We Believe
Scripture
We believe the Bible, comprised of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments is the complete Word of God. We believe the original manuscripts of the Bible were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:21). We believe the Bible, and only the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God (2 Ti 3:16-17; Jn 10:35), is preserved by God (Ps 119:152, 160), and as such is completely authoritative for faith and practice in all cultures and in all times (Ps 119:89; Is 40:8).
Trinity
We believe God exists as a triunity, God the Father (Jn 6:27), God the Son (Jn 1:1), and God the Holy Spirit (Ac 5:3-4); three coequal and coeternal persons. We believe His essence is indivisible, and one of unity (Deut 6:4).
God the Father
We believe in God the Father who is a personal spirit (Jn 4:24), and is infinite in holiness (Isa 6:3), righteousness (Ps 11:7), justice (Deut 32:4), love (John 3:16), and sovereignty (Ps 135:6). We believe God is transcendent yet immanent (Jer 23:23-24), self-existing (Jn 5:26), eternal (Ps 90:2), omnipotent (Ex 6:3), omniscient (Ps 139:16), omnipresent (Ps 139:7-11), and that He is the creator (Gen 1:1) and sustainer (Heb 1:3) of all things. We believe He is worthy of all our adoration, praise, love, and worship (Rev 4:11).
God the Son (Jesus Christ)
We believe Jesus Christ is truly God (Ps 45:6-7; Jn 1:1) and truly human (Phil 2:6-8). We believe He was born of a virgin (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:18) to provide salvation to mankind by living in complete obedience to God and dying on the cross in our place (Matt 1:21; Col 2:14). We believe Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man (1 Ti 2:5) and as such each believer has equal access to God (1 Pe 2:5). We believe His resurrection guarantees His authority to forgive sins (1 Cor 15:17) and His deity makes Him worthy to receive all our adoration, praise, love, and worship (Rev 5:12).
God the Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is fully God (2 Sam 23:2-3; Ac 5:3-4), convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and of judgment (Jn 16:8). We believe He regenerates (Jn 3:5), indwells believers (Ro 8:8-9), illuminates Scripture (Jn 16:12-15), intercedes for the believer in prayer (Ro 8:26-27), seals the believer (Eph 1:13), and is the believer’s Helper (Jn 14:16). We believe the Holy Spirit enables the believer to live a Christ-like life as the believer submits to, and is controlled by the Spirit (Gal 5:16).
Mankind
We believe God created mankind righteous in His image (Gen 1:27, 31) apart from any evolutionary processes (Heb 11:3) to worship and enjoy Him forever (Rev 4:11). We believe Adam’s disobedience brought sin and death to all mankind (Ro 5:12), thus all people are born totally depraved (Isa 1:5-6), sinners by nature (Ps 51:5) and by choice (Ps 14:1-3; Jn 3:19; Ro 3:23), under just condemnation, deserving eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire (Ro 6:23).
Church
We believe the church, or the body of Christ, is composed of all believers saved between Pentecost and the rapture (Acts 2:41), and is commanded to observe the symbolic ordinances of baptism (Matt 28:19) and communion (Acts 2:42). We believe baptism is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Ro 6:3-4) and is to be performed following salvation (Ac 2:41). We believe the local church is a community of baptized believers confined to a particular geographic assembly. We believe in the autonomy of the local church, meaning that with Jesus as its head (Eph 5:23), the church is free from any religious or governmental hierarchy.
The Gospel
We believe salvation is a free gift by grace through faith, apart from works (Pr 20:9; Eph 2:8-9) and is given when an individual repents from sin and trusts in Christ (Jn 3:16; 2 Cor 7:10; 2 Ti 2:25). We believe in the substitutionary atonement of Christ, where He paid for sin on the cross and imputes His righteousness to the believer (Isa 53:4; Phil 3:9). We believe that at salvation, God imparts new life to the sinner through regeneration (Col 2:13), making the sinner born again (Jn 3:3-8) and a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). We believe that at salvation, Jesus Christ set us free from bondage to sin by redeeming us (Jn 8:36; Ro 6:18). We believe justification takes place at salvation when God declares the sinner to be free from the penalty of sin (Ro 3:22-28). We believe that adoption takes place at salvation when God makes the sinner a part of His family (Jn 1:12). We believe that sanctification is a process whereby the believer is set apart to grow in Christ-likeness, is begun at salvation and continues until glorification (2 Cor 3:18). We believe that since salvation is of God’s grace and not our individual merit, all who are saved are eternally secure (Jn 10:28-29), and will persevere in their faith and sanctification (1 Jn 2:19).
End Times
We believe in the imminent rapture of the church by Jesus Christ (1 Thess 4:13-18), the literal and physical return of Jesus Christ (Ti 2:13), His thousand-year reign on the earth (Rev 20:4), the eternal punishment of unbelievers in the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:14-15), and the eternal joy of believers worshiping God in the new earth (Rev 21:1-4; 22:3).
Cross View Church exists to glorify God by exalting Christ and magnifying the gospel for the joy of all nations.
Cross View Church exists to glorify God by exalting Christ and magnifying the gospel for the joy of all nations.
Glorify God
The preeminent and final purpose of all people is to glorify God (Isa 42:8; 1 Cor 10:31). Every thought, every action, every motivation, and every desire should be saturated with a passion for God’s glory. We glorify God through worship, which is not limited to a church service, but rather is our response to God’s worthiness (Ps 18:3; Rev 4:11). The value of every conceivable thought, action, motivation, and desire can be tested by asking the question, “Does this glorify God?”
Exalt Christ
Magnify the Gospel
God is glorified when the gospel is magnified. The gospel is the most visible manifestation of God’s glory (2 Cor 4:4; 1 Ti 1:11). It emphasizes the sinfulness of man while elevating the grace of God (Eph 2:1-10). The gospel both saves us (Hab 2:4; Ro 1:16) and sanctifies us (Gal 2:20). The gospel provides the only solution to our spiritual condition (Jn 14:6), and is the only source of genuine peace (Ro 5:1; Col 1:20).
For the Joy of All Nations
Our Mission
Teach the Word
God’s Word is completely authoritative and sufficient (2 Ti 3:16-17). The Bible is the tool which God uses to renew us (Ps 119:11; Ro 12:1-2) and bring us to spiritual maturity (Col 1:28). The teaching and preaching of the Word is not optional, but is to be done whether it is popular or not (2 Ti 4:2). We preach God’s Word expositionally in its context. In other words, we seek to draw out the correct meaning of the text, taking into consideration the natural, grammatical, and historical context. This prevents us from reading our own ideas or opinions into the Bible (2 Pet 1:19-21).
Proclaim Christ
Since all of Scripture speaks of Christ (Jn 1:45; 5:39; Lu 24:27), we seek to intentionally point people to Him (1 Cor 1:23; 2:2; Col 1:28; 2 Cor 4:5). We strive to proclaim Christ through our preaching, our teaching, our discipleship, our evangelism, and our counseling. In short, Christ can be proclaimed in every avenue of life. Life solutions that exclude Christ diminish His preeminence.
Equip the Saints
Jesus gave leaders to the church for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph 4:11-12). The church does not reserve the work of the ministry for a few “elite” individuals. The leadership of the church has no closer access to God than any other believer (1 Pet 2:5), with Christ as the sole intermediary between God and man (1 Ti 2:5). The leadership primarily equips, and the church carries out ministry responsibilities.
Preach the Gospel
The means whereby God grants salvation is through the preaching of the gospel (Ro 10:14-17; 16:25). The gospel also is the means of sanctification, in other words we do not start by faith and finish by works (Gal 3:3). Teaching that promotes moralism or self-sufficiency is not in accordance with the gospel (Hab 2:4 1 Ti 1:10-11). We are commissioned to proclaim the gospel to the nations (Matt 28:19-20), and though not all will repent, God desires all people to be saved (Isa 1:18; 1 Ti 2:4).
Serve People
Jesus gave the greatest example of genuine servant leadership (Jn 13:1-20). The church ought to be known by its sacrificial service to people, putting the needs of others first (Le 19:18; 1 Cor 10:24). In fact, the greatest visual display of being a disciple of Christ is to love one another (Jn 13:34-35).
Our Vision
Our vision is to impact individuals, our families, our community, and our world with the excellency of Christ.
Individuals
Every human being is an image-bearer of God (Gen 1:27) and thus has infinite value. We seek to impact all individuals regardless of ethnicity, socio-economic status, or any other classification.
Our Families
After our commitment to God, our commitment to our families is the most important priority in our lives. We value and strive to uphold the family unit as designed by God, one man and one woman for life. Children are a heritage from the Lord (Ps 127:3). Both parents are responsible for pointing their family to Christ, with the husband having the primary leadership role (Deut 6:6-7; Eph 5:22-23; 6:4).
The Excellency of Christ
The only message worth proclaiming to the whole world is the excellency of Christ (1 Pet 2:9). Every other message we could think up is second place. We seek to drive people to find their satisfaction in Christ alone.
Our Community
Our local community is our “Jerusalem” (Acts 1:8). We value the close relationships that we build with our co-workers, neighbors, and businesses within our community. We desire to minister to both the physical and spiritual needs (Jas 2:15-16) of those in Orrville and surrounding communities.
Our World
The Great Commission is about making disciples of Christ among all nations (Matt 28:19-20), including our own. We have a passion for church planting in the US and around the world (Acts 1:8). Our heart is to join in the Great Commission by supporting global missions and to see people from every tribe and tongue worshiping our great God (Gen 22:18; Rev 7:9).
Our Values
God’s Word
We value the authority, inspiration, and inerrancy of the Bible (2 Ti 3:16-17; Jn 10:35). We recognize that without God’s Word, we would have no knowledge of His expectations or the gospel message (Dt 8:3; Ps 119:11; Ro 10:14-17).
The Cross
We value the cross that Jesus bore for our sins and recognize its centrality to Scripture (Col 2:13-15). The cross provides the means whereby our broken relationship with God can be restored (Isa 53:5; 1 Pe 2:24). We have the opportunity to respond to the cross of Christ by our own humble sacrifice (1 Jn 3:16).
Worship
We value the privilege we have to worship God. We were created for worship (Rev 4:11), and will be worshiping God for all eternity (Rev 22:3). When we worship God we experience true joy and satisfaction (Ps 16:11; 67:2-4).
Holiness
We value God’s supreme holiness (Isa 6:3) and recognize our charge to pursue holiness (Lev 11:44). We strive to be holy as we walk in obedience to God’s law, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). We recognize that obedience is superior to sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22).
Relationships
We value pursuing God-honoring relationships. They provide the avenue through which we can display sacrificial, Christ-like love to one another (Le 19:18; Jn 13:34-35). We will continue to cultivate relationships for all eternity.
Service
We value the opportunity we have to mirror Christ by serving others and considering them more significant than ourselves (Phil 1:3-11). We serve people by using the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:7; 1 Pe 4:10-11). We will serve God for all eternity.
Our Enablement
Recognizing our own insufficiency, we strive to live out our mission by the grace that God gives through the enablement of the Holy Spirit.
Grace
We are altogether dependent upon the grace that God gives to us, and we cannot please God without His grace (Ti 2:11-14). We reject teaching that encourages us to “pick ourselves up by our bootstraps.” The works of the law cannot change the heart (Pr 20:9); we need God’s grace (Gal 3:2-3).
The Enablement of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Trinity, is active in regeneration (Jn 3:5). He indwells believers (Ro 8:8-9), and He enables us to live in obedience to God (Gal 5:16-23). We give ourselves wholly to prayer, recognizing that it is one of the tools the Holy Spirit uses to accomplish God’s will.
Our Insufficiency
Whether it is in our salvation or our daily Christian life, we are wholly inadequate to respond to God in faith and obedience (Ro 3:23; Eph 2:8-9). Apart from the gospel, our sin nature has earned us God’s wrath in hell for eternity. We cannot even grow in our Christian walk on our own.
Mailing Address
Cross View Church
PO Box 153
Orrville, OH 44667
Meeting Place
First Presbyterian Church
1830 W Market St
Orrville, OH 44667
Sunday Worship
9:00 am
Equipping the Saints
10:30 am
Wednesday Prayer
7:00 pm
Sunday Worship
9:00 am
Equipping the Saints
10:30 am
Wednesday Prayer
7:00 pm