What We Believe

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." - A.W. Tozer

Core Beliefs

Beliefs are not worth much unless they are translated into actions. The life of faith is a journey of growing as disciples and maturing as followers of Christ. Based on what the Bible teaches, we feel very strongly that the following practices will become evident in the life of every believer.

The Bible as Our Sole Authority

“The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us to do what is right. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
2 Timothy 3:15-16

Since God’s Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, we accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced with a decision is “What does the Bible say?” We practice daily Bible reading, Bible study and Bible memorization. The Bible is the basis for all we believe.

Spirit-Led Living

(Jesus said) “I am the Vine, you are the branches. If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit, but apart from me, you can do nothing."
John 15:5

We believe the only way possible to live the Christian life is by God’s power within us. So we practice a daily dependence on God’s spirit to enable us to do what is right. See also Philippians 2:13, Ephesians 5:18.

Telling Others About Christ

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
1 Peter 3:15

It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News with those that God allows to cross our path. We practice personal sharing about Christ and invite friends to church.

The Autonomy of Each Local Church

“Christ is the head of His body, the church. He is the source of the Body’s life.” 
Colossians 1:18
Christ is the recognized head of our church, not any person, group or religious organization. While recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe every local church should be self-governing and independent from any denominational control.

The Priesthood of Every Believer

“Christ loves us and by His death He has freed us from our sins and made us a kingdom of priests to serve God..."
Revelation 1:6

The Bible teaches that every Christian is called to “full time” Christian service, regardless of his/her vocation. We practice the truth that every believer is a minister by encouraging every member to find a place of service and ministry. Every believer has direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading.

Immersion

“For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ and in baptism you were also raised with Christ..."
Colossians 2:12

We practice baptism by immersion under water—which is the way Jesus was baptized and the way that the Bible commands.

Communion

Jesus said, “…This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

"In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:24-25

The Bible teaches that the Lord’s Supper is for those who are born again followers of Christ and the practice of TVCC is to offer Communion to all those who have believed on His name.

Giving

STEWARDSHIP
Steward: One who acts as a supervisor or administrator of finance and property, for another or others.
A Christian worldview contends that all we possess is from God. It is only because we are in Christ that we have fellowship with God and real fellowship with one another. It is only because of God’s grace and provision that we have the things we need and want. It is only from God that we possess certain spiritual gifts to offer in service to Christ through the church. God has entrusted every church member with three important assets.
OUR MONEY
God has blessed you by meeting your needs plus more. Good Christian stewardship of money involves living responsibly and being generous. The Bible teaches us to avoid debt, be content rather than materialistic and be generous. Christians should live below their means, not above and be ready to give monetarily to the ministry of the church. As God blesses with more, we should be willing to give more.
TITHING
“A tithe of everything you produce belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” 
Leviticus 26:30

At TVCC we practice tithing for the support of Christ’s Body, the church, as God commands. We recognize that giving a regular percentage of our income is the Biblical standard of giving.