Core Values & Beliefs
We see Jesus' teaching on the kingdom of God as the overarching and integrating theme of the Scriptures. The Vineyard movement expresses the historical, biblical, orthodox Christian beliefs with the Bible as our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
God The King And The Holy Trinity:
We believe that God is the Eternal King. He is an infinite, unchangeable Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, goodness, justice, power, and love. From all eternity He exists as the One Living and True God in three persons of one substance, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory.
God The King: The Creator And Ruler Of All Things:
We believe that God’s kingdom is everlasting. From His throne, through His Son, His eternal Word, God created, upholds and governs all that exists: the heavenly places, the angelic hosts, the universe, the earth, every living thing, and human beings. God created all things very good.
Counterfeit Kingdom: Satan And Demonic Hosts:
We believe that Satan, originally a great, good angel, rebelled against God, taking a host of angels with him. He was cast out of God’s presence and, as a usurper of God’s rule, established a counter-kingdom of darkness and evil on the earth.
The Kingdom In Creation, The Fall, And The Doctrine Of Original Sin:
We believe that God created mankind in His image, male and female, for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth. Under the temptation of Satan, our original parents fell from grace, bringing sin, sickness, and God’s judgment of death to the earth. Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God’s good creation. Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam’s original sin. Human beings are born in sin, subject to God’s judgment of death, and captive to Satan’s kingdom of darkness.
God’s Providence, Kingdom Law, And Covenants:
We believe that God did not abandon His rule over the earth, which He continues to uphold by His providence. In order to bring redemption, God established covenants which revealed His grace to sinful people. In the covenant with Abraham, God bound Himself to His people Israel, promising to deliver them from bondage to sin and Satan and to bless all the nations through them. We believe that as King, God later redeemed His people by His mighty acts from bondage in Egypt and established His covenant through Moses, revealing His perfect will and our obligation to fulfill it. The law’s purpose is to order our fallen race and to make us conscious of our moral responsibility. By the work of God’s Spirit, it convicts us of our sin and God’s righteous judgment against us and brings us to Christ alone for salvation. We believe that when Israel rejected God’s rule over her as King, God established the monarchy in Israel and made an unconditional covenant with David, promising that his heir would restore God’s kingdom and reign over His people as Messiah forever.
Christ The Mediator And Eternal King:
We believe that in the fullness of time, God honored His covenants with Israel and His prophetic promises of salvation by sending His Son, Jesus, into the world. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, as fully God and fully human in one person, He is humanity as God intended us to be. Jesus was anointed as God’s Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit, inaugurating God’s kingdom reign on earth, overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation, preaching the good news of salvation, healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead. Gathering His disciples, He reconstituted God’s people as His Church to be the instrument of His kingdom. After dying for the sins of the world, Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day, fulfilling the covenant of blessing given to Abraham. In His sinless, perfect life Jesus met the demands of the law and in His atoning death on the cross He took God’s judgment for sin, which we deserve as law-breakers. By His death on the cross He also disarmed the demonic powers. The covenant with David was fulfilled in Jesus’ birth from David’s house, His Messianic ministry, His glorious resurrection from the dead, His ascent into heaven, and His present rule at the right hand of the Father. As God’s Son and David’s heir, He is the eternal Messiah-King, advancing God’s reign throughout every generation and throughout the whole earth today.
The Ministry Of The Holy Spirit:
We believe that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church at Pentecost in power, baptizing believers into the Body of Christ and releasing the gifts of the Spirit to them. The Spirit brings the permanent indwelling presence of God to us for spiritual worship, personal sanctification, building up the Church, gifting us for ministry, and driving back the kingdom of Satan by the evangelization of the world through proclaiming the word of Jesus and doing the works of Jesus. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is our abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide. We believe in the filling or the empowering of the Holy Spirit, often a conscious experience, for ministry today. We believe in the present ministry of the Spirit and in the exercise of all of the biblical gifts of the Spirit. We practice the laying on of hands for the empowering of the Spirit, for healing, and for recognition and empowering of those whom God has ordained to lead and serve the Church.
The Sufficiency Of Scripture:
We believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the human authors of Holy Scripture so that the Bible is without error in the original manuscripts. We receive the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments as our final, absolute authority, the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
The Power Of The Gospel Over The Kingdom Of Darkness:
We believe that the whole world is under the domination of Satan and that all people are sinners by nature and choice. All people therefore are under God’s just judgment. Through the preaching of the Good News of Jesus and the kingdom of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit, God regenerates, justifies, adopts, and sanctifies, through Jesus by the Spirit, all who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. By this they are released from Satan’s domain and enter into God’s kingdom reign.
The Church: Instrument Of The Kingdom:
We believe in the one, holy, universal Church. All who repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and form the living Body of Christ, of which He is the head and of which we are all members.
Baptism And The Lord’s Supper:
We believe that Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church: water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Both are available to all believers.
The Kingdom Of God And The Final Judgment:
We believe that God’s kingdom has come in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, that it continues to come in the ministry of the Spirit through the Church, and that it will be consummated in the glorious, visible, and triumphant appearing of Christ – His return to the earth as King. After Christ returns to reign, He will bring about the final defeat of Satan and all of his minions and works, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment and the eternal blessing of the righteous, and eternal conscious punishment of the wicked. Finally, God will be all in all and His kingdom, His rule and reign, will be fulfilled in the new heavens and the new earth, recreated by His mighty power, in which righteousness dwells and in which He will forever be worshipped.
The Apostles’ Creed
The Apostles’ Creed is the foundational creed of Christian churches. It has received this title because of its great antiquity; most of the creed dates from the early 2nd century. The creed was used as a summary of Christian doctrine for baptismal candidates in the churches of Rome. Though many churches and flavors of Christianity throughout the ages have different interpretations of the Bible, and embrace various doctrinal nuances, the essence of what the Scriptures teach is found in the words of the Apostles’ Creed.
Therefore, we have fellowship with other members of the Body of Christ who profess their faith as follows:
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic (universal) church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
The Nicene Creed
Similarly, the Nicene Creed was developed in the 3rd Century as a foundational statement of belief for early Christian churches across the Greco-Roman world:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of the Father before all worlds;
God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God;
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered and was buried;
and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures;
and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father;
and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life;
who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified;
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy catholic (universal) and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Chalcedonian Creed
The Chalcedonian Creed was adopted at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 in Asia Minor as a response to certain heretical views concerning the nature of Christ.
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man,
of a reasonable soul and body; consubstantial with us according to the manhood;
in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation,
born of the virgin Mary, the mother of God, according to the manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord,
Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, in confusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably;
the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union,
but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence,
not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ,
as the prophets from the beginning have declared concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us,
and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.
Frequently
Asked Questions
Two of the most frequently asked theological questions are related to the role of women in church leadership and the broader understanding of sexuality. While these topics may not be directly emphasized in the scriptures we’ve covered so far, we address them here as a pastoral response to the questions being asked both within our church and the wider culture.
Women in Leadership
The role of men and women in church leadership—particularly in positions like pastor and elder—has been a topic of much debate throughout church history. The Bible addresses various aspects of men and women in leadership, and we offer a summary of key teachings from Scripture that inform our church’s stance and practices.
We believe that both women and men are equally created in the image of God.
While we affirm the equality of men and women, we also recognize that equality does not imply uniformity. Each gender uniquely reflects God's image, with beauty and goodness that honor Him in distinct ways.
We believe that leadership in the church is based on grace, calling, spiritual gifts, obedience, and character, not gender.
Both men and women are called to lead, preach, pastor, and serve within the church. When both genders work together in leadership, we believe it creates a richer and more vibrant ministry of love and grace than either could provide alone.
We believe women and men are equally qualified and capable of serving in pastoral leadership roles in the local church. Wildfire Vineyard, along with Vineyard USA, affirms that men and women are gifted to lead and serve as co-laborers in the church. We not only permit but value the active participation of both men and women in leadership, including the role of elder.
Sexuality
Addressing biblical sexuality in today’s context can be challenging, especially given the emotional and personal pain often tied to the topic. In recent years, the church has often mishandled this issue, focusing more on what Scripture condemns rather than highlighting the freeing and dignifying sexual expression that Scripture advocates. While the church has traditionally held views on sexuality distinct from the surrounding culture, its approach in recent history has sometimes alienated those whose sexual practices or orientations do not align with traditional teachings. Tragically, many have felt excluded or rejected by the church due to their sexuality.
Given the complexity of this issue, we offer a clear statement of both our belief and how we express it—both of which are essential.
Our Belief
We uphold the historically Christian understanding of marriage and sexual expression: marriage is a lifelong, one-flesh covenant between a man and a woman, and all sexual activity outside of marriage is considered sin.
How We Express Our Belief
The way we express our belief is just as important as the belief itself, especially for those seeking a spiritual home. Will I (or my loved one) be welcomed at Wildfire Vineyard? Is there a point where that welcome runs out?
Regardless of sexual practice or orientation, Wildfire Vineyard extends a warm welcome to everyone who desires to worship with us. Jesus is the head of the church, and He called people to align with His teachings as the path to “life to the full” (John 10:10). Though Jesus and the Pharisees shared many beliefs, the way they expressed them was very different. The Pharisees were focused on being right, often with pride, while Jesus, motivated by love and compassion, welcomed those who were marginalized.
As the Body of Christ, we strive to reflect both the truth of Jesus’ teachings and the compassion He showed to those around Him. We hold to three guiding convictions regarding sexuality:
Living as a Display of Covenant Love
The church is called to demonstrate covenant love and sexuality in such a way that others see a distinct counterculture, offering a picture of “life to the full.” We do not aim to critique the world, but to live with faithfulness and love within our own relationships, becoming a witness to God’s design for life.Leading with Love and Compassion
Our church family is open to all people, regardless of belief. We extend love and compassion, following Jesus’ example in how He welcomed those whose lives were out of alignment with His teachings.Distinguishing Between Agreement and Acceptance
Jesus demonstrated that it’s possible to love and accept people even when their lives don’t align with His teachings. He surrounded Himself with those whose behaviors contradicted His message, but they still felt welcomed by Him. At Wildfire Vineyard, we are committed to upholding the truth of Jesus’ teachings, while also creating a community where those whose beliefs and actions may differ feel fully accepted.
Our desire is to be a community where both agreement with Christ’s teachings and meeting of others where they’re at go hand in hand, offering a place of grace and welcome for all. A community where His love transforms us from the inside out and we become more like Jesus.