Our Purpose Statement
Christ Community Church exists to glorify God by developing people into fully devoted followers of Jesus, equipping them for the work of the ministry in order to reach every man, woman and child in North Fort Myers and to the ends of the earth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our Core Beliefs
1. Scripture: We affirm that the Bible, containing the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the complete and only infallible, inspired Word of God, and that its authority is ultimate, final and eternal. The Bible is the source of all doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, containing all the needed guidance for holy living and practical Christian conduct (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
2. God: The Old and New Testaments, as well as the Christian church, declares that God is One God (Deuteronomy 6:4) existing in three co-equal, co-eternal Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28: 18-20).
(1) God, the Father: God, the Father, is the creator (Genesis 1 and 2) and sustainer of all things. Although He is complete in Himself, He created the entire universe (out of nothing), in love, in order that it might respond to him.
(2) God, the Son: Jesus Christ is eternally God, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. All things were made by Him (John 1:1-4). In order to make it possible for humans to come back to God, He left heaven and became a man by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary.
(3) God, the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4, the giver of life, who was active in the Old Testament and given to the church in fullness at Pentecost. He conforms us to the image of Christ, and gives us spiritual gifts and power for ministry. His fullness is received by faith and evidenced by obedient living. His gifts and the Spirit's fruit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control."
3. Atonement: The first humans, Adam and Eve, rebelled against God by eating fruit from a forbidden tree. From that time on, the nature of humans was tainted causing all to sin and become separated from God. Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world (Romans 5:6-8). This payment (sometimes called atonement) provides a relationship with God; healing for body, soul and spirit; and every other benefit God offers. These benefits are received, through faith, by those who have received Christ as Savior.
4. Salvation: The Word of God declares clearly that salvation is a free gift (Ephesians 2: 8-9) of God based on the merits of the death of His Son, not because of any human effort.
5. The Christian Life: It is affirmed that God has provided and promised victory, for the church and individual believers, over the temptations and plans of both this world and the devil (1 Corinthians 10:13).
This victory is experienced, as the believer understands who Christ has made him to be, and then lives out who he is in Christ by faith.
6. The Church: The church is the Body of Christ and consists of every person in every age who has received the Lord Jesus Christ and has been called out of the world to proclaim the Gospel of redemption in God's Son (1 Corinthians 12).
(1) The goal of the church is to make disciples of all nations and to present them complete in Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).
(2) The Lord has given us a five-fold ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, to equip the church so we can reach fullness in Christ (Ephesians 4).
(3) Christ Community Church is governed by Elders (Acts 15:22). The two main roles of the Elders are:
(a) To oversee the spiritual and business affairs of the church.
(b) To produce an environment which fosters spiritual hunger and growth and the pursuit of holiness among those who attend the church.
Other offices may be established by the Elders to assist them in their ministry. The voice of the congregation is taken into account on major decisions.
7. Baptism and the Lord's Supper: The Word of God instructs the church to celebrate two ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first, baptism, is the outward sign of what God has already done in the individual's life and is a testimony that the person being baptized is identifying himself with Christ and now belongs to the Lord. Baptism is done in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The second, the Lord's Supper, commemorates the death of the Lord and is to be done until He comes again (1Corinthians 11:23-26). Participation in the Lord's Supper reminds us that we participate in the life of Christ. both ordinances are restricted to those who are believers.
8. Eschatology (End Times): It is affirmed that the Lord Jesus will return personally and physically at the end of the age (this is called the Second Coming of Christ), and take the believers to be with Him (The Rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Christ Community Church believes in a literal Millennium (thousand-year reign of Christ on earth), and that there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth.