MISSION STATEMENT
We believe that Jesus is the Divine Son of God (John 20:30-31), that the Bible is inspired of God and is all-sufficient (II Tim 3:16-17), and that Jesus will come back again to deliver His kingdom (church) up to God ( I Cor. 15:24).
We believe that the Bible teaches that sinners are saved by faith in Christ, repentance from sin, confession of faith, and baptism for remission of sins (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:37). The church of Christ is organized with elders to lead, deacons to serve, preachers to preach the Word, and all members to dedicate themselves in service to the Lord (Phil 1:1, I Tim. 3:1-13).
We emphasize worship in the right spirit and according to truth (John 4:24), every member evangelism (Acts 8:4), godly living (Titus 2:11-12), love for one another (John 13:33-34), and helping those in need (James 1:27).
We believe it is possible to have religious unity in a time of division by simply following the New Testament pattern and putting aside human traditions.
The Farley church of Christ is seeking to restore New Testament Christianity.
STATEMENT ON PURPOSE AND FAITH
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We believe the Bible – both the Old and New Testaments – is the one and only inspired and authoritative Word of God. We believe the Bible is true, perfect and infallible, and serves as a guide to people who want to live according to God’s plan. II Tim. 3:16-17; Ps. 19:7-11
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We believe there is one true God reflected in the pages of the Bible. We believe He exists eternally in three persons: the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Gen. 1:26; Jn. 1:1-3
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We believe sin – i.e., the breaking of God’s law as set forth in His Word – entered the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve and, even today, separates sinful mankind from a holy God. While God loves us, we believe that, because He is sovereign and just, He cannot overlook our sin or co-exist with sin living in us. Gen. 3; Rom. 3:23, 5:12
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We believe Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God the Father, came to Earth and lived a perfect life as a normal man. We believe, while He did not deserve to die, Jesus offered Himself – a perfect offering – to die on a cross in the place of mankind. Jn. 3:16-17; I Jn. 3:16
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We believe, through Jesus’ sacrifice (and only through His sacrifice), God’s penalty for mankind’s sinfulness – death – was satisfied; the price was paid. As a result, God was able to extend both mercy (taking away the punishment we deserve) and grace (offering a gift we do not deserve) to mankind. We believe, because of this mercy and grace, even sinful individuals can be saved – forgiven and reconciled to God. Jn. 14:6; I Cor. 15:3-4; Heb. 4:16; Eph. 2:8
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We believe the church – the body of Christ – is made up of all of those individuals who, by God’s mercy and grace, are saved. Eph. 1:22-23, 2:4-8; Acts 2:47
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We believe salvation comes to all who learn of God’s offer of mercy and grace (by hearing or reading) and respond through belief, repentance, confession, and baptism for the forgiveness of his/her sins. Rom. 10:17; Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 13:3; Mt. 10:32; Acts 2:38
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We believe God calls those who are saved to lead holy lives and to walk in the light as He is in the light. We believe those who walk in the light are recognized by “the fruit of the Spirit” and those who walk in darkness are recognized by “the works of the flesh.” 1 Pt. 1:14-16; 1 Jn. 1:7; Gal. 5:19-23
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We believe God calls mankind to be both pro-family and pro-child. We believe God established His plan and model for the family when He instituted Biblical marriage – i.e., a covenant relationship between one man and one woman. Gen. 2:21-25; 1 Cor. 7:2-4; Ps. 139:13-16, 127:3-5; Gal. 4:4-7; Eph. 1:5-6
This list does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, inspired and infallible in matters concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, serves as the sole and final source of all things we believe. For the purposes of Farley’s policies, procedures and practices, our Elders are the final interpretative authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
STATEMENT ON THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE, GENDER AND SEXUALITY
The Farley Church of Christ believes that God Himself wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27.) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as defined in Scripture (Gen. 2:18-25).
We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (I Cor. 6:18, 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4).
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including but not limited to adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Mt. 15:18-20; I Cor. 6:9-10).
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking mercy and grace through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; I Cor. 6:9-11).
We believe that every person should be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mk. 12:28-31; Lk. 6:31).
We believe that, in order to preserve the function and integrity of our congregation as part of the Body of Christ and to provide a biblical role model for those we serve and who know us, it is imperative that all persons employed by and affiliated with Farley in any capacity agree to and abide by this statement (Mt. 5:16; Phil. 2:14-16; 1 Thess. 5:22).