Statement of Faith
Good Shepherd Christian Academy’s
Approach to Christianity and the Bible
Families with different religious and non-religious backgrounds are welcome at Good Shepherd Christian Academy. At the same time, the school administration and staff are distinctively Christians in their doctrinal views. The school serves all families while at the same time proclaiming that God’s good plan of human beings is rooted in the Father’s saving work accomplished through the death and resurrection of His Son. All teachers are required to affirm the statement of faith that specifies general, essential truths of the historic Christian faith while allowing freedom for interpretation on smaller, less essential views.
There is no doctrinal requirement for parents and students; however, parents agree to allow their children to be taught all academic subjects including Bible class from a broadly Evangelical viewpoint. The principal, Dr. Jay Lowder, holds a Ph.D. in Christian Philosophy. He welcomes all questions from current and prospective parents regarding the specific views of the school and the gentile approach to Christian teaching modeled by the staff. In the school body, there are students from many different denomination backgrounds including Catholic, Lutheran, Congregational, Methodist, Assembly of God, Vineyard, Community churches, Bible churches, Baptist churches etc.
Statement of Faith for Good Shepherd Christian Academy
A. The Word of God: We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in its original manuscripts. It was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct (John 17:17; Romans 15:4; II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:19, 21).
B. The True God: We believe that there is one living true God, eternally existing in three persons. All three persons fully share the same divine nature and fully possess each divine perfect attribute. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work together to accomplish the redemption of human beings from their fallen, sinful condition. (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-14; I John 5:7).
C. God the Father: We believe in God the Father, infinite and personal; perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ (John 3:16; John 4:24; John 17:5).
D. God the Son: We believe in Jesus Christ, second person of the Trinity, God’s only begotten Son. We believe in the virgin birth, His sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection and ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and His personal, visible return to earth. (Isaiah 7:14; John 1:15; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:2-3; I John 1:7).
E. God the Holy Spirit: We believe in the HolySpirit, co-equal with the Father and the Son, whose work is to execute the divine will with relation to humanity. He came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, indwells, and seals every believer in Jesus Christ at the moment when he or she is born again. He guides, teaches, comforts, and gifts each believer so that they can serve in the church and care for others. (John 14:26; John 16:7-15; Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 1:13, 14; I Corinthians 2:4-12; Romans 12:6-8).
F. Regeneration: We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice, and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust Jesus Christ as savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit (John 1:12, 13;John 3:3, 16, 17; Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:1-9; Titus 3:5).
G. Eternal Security: We believe in eternal security of the believer. We believe that God preserves us, His saints, unto the day of glorification by His faithfulness. As an act of our faith and trust, we daily confess our sins and renew ourselves, maintaining a present dependence on Christ (I Peter 1:5; John 10:27, 28; Romans 8:15; II Timothy 4:18; Hebrews 6:11, 12).
H. The Church: We believe in the Universal Church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and of which all regenerated persons are members. We believe that the church becomes visible when an assembly of believers in Jesus Christ associates for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that these visible churches have been given the responsibility by God for building one another toward maturity as followers of Jesus Christ, so that a lost world might be persuaded to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and to follow Him as Lord. We believe that human betterment and social improvement are the evident results of an effective ministry of the church (Matthew 28:19, 20; Ephesians 1:19, 23; Ephesians 4:11-16; I Timothy 3:1-15). We believe that the scripturally designated officers are elders (pastors) and deacons.
I. The Ordinances: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the church; baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptismis the immersion of the believer into water and in the Name of the Triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. Each ordinance should be administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41, 42; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-32).
J. The Last Things: We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of righteousness, and the eternal suffering of the wicked (John 5:29; Revelation 20:1-15; II Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:31-46).
