What we Believe

We embrace Biblical and Historic Christianity as expressed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and as summarized in the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds. Additionally, we affirm the five tenets of the Protestant Reformation: Scripture alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and to God alone be the glory.

The New City Catechism is an excellent, free online tool that expresses our core beliefs. NCC is in Q&A format and includes readings from historic Christianity, as well as short teaching on video from several excellent teachers such as Timothy Keller, DA Carson, Stephen Um, and others.

The following is a summary of our view of the essentials of Historic Christianity:

THE BIBLE

The Bible is the inspired word of God. It is without error in its original manuscripts, and contains everything we need to know about having a right relationship with God and our fellow human beings. The Bible is the basis for all of our essential beliefs (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

GOD
God is one (Mark 12:29), yet mysteriously exists in three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), who are to be equally loved, honored, and surrendered to (Matthew 28:19).

JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human. He is the sole Mediator able to restore the broken relationship, and the resulting alienation, between God and people (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Trinity. He is alive and active. He indwells followers of Christ, working in unison with the Word of God to guide them in all truth. He is the power that enables Christians to live as new creations in Christ and empowers believers for service (John 16:7-14; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 6:17).

PEOPLE
People are created by God and in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). On this basis, all people must be treated with dignity, honor, love and respect (James 3:9-10). At the same time, in their quest for independence and the centrality of self, all people begin their lives alienated from God, and in this condition are without hope and under judgment, a condition that can only be cured through God’s loving, gracious, and saving intervention (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1). As the image of God, we are most alive when our trust, affections and allegiances center on Him.

RESTORATION
Restoration between God and people (also called ‘salvation’) happens when the Holy Spirit gives people a new heart, leading and enabling them to trust in Jesus alone for salvation (John 1:12-13). Because God loves His creation, He will also restore the entire universe to a condition of beauty, rest, joy, perfection, and freedom (Romans 8:18-30). God’s world, which began as a promising Garden (Genesis 1:27-31), will find its fulfillment in a perfected, life-giving City in which there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:1-8).

GOOD WORKS
Good works do not and cannot make us acceptable to God (Ephesians 2:8-9), but are the natural outcome of authentic faith in Jesus (James 2:17). We become more fully human—the very best and most healthy version of ourselves—to the degree that we follow God’s loving commands. His commands, properly understood, are neither limiting nor oppressive but life-giving. Obedience to God’s commands is an essential prerequisite for true human flourishing.

THE CHURCH
The Church is the family of God and consists of those who place their functional trust (faith) in Jesus. God wants all members of His worldwide Church, together with their children, to be active in a local church which meets regularly to worship God, serve each other, and be a life-giving presence in their local community and world (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:24-25).

At Koinonia, we believe clarity is a form of kindness, even if we reach different conclusions. We know that in a diverse, multi-generational, multi-ethnic church, people come from many theological backgrounds and lived experiences. So, we welcome your honest questions and count it a blessing to have an opportunity to communicate with you.

Shared Leadership in Christ: Affirming the Gifts of Women and Men
At Koinonia Church, we affirm that God calls and equips both women and men to serve, teach, and lead within the body of Christ. Rooted in Scripture and guided by prayerful discernment, we recognize the many ways God has used women throughout redemptive history—from prophets and teachers and evangelists—to advance the work of the Kingdom.

We believe spiritual gifts are not limited by gender but are graciously given by the Holy Spirit to all who are in Christ. As such, we joyfully affirm the ordination of biblically qualified women and men to every office of the church, including preaching, shepherding, and sacramental ministry.

Our position reflects a careful reading of Scripture, in which women speak God’s Word, lead communities, disciple others—including men—and bear faithful witness to the gospel. We affirm mutual submission and shared leadership as part of God's good design for the flourishing of the Church.

In honoring the gifts of all believers, we seek to model the equity, humility, and unity of the body of Christ for the glory of God and the good of our community.

A Biblical Vision for Sexuality and Relationships Koinonia affirms the Evangelical Presbyterian Church’s position that human sexuality is a gift from God, intended to be expressed within the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. We seek to walk with grace, truth, and compassion as we uphold a biblical ethic of holiness, chastity, and love in all relationships.

We recognize and thank God that our congregation includes people of diverse backgrounds, including differing sexual orientations. At Koinonia, we are committed to walking together in love as we seek to follow the teachings of Scripture and create a community that honors the God-given dignity of every image bearer. We believe that every person is called—by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit—to offer their whole selves—mind, body, and soul—to the Lord, embracing both the boundaries and the blessings of God’s design for our sexuality.

If you’d like to learn more about our biblical convictions on men and women serving together in ministry, or our theology of sexuality and discipleship, we invite you to explore the following resources from our denomination, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).

If you have further questions about our doctrine, teaching, or community practices, we encourage you to connect with us directly through our Shepherding Team Form. We’ll do our best to respond with grace, humility, and biblical faithfulness.