I worked the Welcome Center at my church and had more than the occasional visitor stop and ask about our Statement of Faith or what we as a church believed.
My church was proactive in taking the time to stop and think about the belief system that drove its mission and took this statement and created a handout.
This helped those of us who worked at the Welcome Center because it made it easy to answer that question. And we were able to give the visitor something to take with them.
People want to join a church that they share common beliefs with.
Writing a statement of faith not only confirms the ministry’s belief system but it helps church leaders stay on the same page when sharing faith with members.
4 Tips for Writing and Communicating a Statement of Faith
1. Confirm Your Belief
The Bible is an amazing book that people quote, read stories from, and try to learn from.
While others believe it is an ancient text that is a source of moral truths that should be respected.
To write your statement of faith you need to be able to determine which is at the core of your church’s belief system.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to get started:
- What do we believe about the bible?
- Are the writings of the Bible God inspired?
- Are the stories in the Bible true?
- Are there errors in the Bible text?
- What do we believe about Jesus?
- Was He the Son of God?
- Was He raised from the dead?
- What do we believe about God the Father?
- What role does the Holy Spirit play?
- Do we believe in the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
- What do we believe about baptism?
- What do we believe about heaven and hell?
2. Identify Scripture to Support Your Beliefs
If your church has beliefs, there should be scripture to support those beliefs. Every statement that you write should have a corresponding scripture reference to validate that belief.
3. Write Your Statements Beginning With We Believe
Take all of the points you believe and write a statement. For instance begin each statement with,” We believe……”
Add the scripture to the bottom of the statement to validate the belief.
4. Communicate Your Statement of Faith
Share your statement of faith on your website, and mobile app, and have a handout available at your visitor center. Weave your statements into sermon messages to reinforce the belief and why your church believes what it does.
Here are some examples of Statements of Faith or What We Believe Statements
3 Example Church Statements of Faith
1. Fellowship of Christian Athletes Statement of Faith
We believe the Bible to be the only inspired, trustworthy and true, without error, Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
We believe there is only one God who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19)
We believe Jesus Christ is God, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His death that paid for our sin through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension/rising up to the right hand of the Father and in His personal return in power and glory. (John 1:1; Matthew 1:18,25; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 9:15-22; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 9:27-28)
We believe that acceptance of Jesus Christ and the corresponding renewal of the Holy Spirit are the only paths to salvation for lost/sinful men and women. (John 3:16; John 5:24; Titus 3:3-7)
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, who lives within and guides Christians so they are enabled to live godly lives. (John 14:15-26; John 16:5-16; Ephesians 1:13-14)
We believe in eternal life, and that through belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, we spend eternity with the Lord in Heaven. We believe that in rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we receive eternal suffering in hell. (Matthew 25:31-46; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, and that all believers are members of His body, the Church. (Philippians 2:1-4)
We believe God’s design for sexual intimacy is to be expressed only within the context of marriage. God instituted marriage between one man and one woman as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, we believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9)
We believe that God created all human beings in His image. Therefore, we believe that human life is sacred from conception to its natural end; that we must honor the physical and spiritual needs of all people; following Christ’s example, we believe that every person should be treated with love, dignity, and respect. (Psalm 139:13; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10
2. Saddleback Church What We Believe
About God
God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14
About Man
Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like him in character. He is the supreme object of God’s creation. Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin.” This attitude separates man from God. Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2
About Eternity
Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be eternally in union with him is eternal life. Heaven and hell are places of eternal existence. John 3:16; 1 John 2:25; 1 John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 25:31-46
About Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to heaven’s glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; Romans 1:3, 4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14, 15; Titus 2:13
About Salvation
Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works – only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty.
Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith. Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
About Eternal Security
Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5
About The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation.
He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live under his control daily. 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16, 17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1
About The Bible
The Bible is God’s word to all men. 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 truth without any mixture of error. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5
About Baptism
Baptism by immersion symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and is your public declaration that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Baptism does not save you but shows the world that you have already been saved.
And while baptism is not required for salvation, it is a biblical command and demonstrates your love and obedience to Christ. Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:41; Ephesians 2: 8-9; Matthew 28:19-20
About Communion
Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, is an ordinance given to all believers by Jesus Christ to remember his sacrifice for us and to symbolize the new covenant.
The elements of bread and wine or juice are symbols of Christ’s broken body and shed blood. Communion is not a means of salvation. Rather, it is a testament of a believer’s faith in the atoning work of the cross. Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:19,20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29
3. Joyce Meyer Ministries Statement of Faith
The Bible is the infallible Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and contains every answer to man’s problems. 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21
There is one God, existing eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. John 10:30; John 14:26; Philippians 2:5-7
God is Love and He loves all people. It is His desire to reach out to those who are poor, oppressed, widowed or orphaned, and to heal the brokenhearted. Psalm 68:5,6; 1 John 4:16
Man is created in the image of God but separated from God by sin. Without Jesus, we cannot have a relationship with God. Genesis 1:26; 1 Timothy 2:5
We can have a personal relationship with God through salvation, God’s free gift to man. It is not a result of what we do, but it is only available through God’s unearned favor. By admitting we have sinned and believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and accepting Him as Lord, we can spend eternity with God. Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 5:1; Romans 3:24
We believe in water baptism, as taught and demonstrated by Jesus, as the way for believers to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Matthew 3:13-17
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift from God. He helps empower the believer to develop the character of Christ and live every day in God’s will. Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:4
God gives all believers spiritual gifts. They are for the strengthening of God’s people (the Church) and proof of God’s existence and power to unbelievers. The gifts of the Spirit are active and relevant today.1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 1 Peter 4:10
Sanctification is the ongoing process of allowing God’s character to be developed in us. Romans 6:19; Galatians 5:22-25
Divine healing is active in the lives of people today through Jesus, who is the Healer. Healing includes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual restoration. Luke 9:11; Matthew 9:35; Acts 10:38; Matthew 10:1
The Bible describes hell as a real place. It is a place of suffering and a place of permanent separation from God for those who die without accepting Christ. God’s desire is that no one be separated from Him for eternity, which is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:12-15; John 3:16-18
Jesus will return and take all those who have accepted Him as Savior to be with Him for eternity. Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Hebrews 9:28
These examples vary but are samples of different belief statements. If your church hasn’t already done so, now might be a good time to reflect on, and write down what you believe in a statement of faith.
