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OUR CORE BELIEFS
The following core beliefs of the HAVEN Church of the Nazarene are based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in, and flows out of, these biblical doctrines
GOD
There is one eternally existing God who has three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is the Creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible, and is therefore worthy of all glory, honor, and praise. God is perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, justice, and mercy. He is unchangeable and, therefore, is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
REVELATION
God has revealed Himself to use through His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the visible Image of the invisible God., the holy scriptures, and through all of creation itself.
MANKIND
Humans, both male and female, were created in God’s Image for His glory. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created without sin and appointed as caretakers of the rest of God’s creations.
THE FALL
When Adam and Even chose not to obey God, they ceased to be what they were create to be, becoming distorted images of God. This sin caused them to fall out of fellowship with God, and fractured all of creation ever since that time.
SALVATION
Jesus Christ came to reconcile us with God. He lived a life without sin, and willingly died on the Cross to pay the penalty of death for our transgressions. God raised Jesus from the dead and now, by grace, offers to all humanity who will follow Jesus, by faith in Him as their Lord and Savior, the free gift of eternal life. That is why salvation can be found in Christ alone.
THE CHURCH
The Church is meant to be the visible body of Christ, sent into the world to glorify God and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
RESURRECTION
Jesus Christ is returning one day to judge both the living and the dead, and to usher in the fullness of God’s kingdom on earth.
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MISSION
The MISSION of the HAVEN Church of the Nazarene is the same mission Jesus gave His followers” “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19-20).
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VISION
The VISION of the HAVEN Church of the Nazarene is to create a community of authentic believers, and to witness a city transformed by the life changing reality of the gospel, as people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
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AFFILIATIONS
The denominational affiliations of the HAVEN Church of the Nazarene include:
The Church of the Nazarene. The Church of the Nazarene is the largest denomination in the classical Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. The doctrine that distinguishes the Church of the Nazarene and other Wesleyan denominations from most other Christian denominations is that of entire sanctification. Nazarenes believe that God calls Christians to a life of holy living that is marked by an act of God, cleansing the heart from original sin and filling the individual with love for God and humankind. Christian discipleship is a way of life. It is the process of learning how God would have us live in the world. As we learn to live in obedience to the Word of God, in submission to the disciplines of the faith, and in accountability to one another, we begin to understand the true joy of the disciplined life and the Christian meaning of freedom. Discipleship is not merely human effort, submitting to rules and regulations. It is the means through which the Holy Spirit gradually brings us to maturity in Christ. It is through discipleship that we become people of Christian character. The ultimate goal of discipleship is to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The Church of the Nazarene has moved over time from a church with an international presence toward a global community of believers. Grounded in the Wesleyan tradition, Nazarenes understand themselves to be a people who are Christian, holiness, and missional, and they have embraced the mission statement: “To make Christlike disciples in the nations.”As a global community of faith, we are commissioned to take the Good News of life in Jesus Christ to people everywhere and to spread the message of scriptural holiness across the lands. The HAVEN Church of the Nazarene contributes to this commission through the USA-Canada Region, which comprises 78 districts, 5,100 churches, and 600,000 members, and is a member of the North/East Texas District of the Church of the Nazarene. We are a family of 61 unique congregations located in an area stretching from the Red River on the North, to Navarro County in the South; from Irving on the West; and, to Texarkana and the Texas/Arkansas stateline in the East.