requires that we become men and women who model grace in our relationships as well, and we have hope that through the power of God even the most broken of marriages can be restored.  However, when there has been sexual unfaithfulness, divorce and remarriage are allowed, and do not constitute adultery. 

If someone divorces without a valid cause, they are still married in God’s sight.  If one of them remarries, their new sexual union is adultery against their former spouse, and the first marriage is ended.  We would pray that this new union would seek repentance for adultery, receive God’s forgiveness, and work to make this new marriage a God-honoring, permanent covenant.  The former spouse is now single and free to remarry (Matt. 19:3-12).

The Apostle Paul introduces one other clear exception in Scripture in 1 Cor. 7:15 when an unbeliever is married to a believer.  In this situation the believer should seek to build a healthy, life-long marriage (1 Cor. 7:13-14; 1 Peter 3:1-2) but if the unbeliever deserts their spouse, the believer, after patient prayer, is free to divorce and remarry.

Unfortunately, in our current world there are other destructive behaviors that can radically change a family and marriage.  Sexual addiction, even when it doesn’t lead to physical adultery, is still a form of evil destructive lust (Matt. 5:27-28) and is worthy of church discipline.  Abuse, in any form, directed toward a spouse or children is so serious that it will lead to church discipline and excommunication for the unrepentant abuser.  Refusal to provide for one’s family (1 Tim. 5:8) may be a form of denying the faith and desertion.  In these cases, and any others that fall under this category, church leadership will: 1 – seek to remove family members from all physical danger, 2 – follow required legal reporting, 3 – confront the abuser, 4 – provide care and resources for the abused first, and the abuser second, 5 – bring church discipline and excommunication when appropriate.

Unmarried sexual cohabitation is a form of sexual sin that seeks intimacy without commitment.  The couple should either separate or make a marriage covenant (Heb. 13:4; Rom. 13:1) in the eyes of God and man.

WHAT ARE EMMANUEL’S DISTINCTIVES?

1.     We practice expository preaching (2 Tim 4:2). Expository preaching is the explanation and application of a particular biblical text. This is accomplished primarily by systematically studying through books of the Bible. It may, at times, be appropriate to utilize topical exposition, in which a topic is chosen and a relevant passage(s) is selected for exposition. The greatest value of expository preaching is the potential to let the text speak for itself.

2.     We welcome theological diversity within the confines of evangelical theology (Eph 4:1–6). While we may hold positions on disputable doctrinal issues (e.g., the age of the universe, charismatic gifts, women in ministry, divorce and remarriage, end–times), we love and appreciate believers who do not necessarily share our views. Fellowship should not be avoided in light of these issues. Our union with Christ is the basis for unity with one another. This dovetails into our passion for the City Church of Thurston County. We actively pursue unity and cooperation with other evangelical churches (Ps 133). An evangelical believes at least three essential truths: (1) the Bible is God’s inspired and authoritative Word, (2) Jesus Christ is the only way to God, and (3) salvation is by grace through faith alone. Although we may not share other non-essential doctrines in common, we can still unite as brothers and sisters in Christ. Biblical unity is not uniformity; it is a commitment to love and accept other believers in spite of our differences (John 17:21–23; Phil 2:1–4). This entails a humble declaration that we are finite people, limited in our understanding of God’s Word (1 Cor 13:12; Eph 4:13).

3.     We strive to grant one another biblical freedom in non–essential areas (Rom 14:1–23). We adhere to the historical creed: “In essentials, unity; in non–essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” Paul writes, “We will all stand before the judgment seat of God, then each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (Rom 14:10, 12). In this brief interim, there is freedom in Christ (2 Cor 3:17), but we must be careful not to use our freedom to indulge ourselves (Gal 5:13; 1 Pet 2:16). As followers of Christ, we are commanded to be holy in all our behavior (1 Pet 1:14–16).

4.     We prioritize indigenous missions in our giving (Rom 15:20; Eph 5:14–16). Emmanuel has always given 16–20% of its annual budget to missions. While we diversify our funds, we are particularly excited about indigenous missions. Current research and experience demonstrates the most effective means of reaching our world for Christ is through indigenous missionaries. In this day and age, it is crucial to rethink missions and change our paradigm so we can reach as many people as quickly as possible. We are particularly supportive of the work of Gospel for Asia and Campus Crusade for Christ. In 2003, we also began supporting Marvin & Cristina Rodriguez who serve as church planters in Honduras. A team of youth and adults served in Honduras in the summers of 2004, 2007, and 2009. In 2010, we joined up with other Thurston County churches and took a team to Poland to assist leaders in the Polish church. We will continue to partner with the native missionaries serving the Lord in Honduras.    

5.     We believe in elder–directed church government (1 Pet 5:1–5). The overall vision, leadership, and decision–making of the church is the responsibility of a plurality of men called elders. An elder is a spiritually mature man who meets the biblical qualifications laid out in 1 Tim 3:1–7 and Titus 1:6–9. The pictures and bios of our elders can be found on our church website and their contact information is on the back of the bulletin every week. Our elders are readily able and willing to provide prayer and spiritual counseling every Sunday after our worship gatherings or whenever they are called upon. The role of elders in no way diminishes the importance of the congregation. God speaks through His people, and we seek to provide opportunities for the congregation to provide input and feedback.

Emmanuel Bible Fellowship LGBTQ Position Statement

We believe that there are two ways to live, God’s way or our way. God’s way is revealed in the Bible and is in line with His creative design. It yields blessing to those live as He has told us to live. Conversely, when we choose to live our way, contrary to God’s way, we experience separation from God, heartache, and far-reaching consequences of our own choices.

Foundational to living God’s way is understanding that man is sinful and separated from God. The Bible teaches that we are born with a sinful nature, and we choose to live our own way, not God’s way. This is called sin. This sin creates a separation between us and God because He is holy and sinless, and we are not.

The Bible also teaches that because of our sinfulness we deserve to die. However, because of God’s extravagant grace and love for all mankind, Jesus, who is God, lived a perfect life and died as a substitute for all of humanity. When we understand His plan, agree that we are sinful and separated from Him, believe that Jesus died in our place and place our confidence in his death in our place, God starts a new relationship with us, we are adopted as His child and God’s Spirit enters us. The Holy Spirit give us the ability to obey God and live His way.

It is our understanding the Bible teaches that God created two genders, male and female. Those genders are assigned before birth while still in a person’s womb. Changing genders is not possible, and attempting to is not in line with God’s creative order, it opposes God’s way to live.

We understand the Bible teaches that a homosexual relationship opposes God’s creative design and way to live. Those choosing to live in opposition to God’s design suffer consequences of their lifestyle choices.

We understand that God created Biblical marriage to be in line with God’s creative design. The Bible teaches that marriage is to be one man and one woman for life. We believe that same-sex marriage is in opposition to God’s design.

We believe that any deviation from God’s creative design regarding gender, same sex relationships and marriage is sinful, it is a violation of God’s plan and design.

We also believe that the Bible teaches that regardless of our sin there is hope. Exodus 34:6-7a says, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,” (Exodus 34:6-7a). The Bible also teaches us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). Furthermore, we read, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

By placing faith in Jesus Christ, it is possible to stop living our way, start living God’s way, and have an eternal relationship with Him no matter how long we have chosen to live our way and not His way.

Matthew 19:1-12; Romans 1; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Psalm 139; Exodus 34:6-7.