What follows is the statement of faith for The Bridge Christian Church of Portland, Oregon. As with most statements of faith it is merely a mechanical diagram much like a plumbing schematic for a new house. Our view of God is so much bigger than can be contained in this short statement. It says nothing about what Jesus did when he was here on this earth.

It says nothing about what God cares about or doesn’t care about. It says nothing about the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people. God is love. Long before any of us came to know him through Jesus His love was extended to us, indeed to all mankind. God seems to have a special affection for the poor, single mothers, people in prison and the oppressed. Jesus is God’s love extended to humanity. He also seems to have a special affection for those no one else wants. We believe that Jesus desires full equality of opportunity in every area of endeavor for each human regardless of race, gender or economic background, both inside the Church and out. The Holy Spirit carries the love of the Father and of the Son directly to all who will receive it. Guess who he really cares about? Us all. With that in mind, here it is:

• The Bible is the original, inspired written Word of God. Inerrant and absolutely true. (I Tim 3:16, Matt. 24:35)
• the Trinity represents the equality of the Three Persons of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:16-17, John 14:25-26)
• Jesus is the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of His being. The fullness of the Deity in bodily form. (Heb. 1:3, Col. 2:9, Phil. 2:6-11)
• Jesus lived, died and rose from the dead, as was Gods purpose.(I Thess. 1:9-10, Acts 2:22-24)
• Sin’s paralysis affects the human race, calling to attention our spiritual separation from God, and our need for redemption into a right relationship with Him. (Rom 3:23, Rom 6:23)
• Jesus is the only source of our eternal redemption, that His death was the sacrifice once for all. We believe that it is imperative that we acknowledge our sin and receive Him as our Savior. We believe that salvation by our own works is impossible. (Acts 4:10-12, Rom 1:16, Heb. 7:27, Eph. 2:8-9)
• It is out of obedience to God that we fulfill His commission, to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28:18-20, Acts 2:36-39)
• Our love for God is exercised by daily communication with Him through prayer, through reading His written Word, through worship, through fellowship and through service. (I Thess. 5:16-18, Eph. 5:15-20, Heb. 10:19-25)

The Bridge acknowledges the need for a continued, practical approach to a relationship with God. We desire to create an environment where non-Christians are presented the Gospel in a relevant way, and Christians are challenged to grow in their identity in Christ. We also want to encourage Christians to use the tools God has given them to reach out to their generation.