What We Believe
Our Beliefs
Urbancrest's doctrinal framework is consistent with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Scripture remains the final authority. Explore what we believe below.
Deuteronomy 6:4 · Matthew 28:19
What does Urbancrest believe about God?
There is one living and true God who eternally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is holy, loving, all-knowing, all-powerful, and sovereign. The three Persons of the Trinity are fully God, yet God is one.
Ephesians 2:8-9 · Romans 10:9-10
What does Urbancrest believe about salvation?
Salvation is God's gift of grace received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. It cannot be earned through good works, religious activity, or personal effort.
Jesus lived without sin, died for sinners, and rose from the dead. Anyone who turns from sin and trusts Him is forgiven, made new, and reconciled to God. Salvation is God's gift, not something we earn. No, good works cannot earn salvation — it is received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:23 · Romans 5:8 · Romans 10:9-10 · Ephesians 2:8-9
How do I get saved?
Turn from sin and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Everyone has sinned and cannot earn salvation. Jesus died for sinners and rose again. God saves everyone who repents and places faith in Christ. Salvation is a gift of grace, not a reward for good works.
1 John 5:11-13 · Romans 8:16
Can I know that I am saved?
Yes. Believers can have assurance by trusting Christ and His promises. Assurance does not come from being perfect. It grows through faith in the finished work of Jesus, the witness of the Holy Spirit, and the fruit God produces in a believer's life.
John 10:27-29 · Romans 8:38-39
Can I lose my salvation?
No. Everyone who has truly been saved by Christ is kept by God's power and will persevere in faith. A genuine believer may struggle or wander, but God disciplines, restores, and preserves His children. Eternal security is not permission to live in unrepentant sin.
Matthew 28:19 · 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
What does Urbancrest believe about baptism and the Lord's Supper?
Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances given by Jesus to His church. Baptism by immersion follows personal faith in Christ and pictures His death, burial, and resurrection.
The Lord's Supper remembers Christ's sacrifice and proclaims His death until He returns. Urbancrest practices close communion, inviting baptized followers of Jesus to participate. Church membership at Urbancrest is not required.
Acts 2:41-47 · Colossians 1:18
What does Urbancrest believe about the church?
A local church is a congregation of baptized believers joined together under the lordship of Christ. The church gathers for worship, teaching, fellowship, prayer, ordinances, service, and mission. Jesus is the head of the church.
Explore more of our beliefs
Select a topic to read Urbancrest's position, drawn from Scripture and the Baptist Faith and Message.
John 10:27-29 · Philippians 1:6
What is God's purpose of grace?
God graciously saves, keeps, and completes the salvation of everyone who truly belongs to Christ. Believers persevere because God is faithful. Assurance rests in Christ and His promises, not in human perfection.
Genesis 1:26-27 · Romans 3:23
What does Urbancrest believe about humanity?
Every person is made in God's image, but all people are affected by sin. Human beings have dignity because they are created by God. Through sin, humanity became separated from God and unable to save itself.
Matthew 6:10,33 · Revelation 11:15
What does Urbancrest believe about the Kingdom of God?
God's Kingdom includes His rule over all creation and His saving rule in the lives of believers. Christians pray and work for God's will to be done while awaiting the visible return and final reign of Jesus.
Matthew 25:31-46 · Revelation 21:1-5
What does Urbancrest believe about the future?
Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly, the dead will be raised, and God will judge all people. Those who belong to Christ will live forever with God. Those who reject Him will face eternal judgment. God will make all things new.
1 John 2:18 · 1 John 2:22 · 1 John 4:3 · 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 · Revelation 13:1-10 · Revelation 19:19-21
What does Urbancrest believe about the Antichrist?
Scripture warns that opposition to Christ is already at work in the world and also points to a future personal and climactic opponent of Christ, commonly referred to as the Antichrist. The New Testament uses the term for those who deny or oppose Christ and describes a coming figure of extraordinary rebellion — the "man of lawlessness" of 2 Thessalonians 2. Urbancrest understands these passages to point to a final personal opponent before Christ's ultimate victory.
Is the Antichrist alive today? We do not know. Scripture does not tell us, and it does not permit Christians to confidently identify a contemporary political, religious, or public figure as the Antichrist. Speculation about a particular person can distract from the Bible's clearer call to remain faithful to Jesus.
How should Christians respond? Be watchful, discerning, and faithful — not fearful or obsessed with speculation. Our confidence is in Jesus Christ, His promised return, and His final victory over sin and evil. Because Christ wins, believers can face the future with faithfulness and hope.
Matthew 28:18-20 · Acts 1:8
What does Urbancrest believe about evangelism and missions?
Every follower of Jesus and every church is called to make disciples of all nations. Christians share the gospel through words and lives shaped by Christ, relying on the Holy Spirit and seeking the salvation of people everywhere.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 · 2 Timothy 2:15
What does Urbancrest believe about Christian education?
Christian education helps people understand Scripture and grow in faithful discipleship. Churches, families, and Christian institutions should teach truth with intellectual honesty, spiritual maturity, and submission to Christ.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 · 1 Peter 4:10
What does Urbancrest believe about stewardship?
Stewardship is about more than money — Christians are called to faithfully use their time, abilities, possessions, and finances for God's glory.
Giving should be willing, generous, and joyful, not driven by pressure or obligation. Faithful giving supports the church's ministry, care for others, and the spread of the gospel.
Philippians 1:5 · 3 John 5-8
What does Urbancrest believe about cooperation?
Churches may cooperate with other believers and organizations when doing so supports biblical ministry and preserves the church's convictions. Cooperation can strengthen missions, education, relief, and other gospel efforts. Each local church remains accountable to Christ.
Genesis 2:24 · Ephesians 5:21-33 · 6:1-4
What does Urbancrest believe about the family?
God established the family as a foundational institution of human society. Marriage is the covenant union of one man and one woman. Husbands and wives are equal in worth and called to faithful, sacrificial love. Parents should teach their children to know and follow the Lord.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 · 2 Peter 1:20-21 · Psalm 119:160
What Bible translation does Urbancrest use?
Urbancrest does not require a single English Bible translation. Pastor Geoff most commonly preaches from the New American Standard Bible (NASB), while Pastor Dave typically uses the New King James Version (NKJV). Both lean toward formal equivalence — often called "word-for-word" — which preserves the wording and structure of the original biblical languages as closely as clear English allows. That makes them especially useful for verse-by-verse preaching and close study.
Urbancrest's conviction is that the Bible is God's inspired and authoritative Word. The Baptist Faith & Message affirms the inspiration, truthfulness, and authority of Scripture but does not prescribe one English translation.
Word-for-word (formal equivalence) emphasizes the words, grammar, and structure of the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. No responsible translation is mechanically one English word for every original-language word; translators must still make careful judgments about grammar, context, and meaning.
Thought-for-thought (functional or dynamic equivalence) emphasizes expressing the meaning of a phrase or sentence in natural contemporary English. The two approaches exist on a spectrum rather than as separate categories — every translation must consider both wording and meaning.
Are other translations okay? Yes. You do not need to own an NASB or NKJV to participate at Urbancrest. Faithful English translations can be valuable for reading and study, comparing translations can clarify meaning, and our pastors may reference other translations when teaching. Urbancrest's confidence is in Scripture itself, not in one required English Bible translation.
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