What We Believe

Southside Community Church embraces the historic Christian faith as it is revealed in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Together with Christians throughout the ages, we affirm such foundational truths as:

  1. The Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures - We believe the Bible is God's Word, completely trustworthy and without error. It is the ultimate authority for all that we believe and practice in life.

  2. The Trinity - The Bible teaches that one real and personal God exists eternally in three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  3. Human Beings - The Bible teaches that human beings are created gloriously in the image of their creator to enjoy God and honor Him in their entirety. The human race, however, is estranged from its creator through the overwhelming power of sin. Left to ourselves, we would not fulfill the magnificent purpose for which we were created, but instead perish forever.

  4. The Person of Jesus Christ - God the Son took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. He lived a sinless life, obeying God's law completely, suffered and died on the cross, and then was physically raised from the dead on the third day. He did all this to accomplish the salvation of His people.

  5. Faith - Salvation is received by faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by good works, though good works are evidence of a transformed life (Ephesians 2:8-10).

  6. The Church - The church is the people of God from all ages saved by the mercy of Jesus Christ, the head of the church. Christians join together in local communities to worship their Lord, to grow together in His likeness, and to enjoy serving Him together.

These and other truths are affirmed in various statements of faith from the early church, such as the Apostle's Creed and Nicene Creed. We also stand within the rich tradition of the Reformation of the 16th century which is anchored in the Gospel of grace. The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms serve as our church's statement of faith, are beautiful expressions of the central teachings of the Bible, and have been the doctrinal standards for Presbyterian churches since the 17th century.