WHO WE ARE

At Coopertown, we are a Christ-Centered Community, seeking to live out the call to love one another as God has loved us in Christ Jesus. We are a family of believers from many different backgrounds, seeking unity not in a tribe or a tradition, but in Christ alone.


The Gospel is the power of salvation for all who believe, and the message of the Gospel centers on the perfect, saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our values, commitments, and convictions flow from this core foundation of the Gospel.


We believe that clarity in our teaching promotes strength in our function as a body. However, our hope of salvation does not come from our own understanding, application, or ability, but from Christ alone. He has become our righteousness, and our righteousness comes through faith in Him (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Romans 3:21-22, 10:4).

CORE BELIEFS

“For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:3)



Core Beliefs are the foundational elements of the Gospel and the Christian faith that unify all believers.

  • God

    We believe in one true God, who eternally exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are equal and are one God. God created the world out of nothing, and by His power, He sustains all He Has created.

    (Genesis 1:26; John 1:1; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:6; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 11:3; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19)

  • Jesus Christ

    We believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, born of a virgin, truly God and truly man. He lived a sinless life, died once for all sin, and was raised on the third day, conquering death. He ascended to Heaven and is now at the right hand of God, serving as our eternal high priest and mediator. Salvation comes through faith in Him alone.

    (Philippians 2:6-8; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Mark 10:45; Hebrews 7:24-25, 9:12, 26-28; 1 Peter 3:18; Romans 6:10; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 1:15–17; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

  • The Holy Spirit

    We believe the Holy Spirit regenerates and indwells all those in Christ as the seal of our adoption and our inheritance. The Spirit convicts of sin, intercedes for the saints in prayer, and distributes various spiritual gifts to the body for service and the common good.

    (John 16:8-11; Acts 5:3-4; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:11-13; Galatians 5:16-26; 1 John 4:13; Romans 8:16-17, 12:4-8)

  • The Condition of Mankind

    We believe mankind was created in the image and likeness of God in innocence and without sin, but in Adam’s sin, humanity fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became spiritually dead and alienated from God. Therefore, since all have sinned, all stand in need of Christ’s salvation, and all have free access to God through faith in Christ.

    (Genesis 1:26, 2:1-24; Romans 3:10-26, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-10)

  • Salvation

    We believe salvation cannot be earned but is instead the free gift of God, to be received through faith in Jesus Christ, whom God has made to be both Lord and Christ. Christ alone is the source of our salvation and return to God.

    (Ephesians 2:1-10; Romans 3:24, 6:23, 10:9-10; Acts 2:36, 4:12, 13:38-39; John 3:16, 14:6)

  • The Bible

    We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the supreme and final authority for all life and doctrine.

    (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Hebrews 4:12)

  • The Church

    We believe the Church is the body of Christ, marked by love and the Spirit, expressed in many local churches, and commissioned to be ambassadors of Christ to the world.

    (Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:1-16; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; John 13:35; Romans 12:4-5)

  • Return of Christ

    We believe Christ will return to judge all mankind, welcoming the saints into God’s presence forever in a new heaven and new earth, and sentencing those who reject the Gospel to eternal separation from God. We believe God desires all people to be saved, and has thus commissioned the church to bring the good news of the Gospel to all people.

    (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10; Hebrews 9:28, 10:27; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:12-13; Matthew 13:41-42; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Revelation 21:1-8)

OUR VALUES

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)


These are commitments of the heart that shape how we live the Christian life as a body of unified believers.

Christlike Love and Humility

As we live our lives in Christ, everything we do must pass through two filters: love and humility. We are humbled by the grace of God in Christ, and we love because He first loved us.


(John 13:35; Ephesians 4:2-3; 1 John 4:7-12; Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 16:24)

Faithful Prayer

We pray because we are utterly incapable of achieving God’s purposes in our own strength. We pray to align our hearts with God’s will, and to embrace humility and faith through constant dependence on the Lord.



(1 Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1-8; Romans 8:26, 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 1:9, 4:2)

Family Focus

We desire to lead not just individuals, but entire families in the growth and knowledge of Jesus Christ.



(Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Ephesians 6:1-4; Joshua 24:15; Psalm 78:4-8; Proverbs 22:6)

People of the Word

We worship a God who speaks. In our study of the written word, we seek to know the Living Word, Christ, believing that all Scripture testifies of Him.



(Hebrews 1:1-2, 4:12-13; John 1:1-9; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Corinthians 4:4-6; 2 Timothy 1:10)

OUR COMMITMENTS

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”

(Romans 12:1)


These are practical steps we take together to seek maturity in Christ.

Worshipping Together Regularly

We prioritize meeting together to pursue mutual encouragement and edification as we seek to stir one another up to love and good works, remembering that we belong to one another in Christ.



(Hebrews 10:23-25; Acts 2:42; Romans 12:5)

Spiritual Disciplines

We commit ourselves to various Spiritual disciplines, such as personal Bible study, prayer, and sharing our faith, seeking to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ to present ourselves as holy people.



(2 Peter 3:18, 2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 6:1-3; 1 Peter 3:15)

Generosity and Hospitality

Having received the free gift of salvation through God’s grace in Jesus Christ, we seek to excel in the grace of giving through our time and finances to support the needs of the church.



(2 Corinthians 8:7, 9:7-8; 1 Peter 4:9; Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:2; James 1:17; Psalm 116:12)

Holy Conduct

As ambassadors for Christ, we seek to maintain a holy witness in our lives through our attitude, speech, and actions. Pursuing holiness, we reject gossip and dissension.



(Ephesians 4:3; Hebrews 12:14; Colossians 3:14-15; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Romans 14:19)

THEOLOGICAL CONVICTIONS

“One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.”

(Romans 14:5)


These are positions distinct from the Gospel where Christians may differ while still remaining united in Christ.

Convictions are matters distinct from the Gospel where Christians may disagree. Within our own body, we recognize that not every member will arrive at the same convictions on every matter.


We will never be right on everything, and our salvation does not depend on this. Our salvation is a gift, given by God’s grace in Jesus Christ, so that no one can boast in their own wisdom or ability. Therefore, we are completely dependent on God.


The following convictions are put forward by the Elders as Shepherds of our church to give insight into our practice.

  • Assurance and Sanctification

    We believe that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and brought into a living and certain hope of salvation. Though believers may struggle with sin, they are no longer enslaved to sin, because God’s Spirit abides in them. God is faithful to keep us from stumbling and to complete the work He began in us, and Christ is faithful to forgive us of sin.

    (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 3:9, 5:13; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Ephesians 1:13-14; John 6:37, 10:28-29; Jude 1:24; 1 Corinthians 1:8-9; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24)

  • Baptism

    Out of obedience to the Great Commission of Jesus, we believe every disciple of Christ should be baptized. We practice believer’s baptism by immersion as the sign of a believer’s union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection.

    (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38-39, 8:12, 10:44-48, 19:4-5; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21)

  • The Lord's Supper

    We celebrate the Lord’s Supper weekly as a constant proclamation of Christ’s atoning work at the Cross, His resurrection, and the promise of His second coming. Because the Lord’s Supper is a celebration of our shared hope in Christ, we believe the celebration is for those who have been born again to this living hope through faith in Christ.

    (1 Corinthians 11:26; Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20; Revelation 19:9)

  • Elders and Governance

    We believe Scripture outlines a form of shepherd leadership for the local church led by a plurality of elders. These elders are the spiritual overseers of the church, and they oversee the regular work of preaching and teaching. We believe the role of elder is reserved for qualified men.

    (1 Timothy 2:12-3:7, 5:17; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Acts 14:23, 20:17, 28; James 5:14)

  • Men and Women

    Men and women are both created in the image of God and are equally heirs in Christ. The Spirit gifts all believers for the building up of the church. We do believe, however, that Scripture describes differing roles for men and women. Specifically, we believe the role of elder is reserved for qualified men. At Coopertown, our practice is also to reserve the role of deacon for qualified men, though women often serve in a similar capacity as ministry leaders. Aside from these roles, we believe both men and women may equally participate in all other areas of church life, under the oversight of the elders.

    (Genesis 1:27; Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, 14:1-35; 12:7; Acts 2:17; 1 Timothy 2:11-3:13)

  • Marriage and Sexuality

    We believe God ordained marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman.

    (Genesis 2:20-24; Mark 10:6-9; 1 Corinthians 6:18, 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4)