what we believe

Purpose

Parkside Bible Church exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We seek to follow Him and fulfill this God-given mission by:

Delighting in the Gospel

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Growing Through Relationships

This is the nature of the local church. We are called to be a community of believers that invest in each other’s lives. We are thus called to BE the church, not to DO church. We prioritize getting people connected, knowing that growth in the gospel happens in community.

Serving Our Community

This is the focus of the local church. We are focused on the west side of Indianapolis, including Brownsburg and surrounding towns. Jesus has called us to be a preservative for this area, the “salt of the earth.” We are to be a just and merciful people who strive to make this area a better place. We pursue this through ministries like Bethesda Christian Schools, Northwest Community Park, and others.

Sending Into the World

This is the calling of the local church. We are to be a people for God’s own possession who are proclaiming His excellencies to our community and around the world. We don’t just send missionaries around the globe, we celebrate that every member is sent out by Jesus on mission! This means many things, but one key aspect is that we are not in competition with other churches to gain members. Rather, we are working to see the lost come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. While this is certainly accomplished locally, we also have numerous domestic and international ministry partners.

Beliefs

Our Basic Beliefs can be read in the 8 summary statements below.

Our Doctrinal Beliefs can be read by clicking the Basic Beliefs to reveal the lengthier explanation of each Doctrine.

There is one God, the Creator of the universe and all that exists, who eternally exists in three distinct persons who are fully God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe that the Triune God is the one true living God who is eternally self- existent and is unified as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit all exist as one being, yet distinct persons (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). We believe that each person of the Godhead possesses one substance and are equally important (Mark 12:29). The Father is God, Jesus Christ is God, and the Holy Spirit is God (John 1:1; Acts 5:3-4). We believe that the Trinity is equal in every divine attribute and executes distinct, yet harmonious offices in the great work of creation and redemption (Colossians 1:15; Ephesians 1:3-14).

God the Father

We believe that God the Father orders all things according to His own purposes (Isaiah 14:27; 46:9-10; Malachi 3:6). We believe that God, in His eternal purpose, predestined all things before the foundations of time (Isaiah 14:26-27; Acts 2:23; Ephesians 1:11). We believe that His decree is eternal, immutable, and absolute, including the good and wicked acts of men, so-called accidental events, the means as well as the ends, the duration of a man’s life, and the place that man lives (Malachi 3:6; Lamentations 3:37-38; John 9:1-6; Acts 17:26-27). We believe that God allows sin and doesn’t always decree what He desires (James 1:13-15; 2 Peter 3:9; Deuteronomy 29:29). We believe that man is completely responsible and culpable for his actions. God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility run as two parallel tracks that must stay in tension (Acts 2:23; John 6:35-44; Isaiah 55:8- 9). We believe that God created all things out of nothing, apart from any evolutionary process (Genesis 1:1-31; Hebrews 11:3). We believe God created all things for His glory and is sovereign in creation and salvation (Psalm 19:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). We believe that God the Father is the author of election, the commissioner of Jesus Christ, and the Father of His redeemed children (Ephesians 1:3-6; Hebrews 1:5; Romans 8:16-17).

God the Son

We believe that God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, is the Savior of the world who is at the right hand of God the Father (John 3:16-17; Acts 4:11-12, 7:55). We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven (John 14:6). We believe that He is the creator and sustainer of the universe and the forgiver of sins (Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-4; Mark 2:5). We believe that he is the one mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5-6). We believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died in the place of all sinners, rose bodily from the grave, ascended back to Heaven, and is coming soon (Luke 1:34-35; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 22:12).

God the Holy Spirit

We believe that God the Holy Spirit was involved in creation, caused the virgin birth, and was the agent in giving the inspired Scriptures (Genesis 1:2; Luke 1:35; 2 Peter 1:21). We believe that the Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration (Titus 3:5), baptizes believers into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation (1 Corinthians 12:13), permanently indwells them (Hebrews 8:9-11) and seals them as the guarantee of their inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). We believe the Holy Spirit equips each believer with spiritual gifts which are to be used to serve and build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11).

All Scripture is inspired by God and is inerrant, authoritative, and sufficient for all things.

We believe the Bible is the written Word of God. We believe in the revelation and inspiration of all 66 books of Scripture in which God the Holy Spirit imparted the very words of God to the Bible writers and carried them along to write God’s words without error in the original manuscripts (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20- 21). We believe that the Bible is inerrant, infallible, and its authority and sufficiency endures forever (Matthew 5:17-18; 1 Peter 1:23-25). We believe the entire Bible should be interpreted and understood in its literal, grammatical, historical, and redemptive context. We believe that illumination is the act of God the Holy Spirit in which He enables believers to understand all Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:10-14; John 14:26).

All humanity is made in the image of God and is also sinful from birth and by action. Therefore, all humanity is spiritually dead and justly remains under the weath of God.

We believe all humanity is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8). Everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:13-16). We believe Adam’s special creation as the first human, apart from any evolutionary processes, and existence as a real historical person is essential to the Redemptive story. We believe he chose to sin and through him death spread to all men (Romans 5:12). We believe all humanity is sinful from conception, and therefore, spiritually dead, and totally depraved (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1-3). We believe all humanity is incapable of reaching out to God for salvation unless God first intervenes in grace (John 6:44). We believe all humanity willfully chooses to sin which flows from the heart (Mark 7:21-23; Ecclesiastes 7:20, 9:3). We believe all humanity is enslaved to sin (2 Peter 2:19; John 8:34) and no one can seek God apart from sovereign grace (Romans 3:10-11; John 6:41-44). We believe all humanity lives in unbelief and justly remains under the wrath of God because of inherited sin, imputed sin, and personal sin (John 3:16-21, 36).

Jesus Christ, eternally God the Son, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and is both fully God and fully human.

We believe that Jesus Christ has eternally existed as God’s Son (Micah 5:2; John 1:1). We believe in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, whereby, He took on a sinless human nature without ceasing to be God, therefore, remaining unblemished deity while also possessing true, sinless humanity in one person forever (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:23). We believe He was born of a virgin by a supernatural act of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). We believe Jesus Christ was tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5). While on earth He developed as all men do (Luke 2:52); He grew tired, wept, felt compassion, experienced grief, hunger, thirst, and suffered pain (John 4:6, 11:35; Matthew 9:36, 4:2; John 19:1-30). We believe Jesus Christ is the God-man.

Jesus Christ died in the place of sinful humanity on the cross to pay the penalty of sins and satisfy the wrath of God. He rose bodily from the grave, ascended into Heaven, and will one day return bodily to earth.

We believe Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world and satisfied God’s wrath (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 John 2:2). We also believe that Jesus specifically paid the penalty for the sins of believers as He stood in their place on the cross (1 Timothy 4:10; Galatians 3:13; John 10:11; 2 Corinthians 5:21). We believe Jesus was resurrected bodily and proved this by displaying human characteristics while with His disciples (Luke 24:36-49; John 20:26-29, 21:4-14). We believe Jesus ascended into Heaven and will return in the same way (Acts 1:6-11).

Only through repentance and trust in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ can one be reconciled to God and enter Heaven.

We believe repenting from sin and turning to Jesus is the required response to the message of the Gospel (Mark 1:14-15, Acts 26:19-20; Romans 10:9). We believe that true Biblical repentance directly and necessarily results from trusting in the person and work of Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation, reconciliation with God, and entrance to Heaven (1 John 3:9-10; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:14-16; John 14:6). We believe that God’s holiness demands a perfect atoning sacrifice for sin (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:14-16). As the only perfect man, Jesus Christ, the God-man, is the only person capable of providing salvation (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:15).

Salvation is all an act of God's grace according to His sovereign purposes and eternal plans and can never be revoked or lost. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for glory of God alone.

We believe salvation is received solely by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from any works done by man (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:1-9). We believe faith itself is a gift from God, not something produced by man (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 8:7-8; 1 Corinthians 2:7-15; John 3:19-20). We believe the ultimate goal of salvation is to bring glory to God by accomplishing His sovereign purposes and eternal plans (Ephesians 1:5-14). We believe that God, in eternity past, lovingly chose some to salvation (Ephesians 1:3-14; 1 Peter 1:2-5; John 6:41-51). We believe this reality in no way diminishes man’s culpability for sin, responsibility to repent, or the call to preach the Gospel to all nations (Luke 13:1-5; Acts 17:30; Matthew 28:19-20). We believe that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (John 6:35-37; Romans 10:13; 1 Timothy 2:4). We believe that genuine faith will produce a changed life and will lead to holy living (Romans 6:1-14; 1 Peter 1:14-16; James 2:17). We believe that when a person truly comes to Christ, their salvation can never be revoked by God, nor can it be lost or given back by man because it is a free gift of God’s grace and a commitment He chooses to keep (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:31-39).

Jesus will return bodily to Earth at any moment. There will be a future bodily resurrection of the dead. Those who repent and trust in Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal life. Those who do not repent and trust in Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal punishment.

We believe Jesus will return at any moment for His redeemed and will subsequently establish His millennial kingdom. (Matthew 24:29-31, 36-44; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 20:1-6). We believe there is a literal future for Israel (Jeremiah 31:33-34; Romans 11:26-29; Acts 1:6). We believe all humans who have died will one day be raised bodily for the final judgment (Revelation 20:11-15, Romans 2:5-11, Matthew 25:31-46). We believe those who have repented of sin and placed their trust solely in the person and work of Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal life with God to live on a New Earth (John 5:24, Romans 8:1, Revelation 21:1-4). We believe those who have not repented of their sin and have not placed their trust solely in the person and work of Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal condemnation in Hell, a physical place of separation from the presence of God, eternal fire, torment, anguish, and pain (Mark 9:43-48, Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 14:11).

Constitution and By-Laws

To see the entirety of Parkside Bible Church’s Constitution and By-Laws, click here.

Distinctives

Baptism and Communion

Baptism and communion are the two ordinances given to the local church. Believer’s baptism is through immersion and is a public identification of union with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Baptism signifies the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as well as the believer’s death to sin and resurrection to new life. Baptism is not a requirement for salvation nor does it possess any power to save, but is commanded of believers as an act of obedience and outward demonstration of a decision to follow Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-41; Acts 8:35-38; Romans 6:3-6).

Communion is a public remembrance and celebration of the death of Jesus Christ. As Christians remember the body and blood of Jesus, symbolized by the bread and juice, they are commanded to solemnly examine themselves and confess sin so as to avoid taking communion in an unworthy manner. The remembrance of Jesus’ work on the cross must lead to celebration as we rejoice in the salvation He purchased. Like baptism, communion is reserved for believers and possesses no power to save (1 Corinthians 11:20-29; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:42-46).

Call to Mission and Church Planting

Just as Jesus was sent into the world to save sinners, so all believers are sent by God to make disciples of all nations. On an individual level, this means every believer is called to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to their friends, co-workers, neighbors, and community. Corporately, we seek to mobilize people in various small group ministries to assist one another in building relationships, serving others, and evangelizing our community and world. We also seek to use our church campus to meet our community where they are and show the love of Jesus in conjunction with sharing the good news of Jesus.

It is our belief that planting new churches is both God’s established plan to reach the nations and the most effective method to see long-term results. We therefore seek to train, equip, and send our people out to plant churches both domestically and internationally. We also partner with church planters around the globe in order to strategically invest our time, talent, and treasure in the advance of the gospel (John 20:21; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 13-15; Acts 14:21-23).

Church Membership

We believe all Christians should be members of a local church. Membership places us under the God-ordained authority of the church, gives a shared identity, and unites us with a common purpose. Church membership helps us pursue these commands in community and also follows God’s design for accountability and church discipline when we depart from the calling He has placed on our lives. While this distinctive is not explicitly stated in Scripture, a careful reading of the New Testament only makes sense against the backdrop of church membership. Church membership serves as a catalyst for living in community, which is a key ingredient for displaying the image of God, loving one another, and living on mission (1 Corinthians 5:1-11; Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:24-25; Galatians 6:10; 1 Timothy 5:1-10; John 13:35).

Marriage and Sexuality

We believe God wonderfully and immutably creates all human beings in his image as either male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders beautifully picture both the image of and nature of God. Human marriage is also a picture of Jesus’ marriage to the church where He is the groom and the church is the bride. This imagery also demands that male and female be understood as distinct and complementary (Genesis 1:26-27; Ephesians 5:22-33; Galatians 3:27-29).

God has gloriously ordained marriage to be an exclusive union of one man and one woman for life. God designed and planned sexual intimacy to be only within the context of marriage. All sexual activity outside of marriage is expressively forbidden (Genesis 2:18-25; Romans 1:26-28; 1 Corinthians 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4).

God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness are freely given to all who repent of their sin and come to faith in Jesus Christ. Further, we believe all human beings should be treated with love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful attitudes and behaviors are to be repudiated and are not in accord with the practices of this church and, more importantly, with the teaching of Scripture (Romans 10:9-10; Acts 3:19-21; Mark 12:28-31; John 4:1-42).

Women in Ministry

We believe men and women possess complete equality in essence, value, and dignity. God’s divine design is that they have complimentary, distinct roles within the church. We encourage women to use their spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ wherever possible unless Scripture clearly excludes women from a given ministry role. The office and role of pastor is reserved for spiritually qualified men. The issue is not only whether women hold the title of pastor, but also whether they perform the roles designated by God for pastors. Just as the different roles and mutual submission within the Trinity do not indicate inequality, so different roles and mutual submission within the church do not indicate inequality (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Peter 1:2; John 6:38; Galatians 3:27-29).

Sanctity of Life

We believe that all humans are made in the image of God. As the only beings made in the image of God, all humans possess immense value. Because God deeply loves humanity and identifies himself as a defender of the weak, we should do the same. As God’s ambassadors on Earth, we are called to defend, protect, and value all human life. This includes pre-born babies, the elderly, the physically challenged, the mentally challenged, the poor, refugees, orphans, and widows (Genesis 1:27-28; Psalm 139:13-16; Proverbs 14:31; Psalm 68:5; Psalm 82:3-4; James 1:27).

Membership

Member Commitments

We commit to following Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, walking by the Spirit, and bringing glory to the Father in every aspect of our lives (Mark 8:34-36; Galatians 5:16-26; Matthew 5:14-16; I Corinthians 10:31).
We commit to have others minister to us and be involved in our spiritual growth and to do the same for those in our individual and church family (Proverbs 27:17; Galatians 6:1-10; Hebrews 10:24-25; Deuteronomy 6:1-9).
We commit to finding a way to exercise our spiritual gifts and use them in such a way as to build up the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Peter 4:7-11).
We commit to living a life of mission and mercy where we seek to engage the lost and hurting and pray for opportunities to talk about our faith and love for Jesus as well as minister to them in the name of Jesus (Matthew 9:35-38, 28:19-20; Luke 10:25-37; John 4:1-42).
We commit to giving of our time, talent, and treasure to further the mission and work of Jesus at Parkside Bible Church (Luke 9:23-25; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 9:6-15).
We commit to submit to and follow the leadership of Parkside Bible Church as those leaders seek to follow Jesus (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Timothy 5:17-19; 1 Peter 2:13-25, 5;1-4).

More on Membership at Parkside

To read more on our Membership Responsibilities, scroll down to Article 5 (page 9) of our Constitution here

affiliations

While our church has no denominational affiliation, we align with the beliefs of these organizations.

The Gospel Coalition

“We are a fellowship of evangelical churches in the Reformed tradition deeply committed to renewing our faith in the gospel of Christ and to reforming our ministry practices to conform fully to the Scriptures. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” -From TCG Website.

9Marks

“At 9Marks, we help pastors, future pastors, and church members see what a biblical church looks like, and to take practical steps for becoming one. Our goal is to see churches characterized by nine biblical marks of a healthy church. Why these nine? Because sadly, they’re too often assumed or ignored in evangelical churches.”

–From the 9Marks website

Contact Us

We’d love to hear from you! Whether you have questions about our services, need prayer, or want to get involved, we’re here to help. Reach out via phone, email, or visit us in person—we look forward to connecting with you!

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