Our Beliefs

We believe in...

• The one true God who lives eternally in three persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
  
  
• The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.
  
  
• The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God - fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.
  
  
• The dignity of all people, made male and female in God's image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgement.
  
  
• The incarnation of God's eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ - born of the virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.
  
  
• The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God.
  
  
• The bodily resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world.
  
  
• The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.
  
  
• The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness.
  
  
• The Church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers - given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit's gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.
  
  
• The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.
  
  

Acts 2.42 records that the first Christian believers ‘devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer’.

The New Testament assumes that believers will be members of a local assembly of believers (church)

What is church membership?

• It is a voluntary covenant to associate ourselves with a body of Christian believers.
• It involves a commitment to attend, pray, give and serve
• It is a statement that you want the other members of your church to help you in your Christian life – and that you want to give of yourself to helping them

What does membership involve?

• A willingness to submit to the discipline of the church leadership
• A willingness to being committed to and involved in the life of the church e.g.
• Attending regularly, Serving, Giving, Praying, Evangelism

Do I have to be baptised to be a church member?

We do not insist that you need to have been baptised as a believer in order to become a member of Ebenezer. However, we would encourage all members to follow the teaching of the New Testament by being baptised in water as a public declaration of their union with Christ.

Who can be a member?

At Ebenezer we welcome into membership anybody who is willing to make the necessary commitment to be part of our church family and can enthusiastically commit to our Statement of Faith (a summary of essential Christian beliefs).

We also ask members to assent to our Doctrinal Distinctives. These are issues where we recognise that true evangelical Christians may hold different views and where we welcome into membership of the church those who hold a different view on these matters, provided they are prepared to respect the beliefs and practices of the church and that they do not seek to undermine them.

What is the Process of Becoming a Member?

Arrange an informal meeting with the elders. You will be asked about your own testimony and to explain what you understand the Christian message to be. If you are happy to proceed, your request for membership will be discussed by the elders.

Following agreement to accept you into membership, an announcement will be made to the church.

Doctrinal Distinctives

Ebenezer Evangelical Church consists of a group of Christian believers who attempt to follow the practices of the early church of whom it is recorded

‘They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.’ Acts 2.42

This document states the doctrinal position, and thereby determines the practice, of Ebenezer Evangelical Church, Airdrie, in respect of certain issues. It is recognised that true evangelical Christian believers may, in conscience, take a different personal view in respect of these matters. Persons may be welcomed into membership of the church who hold a different view on these matters, provided that they are prepared to respect the beliefs and practices of the church and that they will not seek to undermine them. A person may only become an Elder of the church if he wholeheartedly subscribes to these beliefs and is willing to uphold them.

The Sufficiency of the Scriptures

We believe that God speaks to men and women today through the Scriptures. The Scriptures contain everything which it is necessary for God to say to enable men and women to come to salvation through Christ, and to grow to maturity in Christ so that they might know how to live to please Him.

Baptism

We believe that Baptism into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is an outward sign which marks a person's regeneration and baptism by the Holy Spirit into membership of the Church of Jesus Christ. As such it should only be administered to a person who publicly professes faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism should, wherever possible and practicable, be administered by immersion in water, symbolising that the person baptised has been united with Christ in his death and resurrection, and is the possessor of the benefits thereof.

The Lord's Supper

We believe that the Lord's Supper is a remembrance meal instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ at which Christian believers share bread and wine together to remind themselves of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, of the new covenant of salvation which he inaugurated, and to proclaim that he will return. The Lord's Supper is celebrated every week on the first day of the week.

Evangelism

We believe that God is sovereign in the salvation of men and women. The Church is commanded by Jesus Christ to preach the gospel to all men everywhere, and the proclamation of the gospel is the means by which men and women are brought to salvation.

Salvation By Christ Alone

We believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, and that he provides the sole means by which men and women may come to salvation.

Leadership

We believe that a local church congregation should be led by suitably gifted men known as Elders. The Elders are the under-shepherds of Christ, and they must exercise their leadership of the local church in accordance with the character of Christ's own leadership of the Universal Church. In turn the members of the church are required to submit themselves to the leadership of the Elders, in so far as such leadership is exercised in accordance with the Scriptures. Members of the church with appropriate gifts and character, both men and women, may be set apart to serve particular needs arising in the life of the church.

Every Member Ministry

We believe that every member of the church is called by God to utilise their gifts by ministering to other members of the church. The provision of teaching and pastoral care within the life of the church is not the sole responsibility of the Elders. We believe that every believer has direct access to God and is able to minister to others. The Elders of the church are believers who have been appointed to provide pastoral leadership of the congregation, in recognition that they are suitable in character and gifts to undertake such responsibilities.