One God
Eternally existing in three Persons: FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT. Equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all and governs all. (I John 5:7)
God the Father
We believe in God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom and measureless in power. We rejoice 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 (Matthew 5:48; Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3; Nehemiah 9:6; Hebrews 1:2-3; Psalm 103:19; Ephesians 1:11; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 90:2).
God the Son
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, sinless in His life, who made atonement for the sin of the world by His shed blood and death on the cross. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension into heaven, and His high priestly intercession for His people. We believe in His personal, visible and triumphant return to the world according to His promise. (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14; Hebrews 10:9; John 1:29; I John 2:1-2; John 14:3; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; Acts 1:11).
God the Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who came forth from God to convict the world of sin, to convince the world of righteousness, of judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower those who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all Biblical gifts of the Spirit. (John 15:26, 16:8-11; Romans 6:3-6; I Corinthians 12:13; II Thessalonians 2:13; I Peter 1:1-3).
The Bible
We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments fully inspired by God, inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21; Acts 17:11; Isaiah 8:20).
Man
We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred, not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings are sinners by nature and by choice. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting, conscious punishment of the lost (Genesis 1:27, 2:15-17; Romans 3:10-12, 23; Matthew 25:46).
Salvation
We believe that, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We believe that all who receive, by faith, Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are born again of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, become children of God. We believe that justification means that a person is declared righteous in the sight of God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (John 1:12; Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 1:13, 2:8-10).
The Church
We believe in the Church. A living, spiritual body in which Christ is the Head and of which all believers in Jesus are members. We believe the purpose of the Church is to lead believers toward maturity through the Word, fellowship, prayer, and communion. Christ has also committed to the Church the responsibility to proclaim to a lost world their need to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and to recognize Him as Lord. We believe that Jesus has committed to the local church the ordinances of Baptism and Communion, open to all believers, to be observed until He comes. (Ephesians 1:22-23; Acts 2:42; Romans 6:4; Acts 2:28; Matthew 28:19; Luke 22:19; I Corinthians 11:24).
Non-Denominational
We are not opposed to denominations but have chosen to work non-denominationally so that through the love of God we can serve the entire body of Christ. We believe that the only true basis of Christian Fellowship is His Agape Love, which is greater than any differences we may have. (I Corinthians 12-13)
The Word of God
We simply believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit. In order for disciples of Jesus Christ to be whole, healthy and growing, they must remain in the study of the Word of God and its application to their lives, relying on the Holy Spirit to teach, correct and direct.
A full systematic study of the Word of God, with complete reliance on the Holy Spirit, is a foundational essential of Abide Christian Fellowship. We teach the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, believing it’s the only way that a disciple of Jesus Christ can have the full counsel of God. Our approach to teaching His Word is book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, through both the Old and New Testaments.
Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
Evangelism
In Matthew 28:19, Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We believe that Jesus lovingly commands us to share the Good News of the Gospel. We do this both through our words and actions. We share the Gospel in our church, our families, our community, and wherever else the Holy Spirit commissions us to go. We believe that it is every Christian’s responsibility to share the Good News within their sphere of influence. And this is one of the essentials at Abide Christian Fellowship: to fulfill, individually and corporately, the great commission that Jesus left for us as the body of Christ.
Prayer
“For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:7)
Prayer and the Holy Spirit are essentially the power of the Church. If the Holy Spirit and prayer are not present, is it very possible that a church is running solely on the power of man. In the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus recognized that the temple had become something other than what God intended when He says, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” Sadly, this is happening in the twenty-first century Church as well.
Abide Christian Fellowship is committed to relying on the Holy Spirit’s power, accessible to us through prayer. When Jesus died on the cross He forgave and removed our sin. But His death also provided access to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in times of need. Our services have a time of prayer where believers can boldly access His throne of grace through prayer. It is essential to who we are: a people who call upon the name of the Lord.
Fellowship
One of the most authentic realities in a born-again person is the desire to fellowship with like-minded believers. Fellowship is an essential part of Abide Christian Fellowship—we need each other. It is our desire that no one is an island unto themselves, as that is neither healthy nor biblical.
Jesus left two ordinances for His church: baptism and communion, both beautiful reflections of fellowship. In baptism we rejoice with those believers who are identifying with Christ's death and resurrection. It is the outward sign of the inward reality of their conversion to faith in Jesus. Communion is one of the most intimate times spent as a body of Christ before the Lord as we remember His life, death and resurrection.
All fellowship is an essential part of our walk with the Lord, first with Him and then with one another.
Teaching
A steady diet of God's Word is one of the ways that Christians can grow. At Abide Christian Fellowship the Bible is taught expositionally; verse by verse, chapter by chapter and book by book. Isaiah 28:13 says, "But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little." There's a strong emphasis in our Bible studies on application of the Scriptures that we're learning. We want to understand His Word and practically apply His Word.
Children
At Abide Christian Fellowship, our unique, biblical way of ministering to children is rooted in the belief that godly relationships and opportunities for discipleship can start at a young age. Instead of dividing children by grades or age groups, we combine them in order to allow opportunities for the older children to help the younger children, in a setting that is both biblical and healthy for nurturing Christ-centered relationships. Christians of all ages should have a “Paul”, someone helping them grow in their faith, and a “Timothy”, someone they’re helping grow in their faith. Our teachers are prepared to facilitate these types of interactions among the children. Children are taught from the Word of God using interactive music and activities to bring each lesson to life.
Pastor Johnny Rivera
Nearly 30 years ago I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ for the first time; I've continued to surrender to Him countless times since then. It's a beautiful exchange as I give Him my heart in exchange for His.
My life's greatest pursuit is Him; it's that simple. To know Him is to love Him and as a result to love others. Consider the challenging words of Jesus in Matthew 16:25, "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it."
The journey He's led me on has allowed me to serve Him in many different ministries, but most predominantly in the ministry of teaching His Word. For 27 years it's been my privilege to share the Gospel with unbelievers and to teach the Word of God to His disciples.
The prayer of my heart is taken from the mouth of Moses in Exodus 33:13, "Show me Your way, that I may know You." His way and knowing Him, is simply what my life consists of; I pray it is the same for you.
To help you know a little bit more of what to expect when you visit, here are a few comments from several visitors and regular attendees:
ACF is a place to grow deeper in Christ, alongside other sincere followers of Him, where you will find: a gentle, warm, and welcoming atmosphere; organic worship; genuine Christian fellowship, including prayer for one another; sound biblical teaching; and the sweet presence of The Holy Spirit.
Abide Fellowship is a place where there is love overflowing and real unity in the diversity that is only seen by hearing the Word of God.
This church is truly a group of Jesus-loving people who help each other to become more like Him. Pastor Johnny is the most humble pastor we have known and brings the Word like few can. We leave service always knowing that Jesus loves us and that we have a church family that demonstrates it. There are no cliques here, just open hearts and open arms ready to help you and pray for you.
In this church, you will find authentic worship, heartfelt and honest prayers, accurate and relevant teaching of the Word of God, and a diverse community of people who wholeheartedly seek the Lord and endeavor to live out His Word.
A fellowship of believers who are fed the WORD of GOD, verse by verse, and are united in genuine love for one another!
A Christ-filled church....a multi-cultural church.....feels like home.