What You Can Expect at E3

Casual, friendly atmosphere - Element3 is a come-as-you are church! Feel free to pour a cup of coffee, relax, and check things out at your own pace without worrying about having anything pushed at you.

Children-Friendly - Element3 strives to provide fun programs in a safe and positive environment that help children learn about the love of Jesus Christ and the foundations of the Christian faith.

Contemporary Music - The worship music at Element3 is contemporary where it focuses on God.

Credible Messages - The teachings Element3 is biblical and engaging- connecting timeless truth to the timely issues we all face.

Church Services - Element3 meets at 10:00 am at the Fairfield Community Center. 

Nursery care - Available during the service for infants-4 yrs old.

Children's Church - Meet at The GrowZone for kids in Kindergarten to Grade 5.

What We Believe at E3

Values Statements

The following are values we seek to have maintained at Element 3.
We are committed to:

· Glorifying God as our highest priority.
· The Bible as the inspired, infallible, inerrant, Word of God.
· The Word of God as the authoritative standard for Christian living.
· A growing, personal relationship with Jesus.
· The pursuit of personal holiness, and striving to walk by the Spirit.
· The evangelization of the lost, at home and abroad. Acts 1:8
· Loving God, loving others, and making disciples as we are going.
· Our families, and the practice of Biblical family values.
· The Church, local and universal, the Body of Christ in the world.
· Regularly remembering the Lord’s death until He comes, through participation in the Lord’s Supper.
· Baptizing by immersion all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, as an outward expression of the new inward reality in their lives.
· Practicing Biblical Eldership, a multiple leadership model, as seen in the New Testament.
· Dependence upon God as manifested through prayer, the study of His Word, and obedience to all He teaches and commands.


Statement of Faith

Doctrine may be divided into two primary groups:

1. That which is essential for salvation
2. That which is essential for leadership
 

DOCTRINE ESSENTIAL FOR SALVATION

Salvation is a free gift offered to man by God through the finished work of Jesus Christ. In order to be saved, a person must repent of his sin and receive and accept Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior and trust alone in what Christ has done to receive that salvation. There would be no question that if a person denied the above, that he should not be considered a Christian. While we may have a friendship with such a person, we could not have Christian fellowship. (Eph. 2:8-9; John 1:12; John 3:16; Acts 16:31)


DOCTRINE ESSENTIAL FOR LEADERSHIP

This involves that doctrine which must be agreed upon by those in leadership. An individual may disagree and still be a Christian and a church member, but they could not be in leadership. Throughout Christianity, the essential for salvation is consistent. On the other hand, doctrine essential for leadership may vary greatly--it may even vary in one place from time to time. 
The following are those points of doctrine which are essential for leadership at Element 3:


WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT GOD

We believe that there is but one living and true God who is infinite in being and perfection, a Most pure spirit, Invisible, Immutable, Immense, Eternal, Incomprehensible, Almighty, Most wise, Most holy, Most free, Most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory. (Westminster Confession)

We believe that God is most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and
sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and most just and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty. (Westminster Confession)

We believe in one God eternally existing in three equal persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 48:16; Matt. 28:19; John 6:27; Acts 5:3-4; II Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:8)

We believe that man was created in the Image of God, and that he sinned and consequently experienced not only physical death but also spiritual death (which is separation from God). The consequences of this sin affect the entire human race. All human beings are born with a sinful nature and apart from Jesus Christ are eternally lost. (Gen. 1:26-27; Gen. 2:17; Mark 7:20-23; John 2:24-25; Rom. 5:12-19; Eph. 2:1-3; Eph. 4:18)

We believe that, in order to remedy this situation, God the Son became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, who was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and who is true God and true man. (Matt. 1:18-25; Matt. 26:38; Mark 7:20-23; John 2:24-25; John 8:40; John 11:33; Heb. 1:8; Heb. 2:14)

We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood. (Mark 10:45; Rom. 3:21-26; Rom. 5:8-9; II Cor. 5:14; Gal. 3; I Peter 3:18)

We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there for us. Jesus now serves as high priest, intercessor, and advocate in our behalf with the Father. (John 20:25-27; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 1:4; Heb. 7:25; I John 2:1)

We believe in the personal, bodily, visible return of Jesus Christ in the glory of His Father to set up on the earth a kingdom in which He shall reign in righteousness and peace. (Isa. 9:6-7; Isa. 11:2-5; Matt. 24:30; Acts 1:11; Rev. 20:4-6)

We believe that whoever by faith receives Jesus Christ as His Savior becomes a child of God. His salvation is not the result of any human effort or merit. (John 1:12; Rom. 3:28; Gal. 3; Eph. 2:8-9; I John 5:11-13)

We believe that once a person is saved, it is impossible for him to lose his salvation. He is kept eternally secure by the power of God through the new birth, the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit, and the intercession of Christ. (John 10:25-30; John 14:16-17; Rom. 8:38-39; Eph. 4:30; Phil. 1:6; I Peter 1:23)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, possessing all the distinctively divine attributes. He is God. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, seals, and sets apart the believer to a holy life. At regeneration He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ and comes to indwell him permanently. (Isa. 40:13-14; Ps. 139:7: John 3:5-7; John7:37-39; John 14: 16-17; John 16:8; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:9: 26-27; 1 Cor. 2:10-11; I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13; II Thess. 2:13; Titus 3:5)

We believe that there is only one baptism of the Holy Spirit. This occurs at conversion at which time one receives the Holy Spirit in the Spirit’s entirety. Christians may have subsequent meaningful experiences with the Holy Spirit. Any subsequent experience should properly be called a “filling of the Spirit” and not a “second baptism”. It is necessary for each Christian to be continually filled by the Spirit by confessing sin and yielding his life to the Master. (I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13; Eph. 4:4; Eph. 5:18-2 1; Col. 2:9-10)

We believe that believers receive from the Holy Spirit spiritual gifts which they should endeavor to discover, develop, and use to serve and build up the Body. The Body functions most effectively when gifts are being properly exercised. However, the fruit of the Spirit, not spiritual gifts, is the evidence of being filled by the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 12:6-8; I Cor. 12:7-27; Eph. 4:7-13)

We believe that all believers still possess a sinful nature in this life, but that God has made full provision for believers to overcome this sinful nature and to live for God through identification with Christ, through knowledge of the Scriptures, and by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We recognize that this is a process which will not be completed until we see Jesus face to face. (Rom. 5:12-19; Rom. 6:1-14; Rom. 8:11-17; Eph. 2:1-10)

We believe God, Who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God’s witness to Himself. We believe that the Bible, being God’s own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible, divine authority in all matters upon which it touches. It is inerrant in its entirety. This includes the fields of history and science as well as spiritual, religious, and redemptive themes. (We use the word “inerrant” not in the sense of being absolutely precise by modern standards, but in the sense of making good its claims and achieving that measure of focused truth at which its authors aimed). We believe that the Bible is to be believed as God’s instruction in all that it affirms; obeyed as God’s command in all that it requires: embraced as God’s pledge in all that it promises. (Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; John 16:12-15; I Cor. 2:13; 1 Cor. 2: 14-16; II Tim. 3:16; II Peter 1:21)

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men. Believers are resurrected to enjoy eternal life with God. Unbelievers are resurrected to experience judgment and then eternal suffering apart from God. (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29; I Cor. 15:52; I Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 20:4-6, 12-15; Rev. 21:1-8)

We believe that water baptism by immersion, is a sign and testimony of a person’s saving relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe that every Christian should, out of obedience to the Word of God, and as a public identification with Jesus Christ, be baptized. (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16: Acts 2:38; Eph. 4.5)

We believe that Christians are to celebrate the Lord’s Supper until He returns. This celebration reminds Christians of Christ’s body broken and blood shed for our sins. (Luke 22:14-23; I Cor. 11:17-30)

We believe that Christ should have control of every area of a believer’s life. There are no activities, thoughts, or decisions in which God is not concerned, and His will should be sought accordingly. Jesus Christ should be Lord of our work, play, thoughts, and speech every day in all situations, as well as Lord of our ministry and service to Him. (Rom. 14:23; I Cor. 6:19-20; I Cor. 10:31; Phil. 1:21)

We believe that corporate and individual worship are essential parts of every believer’s relationship to God. We set aside specific times for corporate verbal praise, thanksgiving, adoration, and acknowledgment of the acts, attributes and qualities of God. According to Romans 12:1, individual obedience to God, service to fellowmen, and evangelism in our every day lives are forms of worship, as well as our verbally describing God’s worth in a public worship service. (Ex. 34:14; Ps. 29:1-2; John 4:23-24; Rom. 12:1)

We believe that having personal fellowship with God on a regular and consistent basis is essential for Christian growth. The means of this fellowship with God is spending time praying, learning from the Word of God, and applying its truths to our lives. (Ps. 1; Ps. 5:3; Ps. 119; Ps. 145:2; Col. 3:16; Col. 4:2; I Thess. 5:17)

We believe that everything we have belongs to God, that He is the Owner (Haggai 2:8; Deut. 8:18; I Cor. 4:7), and that a Christian is a steward of all God has given him to care for (I Cor. 4:2). We express our commitment to God’s ownership by giving back to Him a portion of what He has given to us. We determine the amount by asking Him for His wisdom (James 1:5). As we do this, we should give attention to what His Word says about tithing (Mal. 3:10; Luke 11:42), giving cheerfully (II Cor. 9:7-15), and giving the first fruits, expecting God to meet our needs. (Prov. 3:9-10; II Cor. 9:6-10).


WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT THE FAMILY

The Family 
We believe that next to God the family is our most important priority and responsibility. Our families are a greater priority than our ministries. The family is the most important unit in our society and, as a church, we are committed to ministering to the family and enabling each member to live out his or her God-given roles and responsibilities. (Gen. 2; Deut. 6; Ps. 127; I Tim. 3)

Husbands 
We believe that God has appointed the husband as the head of the family. He is to love his wife (Eph. 5:25-33), to provide for and protect her (I Tim. 5:8), to be her teacher (I Cor. 14:35), to exercise authority over her under God (I Pet. 3:6), to be considerate of her (I Pet. 3:7), and to be her priest (Eph. 5:25-33).

Wives 
We believe that God has called the wife to submit to her husband and to respect him. She is to do him good and not evil, and is to develop a gentle and quiet spirit. (Prov. 31:10-12; Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18; I Pet. 3:1-6)

Parents 
We believe that parents are given the primary responsibility for the spiritual training of their children. They are not to exasperate their children but to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. The church is to be a supplement but never a replacement for the role of parents in training children. (Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21)

Children 
We believe that children are to be submissive to their parents and to seek to honor them. A child who is married or living away from home is to continue to honor his parents and to seek their counsel for his life. (Ex. 20:12; Col. 3:20; Eph. 6:1-3)

Abortion 
We believe that from conception a preborn is a person (Gen. 1:26; Ps. 139; Jer. 4:4-10). We believe that all persons, male and female, are made in the Image of God and, therefore, have eternal worth (Gen. 1:26-27). Therefore, we believe that it is wrong to intentionally take the life of a preborn through abortion.

Marriage 
God instituted marriage. Marriage is between one man and one woman. It is symbolic of the relationship between Christ and the Church. (Gen 2:24, Eph. 5:22-23) It is God’s intention that marriage be permanent. (Matt.19:4-6)

Divorce 
Nowhere in the Bible does God condone divorce, and indeed, He says at one point: “I hate divorce...” (Malachi 2:16). However, because we live in a fallen world, the Bible gives guidelines to the Church on how to handle divorce.

Remarriage 
A widow or widower is free to remarry a believer. (Rom. 7:1-14; II Cor. 7:39) If an unbeliever divorces a believer (for whatever reason), the believer is free to remarry a believer. (I Cor. 7:12-17) A believer whose spouse (believer or unbeliever) has committed adultery is free to divorce and remarry. (Matt. 19:9)



WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT THE BODY OF CHRIST

Body of Christ
We believe that when a man, woman, boy or girl receives Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, they are “born again” (John 3:1-21) into another family beyond their natural, human family and now have God as their Father (John 1:12-13; Gal. 3:26). By nature, this family must include both sexes and all ages (Mark 10:28-31; I Tim. 5:1-2; Titus 2:1-8) and they all must learn to function together.

Universal Church
We believe that the Church in its invisible form is universal, the true body of Christ. All believers from the day of Pentecost are members of the universal church, regardless of organizational affiliation. (Acts 11:15-18; Eph.. 4:4-6: Col. 1:18; I Thess. 4:13-17)

Maturity in the Body 
We believe that all believers are to give attention to becoming spiritually mature in order to function in the body of Christ. The emphasis of Scripture for individuals is on the qualities of Christian maturity, and for the corporate body of Christ, the development of faith, hope, and love. (I Cor. 13:13; Eph. 1:15-18; Col. 1:3-5; I Thess. 1:3; II Thess. 1:3-4)

Spiritual Reproduction
We believe In the process of spiritual reproduction and transference as God’s method for building the body and reaching the world. The goal of spiritual reproduction is to produce mature Christians who are able to transfer their maturity to others (I Thess. 1:6-8; II Tim. 2:2). All the members and gifts of the body are needed to accomplish spiritual reproduction. (Rom. 12:4-8; I Cor. 12:12)

Every Member a Minister
We believe that every member of Christ’s Church is to be a minister. (Eph. 4:1 1-2)

Full Time Vocational Ministry
We believe that God calls some members of the body into full-time, vocational ministry in order that they might equip the other members of the body for ministry. This call into full-time, vocational ministry is based on a man or woman having demonstrated the ability to equip other Christians to do ministry. (Eph. 4:11-12)

Leadership 
We believe that the Biblical norm is multiplicity of leadership (I Tim. 5:17) and that decisions ideally should be made by unanimity (consensus) of those in leadership (Acts 15:23-25). This implies teamwork, a committed love for one another as a model to the body and to the world (John 13:34-35; I Pet. 5:3), and commitment to the same basic body of doctrine and philosophy of ministry (Amos 3:3). 

Servant Leadership
We believe that the main qualification for leadership is a servant’s heart. The heart of a servant, which is humility, must be demonstrated before a person is given leadership responsibility or function. (Phil. 2:3-4; I Pet. 5:1-3)

Church Government 
We believe in an elder form of church government (I Pet. 5:1-5), and that only men are to be chosen as elders (I Tim. 3:1-7). To be an elder, a man must have developed a lifestyle which demonstrates all of the character qualities described In I Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

Shepherding 
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted to the leadership of His Church the task of shepherding His Body. Shepherding involves spiritually feeding, caring for, and watching over the souls of believers. (John 21:15-17; Heb. 13:17)

Women and Their role in the Church
God in His wisdom created men and women and appointed them to different roles in the church. In the Church these roles are equally important and pleasing to God. Specifically, God has appointed men to be accountable for the church and women are to support them through the full exercise of their gifts. This divine order of accountability and authority is based on three reasons set forth in I Tim. 2:11-15 and I Cor. 11:2-16:

· The order of creation. Woman was created from man to be his helpmate (Gen. 2:18).

· Although both sinned, the man was the one held accountable because he was the one responsible for the woman.

· The head of the woman is the man, as the head of Christ Is God.



WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE WORLD

Spiritual Warfare
We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, and that when given the opportunity, he attempts to defeat Christians. However, we believe Christians can discover and overcome Satan’s schemes by applying Scriptural truth. (Job 1:6-1.2; Luke 10:18; John 8:44; Eph. 6:10-18)

Evangelism 
We believe that Christians should proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and salvation to non-saved persons, starting first in their own community,
then throughout the whole world. (Acts 1:8; I Cor. 10:31-33; I Cor. 14:25; I Pet. 3:15)

Missions
We believe that Jesus gave the church a clear, spiritual mandate to “make disciples of all nations.” Therefore, it is the responsibility of each local body to contribute to this God ordained program by training, sending, and supporting individuals and teams for local and cross-cultural evangelism, discipleship and church planting. (Matt. 28:19)

Social Concern 
We believe that when God created man, He gave him the cultural mandate to fill the earth by his creative powers and subdue it with his powers of authority and management (Gen. 1:28). This responsibility of creating and controlling has never been lifted; therefore, it is a biblical Christian concern to become involved in politics, social programs, moral and social ethics and environment.

al control and development.