The following are the core beliefs of Orrick Christian Church based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

God is the creator of all things, the Heavens, the Earth, and all that are in it. God created all that we know including us in 6 literal days. God is self-existent, and by nature He is eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, and omnipresent. God exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. The Godhead is in agreement with the role of each. These three are co-equal and are one God, and therefore, God is by nature a relational God who enjoys loving fellowship within the Godhead, and who extends a loving relationship to us through faith in Jesus Christ and in unity with the Holy Spirit.

Supportive Scripture: Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 3:22; Deuteronomy 6:4; Job 38, 39, & 40; Psalm 90:2, 139:1-4, 7-10; Isaiah 40:13-17,45:18; Matthew 19:26, 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; I Peter 1:2. John 10:9.

Jesus Christ did not have a biological human father. God is His Father, and Jesus was born of a virgin mother by the power of the Holy Spirit, yet still, all three exist as one God. The Fatherhood of God is eternal; therefore, Father and Son have always existed in a love relationship. God revealed Himself as Father in both Old and New Testaments. God adopts believers in Jesus Christ into a relationship with Him as their Father. Through Christ, believers have the privilege of being heirs to God’s glory. As Father God actively prunes and disciplines believers so they may grow in character, wisdom, and knowledge of Him and bear the fruit of Christlikeness.

Supportive Scripture: John 15:1-4; Deuteronomy 32:6; Isaiah 9:6, 63:16; John 20:17; Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 4:6.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He is God. He is coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and is seated at the Father’s right hand as an intercessor for His children and will return again someday to claim His church.

Supportive Scripture: Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1-5; 8:58; 10:9; 14:10-30; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:3-4; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Colossians 1:15-23; I Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 4:14-15; Revelation 1:8.

The Holy Spirit is coequal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make all people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He inspired and guided the Prophets and Apostles with the revelation of Scripture. He also dwells in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides Christians with power to grow in Christlikeness, to understanding of spiritual truth and to serve the church. As Christians, we seek to live under the Holy Spirit’s control daily.

Supportive Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2; Psalm 51:10-12; John 14:16-17, 16:7-13, 17; Acts 1:8; Romans 5:5; I Corinthians 2:12; 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 1:13, 5:18; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
 

People are made in the image of God, to be like Him in character. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin.” This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life. To put this simply, this attitude we have can be described as our “sin nature”. Yet, we are not separated from God because of the existence of sin nature, but rather, because we give into it and choose to sin.

Supportive Scripture: Genesis 1:27; Genesis 3; Psalms 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6; Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 3:23.

Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ and God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ as Lord of their life. This is evidenced by repentance, confession, baptism by immersion, and a life committed to His service.

Supportive Scripture: John 1:12, 14:6; Romans 5:1, 6:23; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5.

The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture or error. The Bible is infallible, inerrant, and absolute truth. Where it speaks, we listen and obey.

Supportive Scripture: Psalms 12:6, 119:105, 160; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21.

People will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or exist eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is eternal death in Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life in Heaven. We believe that Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.

Supportive Scripture: John 3:16, 14:17; Romans 6:23, 8:17-18; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9; Revelation 20:15.

We teach that those who have believed the message of the gospel, repented, and confessed Christ as Lord and Savior will be baptized as an act of obedience in following Jesus. In the book of Acts people were immediately baptized once they accepted Christ. As a Church we want to respond with the same sense of urgency in a timely act of obedience following a confession of faith. Baptism literally means “to be immersed” and we honor our role in obedience to Christ through the physical act of baptism in water by immersion. God’s role is a spiritual baptism. Baptism is a picture of death and resurrection. Because we do not believe a baby, or small child, is lost before the age of accountability (the age where they have the ability to know the truth about God, Jesus, and sin), we do not baptize infants (Matthew 18:1-6).

Supportive Scripture: Matthew 28:18-21; Acts 2:37-38; Acts 8:35-39; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12.

Jesus is the head of the church. The Church is the body and bride of Christ and also serves as the household of faith. It is a living temple where God dwells in each of His people. We believe that everyone that has been saved by Christ is a member of the greater Christian Church. We believe that the Church exists throughout the world, and is witnessed and experienced in local gatherings of believers.

Supportive Scripture: Ephesians 4:16; Romans 12:4-5; Ephesians 5:24-32; Galatians. 6:10; 1 Peter 2:4-5; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Acts 14:23; Matthew 16:16–18; Acts 2:42–47; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Ephesians 1:20–23; 4:3–10; Colossians 3:14–15.

The Pastor of OCC shall preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be prepared to do so in all seasons 1 Tim. 4:2. The Pastor shall hold himself to a higher standard as God has ordained him. James 3:1; 1 Tim 3:1-13. The Pastor is the spiritual leader of the church and shall do so by the power of the Holy Spirit. Heb. 13:17; Acts 20:28. He shall work to equip the membership by discipling and teaching from God’s Word.

Supportive Scripture: Jeremiah 3:15; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Titus 1:5-9.

While recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe the local Church should be governed by Elders who have been chosen from among the members. We have concluded that the Biblical model for church leadership is that Christ is the head of the Church, and local Elders are responsible to carry out His will in the local assembly of believers.

Supportive Scripture: Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 5:17; Ephesians 5:23-25; 1 Peter 5:1-4.

Communion is defined as Scripture defines it:
1 Corinthians 11:23-25
(Matt. 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:14–23)
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me”.

Communion is a memorial, a new covenant, and a proclamation. It is a sacred event for those who have a vital, biblical relationship with Jesus. We partake in communion every week in our services.

Supportive Scripture: Matthew 26:26-28; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30, 10:16; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7.

We believe that God created us for relationship—relationship with God and with one another. We emphasize the greatest commandments, which are to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love others as ourselves. It is by our primary relationship with God, through Jesus, with the Holy Spirit working in us, that love and all Godly fruit is possible. It is by our love for one another as Christians that people will know we are true disciples of Jesus Christ. We bring glory to God by living our lives in authentic, life changing relationship with Him and with one another.

Supportive Scripture: Genesis 1-2; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:34-40; John 13:34-35; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 1:5-7.

God intends for every believer to play a role in the ministry of His Church. Though certain roles of leadership may require special qualifications, ministry is not reserved for the “preacher.” Every member is a minister. Ministry is not reserved only for those who are paid or have specialized training, but instead is the obligation of every believer. God’s mission is accomplished best when every member of the Church spends time and effort in ministry. In keeping with Paul’s words to the Ephesian Church, OCC endeavors to equip its members to do ministry, and not be fans sitting in the stands.

Supportive Scriptures: Ephesians 4:11-13; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-30; 1 Peter 4:10-11.

God has designed the local Church like a physical body, with Jesus Christ as the head. God gifts each of His children in unique and special ways to serve and build up the body. Therefore, spiritual gifts are not for personal benefit or glory, but to bring glory to God, as well as encouraging and building up the Church. No one individual can have all the gifts. We are interdependent on each other; together we are the body of Christ which is a clear demonstration of true diversity. There is no division as we all have equal concern and need for each other. One is an “eye”, another is a “hand”, another is a “foot”; and some are presentable while other parts are not. We all must be the part God has designed us to be, if not, the body suffers and becomes ill. (Romans 12:6-8)

Supportive Scripture: Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Peter 4:7-11.

At the Orrick Christian Church, we give generously to support the church, the body of Christ, as God’s Word commands. We recognize that giving 10% of our income is defined as a “tithe”, the Biblical starting point of giving to the local church.

But we do not stop there. We believe that our whole lives are a response to God’s grace and love for us. And so, we consider it our privilege and our challenge to live lives of extravagant generosity. We view our entire lives as an offering to the Lord, and so we live our lives in such a way that we are no longer asking the question, “God, how much are you asking me to give?” but rather, “God, how much are you asking me to keep?” In living this way, we seek to honor God through ultimate sacrifice of our time, gifts, and resources for the purposes of His Kingdom.

We encourage everyone to live obediently as it pertains to their finances, which includes tithing. If tithing has not been a part of a Church member’s life practices, then we encourage them to explore what God says about finances and step out on a faith journey. We believe that Church members can begin by committing to trust Him in this area and take a step of obedience to give faithfully. As we courageously walk with God in this area, we believe God will bring peace to our Church members’ lives as they grow in this worshipful response to God. Being a part of OCC means being committed to following God as He grows and changes us into persons of generosity.

Supportive Scripture: Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:7-12; Acts 4:32-5:11; 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Mark 12:43; 2 Samuel 24:24; Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42.

We believe there will be a literal return of Christ and a judgment day. We also believe there will be a literal rapture (a catching up of the saints). How and when this will happen has been a source of great debate. We believe the details are in God’s hands and this is not a salvation issue.

Supportive Scripture: Matthew 12:36; Matthew 24:36; John 5:22, 16:8; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 2 Peter 3:7; Jude 6.

We teach that a person is saved by grace through faith. Faith is evidenced by action. There are different perspectives regarding eternal security. Often this issue is recognized by the question, “Can you or can you not lose your salvation?” Both sides of the issue believe you know a tree by its fruit (John 6:44). A person is not lost because they sin, but because they reject Jesus. This has been a long standing argument between scholars from two different theological camps. The Armenians believe salvation can be gained and lost. The Calvinists believe once a person is saved he or she can never be lost again. There are great scholars who stand on both sides of this debate and there is Scriptural support for both perspectives. Both believe that a person can be identified as a Christ follower if there is a change in behavior—fruit. The Holy Spirit produces a changed character over time. In our Church we will encourage those who have given their lives to Christ to grow. If they fall down in their faith we will help them to get back up and continue on with Christ. We believe that a Christ follower can have great confidence in their salvation. The Armenian believes that only a person who has denied their faith in Christ is lost. The Calvinist believes that a person who has denied faith in Christ was never saved to begin with. Again, either way, faith in Christ saves us. Ultimately we have people from both backgrounds in our Church and we at Orrick Christian Church have decided that this is not a salvation issue.

Supportive Scripture: Luke 8:13&14, John 10:27-28, Ephesians 2:8-10, James 2:14, Romans 1:5.

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image (Genesis 1:26-28). Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Psalm 139).

Supportive Scripture: Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 139.

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female in His image (Gen. 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological gender 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 spoken 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 (1 Cor. 6:18, 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage. We believe that neither the federal government, the state, nor the church, nor any other individual possess the authority or jurisdiction to set or alter Scripture’s definition of marriage. Therefore, unions or partnerships that do not conform to the Biblical definition of marriage are not acknowledged by Orrick Christian Church as marriage.

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Orrick Christian Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a Biblical role model to Orrick Christian Church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by OCC in any capacity agree to and abide by OCC Doctrinal Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians. 5:22).

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His Mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians. 6:9-11).

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Orrick Christian Church.

Supportive Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27, 2:18-25; 1 Corinthians 6:18, 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4; Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.