What We Believe

We'll start with the broadest expression of our belief -- these beliefs link us to the larger family of Christians, to the present and the past.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into Hades and on the third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy general church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

But how about Emmanuel E. C.?  What do we stand for? Our name gives it to you:

EMMANUEL expresses our desire that God will be with us in such a way that His presence will be experienced among us and His life shared through us.

EVANGELICAL emphasizes our attachment to the Gospel of Christ as found in the Word of God. We are to live and share the gospel as we introduce others to Jesus Christ.

CONGREGATIONAL reminds us that we belong to each other as a family of Christ and that we serve one another in love. The Holy Spirit enables us to carry out our service by giving us spiritual gifts and by empowering us to use them effectively.

CHURCH means that we are a people called by God to belong to Him individually and as a community of faith. We gather together to worship God, to pray, and to encourage one another to follow Jesus Christ and conform our lives to His.

These ideas are put a bit more succinctly in our our Mission Statement, which reads as follows:

• To worship God as revealed in Jesus Christ in spirit and truth
• To urge personal repentance and reconciliation to God
• To teach and encourage believers to grow in grace, knowledge, and practical holiness, using the gifts given by the Holy Spirit to build the body of Christ
• To communicate the good news of Jesus Christ as His ambassadors to Bethlehem, the Lehigh Valley, and the world.