Beliefs
QUICK LINKS
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In essential beliefs, we have unity.
There is one Body and one Spirit, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all of us. Ephesians 4:4-6.
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In non-essential beliefs, we have liberty.
"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matter." Romans 14:1.
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In all our beliefs, we show charity.
"...but if I do not have love, it profits me nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:2.
Statement of Faith
Our 10 Statements of Faith are the same as the doctrinal statement adopted by the Berean Fellowship of Churches in the Constitution that was approved in July 2021.
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We believe the Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testament Scriptures in their entirety, is the only divinely inspired, inerrant, objectively true, and authoritative written Word of God. It is the only infallible rule of faith and practice. The divine inspiration of Scripture extends to each word of the original manuscripts, but not to the various copies or translations of Scripture. The Bible should be interpreted literally, grammatically, contextually, and historically.
(Deut. 29:29; Matt. 5:17; John 10:35; 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:21, 3:16)
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We believe there is only one God, the Creator, who is infinite and personal. He exists eternally in three distinct persons, revealed to us in Scripture as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is holy. God is love. God is just. God is all powerful, all knowing and ever present. He is the source of all that is good and is the only rightful object of worship.
(Gen. 1:1; Deut. 6:4; Job 42:1-2; Ps. 96:9, 115:3; Prov. 15:3; Isa. 6:3, 43:10-11, 44:6, 45:22, 66:1; Matt. 28:19; John 1:1, 4:24, 5:26, 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 3:26, 1 Cor. 3:16, 8:4; Heb. 4:13; 1 John 3:20, 4:8-10)
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We believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son who has neither beginning nor end. The Old Testament contains numerous prophecies of His coming. He was conceived in the flesh by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin named Mary, and is fully God and fully man. Jesus lived a sinless life that perfectly revealed God’s love and truth. He died for our sins, was buried, and arose bodily from the dead on the third day. He ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father as our only mediator, high priest, and advocate.
(Gen. 3:15; Ps. 110:1-4; Isa. 9:1- 7, 53:1-12; Mic. 5:2; Matt. 1:20-25; Luke 24:27; John 1:1, 17, 10:30, 14:3-6; Acts 1:11, 4:12; Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:3-5, 20; Col. 1:16-19; Phil. 2:5-11; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 1:3, 4:14-15; 1 Pet. 2:22-24; Rev. 1:18)
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We believe the Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Trinity. He is a person, not a force. The Holy Spirit's ministries include convicting all people of sin; calling, regenerating, indwelling, and baptizing believers into the Body of Christ at conversion; setting them apart to a holy life; and guiding, teaching, keeping, and empowering them day by day. The Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts to each believer according to His will for the building up of the church. We believe the primary evidence of the presence and filling of the Holy Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit rather than a miraculous sign.
(John 3:5-8, 16:5-15; Acts 1:8, 5:3-4, 16:7-14; 1 Cor. 2:9-12, 3:16, 12:3-13, 13:8- 11; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 1:13-14, 5:18; Heb. 2:3-4)
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We believe that both man (Adam) and woman (Eve) were created in the image of God to enjoy a personal relationship with Him. As a result of deliberate disobedience they fell from their sinless state, and they and all their descendants became sinners. Consequently, no one can save himself or herself, and apart from the grace of God in Jesus Christ, all are condemned to eternal torment. All humans still bear the image of God and are therefore intrinsically valuable, but all humans are now broken image-bearers, in need of the restoration found in Christ. God distinguishes between the sexes, equally valuing men and women, who both reflect His image. God ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman as part of his design that some roles within the family and the church be distinctly male or female.
(Gen. 1:26-27, 2:18-25, 3:1-24; Matt. 19:3-9; John 3:16-18, 36; Rom. 2:12-16, 5:12-21, 6:23, 7:14-21; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:9-10; Jas. 3:9; Rev. 20:13-15)
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We believe we are saved solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ alone. This salvation was purchased through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ who, by shedding his blood for sin, offers salvation as a free gift to every person without distinction. God is sovereign over salvation and yet each person is fully accountable for his or her response to the gospel. The person who has trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior is eternally secure, and can enjoy the assurance of salvation as guaranteed by Christ’s victorious resurrection. We believe that at death those who have trusted in Jesus enter eternal glory and those that have not enter eternal torment.
(Matt. 25:46; John 1:12, 3:16, 10:27-28; Acts 16:31, 20:20-21; Rom. 3:21-28, 8:31-39, 10:9, 12-15, 17; 1 Cor. 15:3-4, 17-22; Eph. 1:7, 2:4-9; Phil. 1:6; Heb 2:14; 1 John 2:2)
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We believe that every believer has been set apart with a perfect standing before God. As believers yield themselves to the Holy Spirit, they will experience spiritual growth in holiness but not perfection in conduct in this life. Believers will battle the world, the flesh and the devil, but living by faith in Christ results in transformation of the heart and authentic righteous living. Future rewards are determined primarily by what motivates Christian behavior. Those whose behavior is an outflow of finding their identity in Christ will be rewarded.
(John 15:1-8; Rom. 6:13-19, 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 3:8-15, 10:13; 2 Cor. 3:16-18; 5:10; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 2:1-3; Phil. 1:6, 3:12; 1 Thes. 4:3; Heb. 10:10)
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We believe that Christ is the Head of the Church, which is His body, established to bring God glory. All who have trusted in Christ as Savior are members of this body. Christians should commit themselves to worship, prayer, instruction, fellowship, stewardship, and service in a local church. The church is responsible to represent Jesus Christ in the world through godly living and evangelism. All believers are commanded to participate in two church ordinances: believers' baptism, by immersion if possible, and the Lord's Supper; the bread and cup symbolizing Christ’s body and blood.
(Matt. 26:26-29, 28:18-20; Acts 1:8, 2:41-42, 8:35-39; Rom. 12:9-13; 1 Cor. 11:23-34, 12:12-13; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Eph. 3:6-11, 4:11-13; Col. 1:18; Heb. 10:23-25; 1 Pet. 2:9-10)
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We believe that Satan was created as an angelic being. Rebelling against God, he became the author of sin, our adversary and accuser, and the great deceiver of the nations. He was defeated by Christ’s death and resurrection but continues to wield power in this world under God’s sovereign control. In the end, he will be completely overcome by the Lord Jesus Christ and suffer eternal punishment in the lake of fire.
(Gen. 3:1,15; Job 1:6-12; Matt. 4:3-11; John 8:44; 1 Cor. 15:24; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:1-2; Col. 2:13-15; 1 John 3:8, 5:19; Rev. 12:7-12, 20:10)
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We believe in the imminent, bodily, personal return of Jesus Christ. On a day known only to God, Jesus will return for his Church. God will reunite all human souls with resurrected, imperishable bodies. This will be followed by the final judgment of the wicked into the lake of fire and eternal life for God’s children in a new heaven and a new earth, restoring all creation to a joyful, God- honoring state.
(Matt. 24:27-36; John 5:28-29; 14:3; Acts 1:7, 11; Rom. 8:1, 18-25; 1 Cor. 15:20- 26, 35-57; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Col. 1:19-20; 1 Thes. 4:15-5:3; Rev. 11:15, 19:11-21:5).
Mission
Exalt God
Teach Believers
Make Disciples
Vision
Transforming lives through the power of God’s Word
Core Values
Affiliation
Berean Fellowship of Churches
The name Berean comes from Acts 17:11 where the people in the city of Berea "received the Word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily."
Northbridge Community Church is a member of the Berean Fellowship of Churches. The theme of the Berean Fellowship is "Plant a Church, Make Disciples, Reach the World." The Berean Fellowship is a family of churches committed to reaching people with the Gospel. Churches in the Fellowship enjoy flexibility in methodology while agreeing on a clearly defined doctrinal statement, a common constitution, and a shared vision for worldwide impact. Though we are an independent, evangelical church, we also have an association with other Berean Fellowship churches that makes us interdependent as far as our mission to reach people for Christ. Every Berean church is independent, in that there is no denominational control. For example each church chooses its own pastors, builds its own buildings and assists and determines its own ministries.
The History of the Berean Fellowship Roots of the Berean Fellowship date back to the 1930's, when Ivan Olsen became the first pastor of the Berean Fundamental Church in North Platte, Nebraska. As others witnessed the blessing of God on his work, they began to come to him for counsel and assistance to plant churches in other communities. God's blessing on those efforts allowed for the establishment of a number of Berean Churches in just a few years. The name, Berean Fundamental Church Council, Inc. was chosen to become the legal organizational name for this new Berean Fellowship of Churches. Since those early years, many more churches have been planted. Today, the Berean Fellowship comprises 60 churches in 8 states across the Midwest, Northern California and Southern Oregon, as well as Canada.
Church Roles
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Northbridge Community Church is led by a group of male elders who are called by the church body. Elders serve for three-year terms and are allowed to serve two terms consecutively. New elders are nominated and appointed yearly or as needed. The following justification for elder leadership is taken directly from a message by John Piper titled "Who Are The Elders?", which can be found here.
“[The] leaders in the congregations of the early church were elders. The point here is that the eldership was not one alternative leadership from among many in the early church. It was universal as far as we know, and there were always more than one in each church as far as we know. Consider these texts that show how widespread was the practice of having elders in each church.
Jerusalem: Acts 15:22, "Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church to choose men and to send them to Antioch."
Ephesus: Acts 20:17, "And from Miletus [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church."
All the towns of Crete: Titus 1:5, "This is why I [Paul] left you in Crete, that you might amend what was defective, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you."
All the churches James wrote to when he said, "To the twelve tribes of the dispersion": James 5:14, "Is any among you sick? Let him call the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord" (assuming that there are elders in every church).
All the churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia that Peter wrote to: 1 Peter 5:1, "So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed."
Finally, all the churches Paul founded on the first missionary journey (and presumably the other journeys as well): Acts 14:23, "And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed."
The universal extent of elders in the early church becomes even more obvious when you realize that the term "elder" is the same person designated by "bishop" or "overseer" (cf. Titus 1:5,7 and Acts 20:17,28) or "pastor" (Ephesians 4:11; cf. Acts 20:28 and 1 Peter 5:1-2 where elders are given a shepherding function). It is hard to escape the conclusion that God's will for the local church is that it has a group of elders as its primary leaders.”
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The deacon board at Northbridge Community Church includes male and female members who meet the qualifications enumerated in Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3:8-12. The deacons serve the church body by spotting and meeting tangible needs (of the people in the church, and the physical property itself), protecting and promoting church unity, and serving and supporting the ministry of the elders.
The word “deacon” comes from the Greek noun diakonos which translates as “servant” or “minister.” All followers of Christ are called to serve, but the word also refers to a specific office in the church, similar to, but distinct from the office of elder.
When deployed well, deacons “are model servants who excel in being attentive and responsive to tangible needs in the life of the church … by assisting the elders, guarding the ministry of the Word, organizing service, caring for the needy, preserving unity, mobilizing ministry, and more” (Matt Smethurst, Deacons, [Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2021], 21).
Acts 6:1-7 is generally seen to establish the office of deacon to address a tangible concern in the early church. The twelve disciples, in order not to neglect their primary ministry of preaching the word of God, ordered the other disciples to “pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3, ESV) who will be appointed to meet the outward or physical needs of the church. (For a full exposition of Acts 6:1-7 see Matt Smethurst, Deacons, pp. 41-57.) Specific qualifications for deacons are laid out in Paul’s first letter to Timothy, in which he gave divinely-inspired instructions to Timothy that were intended to be relayed to all communities of Christ-followers. Following the qualifications of elders in verses 1-7, Paul turns to the office of deacon in 8-13:
“In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 3:8-13, NIV
These qualifications speak to their reputation, maturity, character and self-discipline and how such traits should be established by those endorsing and approving the nominee.
All deacons follow in the footsteps of our Lord, who was both perfect elder (the Good Shepherd) and perfect deacon (the servant of all, to the point of laying down His life for the Church).
Membership
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Church membership allows individuals a way to affirm their partnership and commitment to the local church body. Membership provides a means for accountability between the individual and the church, and encourages faithfulness to their commitment to Christ. Lastly, membership enables one to participate in church governance and to hold leadership roles within the church.
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Throughout the New Testament, there are many examples of local church bodies governing themselves independently while still being committed and responsible to the larger Christian community. Still today, each local church has the ability to independently govern itself in order to meet the needs to their unique community. NCC’s constitution provides a framework for managing the affairs of the church, a structure for leadership, and an accountability system for both members and leadership. As a member of the Berean Fellowship of Churches, our national constitution and bylaws can be found here.
(We are still working on the local constitution after the merger of Northbridge Church and Berean Community Church in August 2025.)
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Membership candidates will be asked to affirm what we believe at Northbridge Community Church and acknowledge their Membership Commitment to Northbridge Community Church.
Membership Application
An individual that is a baptized believer of Jesus Christ, who loves His Church, and desires to see it grow, is welcome to apply for Northbridge Church membership. To become a member of Northbridge Community Church, complete the application and either drop it off in the church office or email it in. Upon receiving the completed application, an elder will contact you to set up a brief interview.
NCC’s History
On August 10, 2025, the congregations of Northbridge Church and Berean Community Church voted to merge into Northbridge Community Church, which started conducting worship services and other ministries at 3157 Kenosha Dr NW on September 7.