At the core of what NorthStar does (our ministry) is what we believe (our doctrine). We are a community-driven, compassion-focused church that believes the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God. We rely on the Bible for insight into how to make the Christian journey on a daily basis.

Many of our beliefs are discussed in detail in our first Member Development Class, Discovering Membership.

Among other things, specifically we believe and practice the two ordinances that Jesus established for the church: Communion (or the Lord’s Supper) and Baptism. For more information about the Bible and these ordinances please click one of the links below:

If you have any questions about what NorthStar Church believes please contact Mike Linch.

Why Do We Believe in the Bible?
Although we learn a lot from the Sciences, History, and Church traditions, we’ve found the Bible to be the only perfect source of knowledge about God and how to live for Him. (Psalm 119:160)

Why Do We Believe in the Bible?

That’s a big question! In brief, we trust it because:

We’ve found tons of historical evidence that Jesus was the Son of God (Acts 1:3). Since we’ve accepted Jesus as our Lord, we thought we could trust what He told us about the Bible. Jesus believed in it’s authority. (Matthew 1:18).

As we’ve read the Bible with an open heart, God’s Spirit has given us an assurance that the Bible is truth (James 1:5).

As we’ve followed the teachings of the Bible, we’ve found them to work in our every day lives (Psalm 1:1-3).

Okay, so that’s a simplistic answer to a big question. If you struggle with doubts and questions like many of us have, talk to one of our staff or read some good books like More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell (Small book, easy to read. Josh used to cut down Christianity in college until he studied the evidence), or The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel. We have copies of these books if you feel the need for one.

Wherever you are in your search for God, we encourage you to read the Bible. A good place to start is the Gospel of John, which goes through Jesus’ life. And get a good translation. Although the King James Version is very beautiful to read, it was written the way people talked in the year 1611. At NorthStar you’ll find a lot of people using the New American Standard Bible (NASB) or the New International Version (NIV). Both are very accurate translations and also very readable.

If you don’t have a daily time with God, which we call a “Quiet Time,” we encourage you to start today. Christianity is all about a personal relationship with Jesus, and it’s awfully hard to carry on a personal relationship if you don’t spend time together. A great way to spend personal time with Jesus is to read some of the Bible each day and end it with a time of prayer.

What is the Lord’s Supper?
We regularly (about four times a year) celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Communion) in remembrance of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We also encourage our Life Groups to take the Lord’s Supper as often as they would like. The bread represents His body, which was broken for us. The juice represents His blood which was shed for us on the cross. The Bible says this about the Lord’s Supper:

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Who should take the Lord’s Supper?
You don't have to be a member of our church to participate in the Lord's Supper with us. But for a person who doesn’t believe in Jesus or is living in active rebellion against Him, the Lord’s Supper would have no meaning.

“Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-29)

What is Baptism?
Baptism pictures our identification with Jesus in His death and resurrection. We believe that “baptism” in the New Testament meant to immerse under water, so that’s the way we baptize. Jesus set an example by being baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17).

Romans 6:4: We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Who should be baptized?
Although baptism doesn’t save us (Titus 3:5) neither is it optional for a true believer (Acts 2:41). In New Testament times when people believed in Jesus, they were baptized to publicly identify themselves with Jesus. So if you believe in Jesus but have not been baptized, please let us know so that you and others can share in this beautiful ordinance.

At NorthStar Church we don’t baptize young children until they are old enough to believe and understand the true meaning of baptism. However, we offer a parent dedication for anyone who wishes to have their child prayed over by one of our pastors in a service. Please contact our church office for more details.