GOD
...is Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.

JESUS CHRIST
...is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross. He arose from the dead to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven's glory and will return again to bring salvation to the righteous and condemnation to those who do not obey the Gospel.

THE HOLY SPIRIT
...is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for salvation in Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of baptism (Acts 2:38). He provides the Christian with spiritual power and resources for ministry and holiness.

THE BIBLE
...is God's Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, the Bible is truth without any mixture of error. Some basic teachings of the Bible are outlined below.

HUMAN BEINGS
People are the ultimate of God's creation. We were made to experience God's love and goodness. Although every person has tremendous power for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin". This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life.

SALVATION
Salvation is God's free gift but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of grace can anyone be saved from sin's penalty. When we turn to Christ in faith, repentance, and baptism, we are saved. Because of grace, we are theoretically "perfect". We then begin the process of spiritual growth. Though we have great security in our salvation, if a Christian willfully rejects Jesus following salvation, salvation's privileges can be lost.

ETERNITY
People are created to live forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or we will live eternally with God through His grace. To be eternally separated from God is to experience Hell. To be in eternal union with God is Heaven. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.

THE CHURCH
The church is God's family of saved people. We recognize any person as Christian who has genuinely believed in Jesus, repented of sin, and been baptized into Christ. Though we encourage inter-congregational cooperation, we believe every local church should be self-governing and independent from any denominational control. The Southgate Church of Christ is served by elders, evangelists, and deacons.

THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS
The New Testament clearly teaches that all Christians are priests and have been called into "full-time" Christian service, regardless of his or her vocation. We practice the truth of this principle by encouraging all members to find a place of service in the Body. Every member is a minister and is important to the work of the church. Every believer has direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading.

In essentials, we have unity:
"There is one Body and one Spirit...there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all..." Ephesians 4:4-6

In non-essentials, we have liberty:
"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters...stop passing judgment on one another...each of us will give an account of himself to God...so whatever you believe about these things [non-essentials] keep between yourself and God." Romans 14

In all things, we show love:
"...If I have faith to move mountains but have no love, I amount to nothing at all..." I Corinthians 13