WHAT WE BELIEVE

Our duty follows Jesus' great commission given in Matthew 28:18-20 and summarized by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:28. We exist to proclaim Christ and prepare His people.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
We are committed to faithfully preaching and teaching the Word of God. We uphold the belief that the Bible is inspired by God and is the ultimate, infallible source of authority for all matters of faith and practice. It guides our beliefs, decisions, and actions. We recognize the wisdom, truth, and transformative power of the Scriptures, and we are committed to aligning our lives to them in obedience to Christ.

Joshua 1:9; 1 Samuel 15:22; Acts 4:18-20
We are committed to following God's commands and guidance, both in comfort and when faced with challenges or uncertainties. We trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God.

Psalm 71:18; Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 2:1-8
We prioritize investing in the spiritual growth, education, and well-being of the next generation of Christians. We are dedicated to equipping and empowering believers of all ages to support one another and reach others in obedience to Jesus. Through various ministries, classes, and groups, we encourage individuals to deepen their relationship with God, fostering a journey of continuous spiritual development and transformation.

1 Peter 4:10
We acknowledge our responsibility to wisely manage and use the resources entrusted to us by God. We are committed to honoring Him with our time, talents, finances, and facilities. We are committed to being accountable stewards, using these resources generously and with integrity.

1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17
We dedicate our best efforts and talents to the glory of God. We believe that excellence in all we do reflects the character of God and enhances our witness to the world. While recognizing we are not perfect, we aim for continuous improvement and a commitment to achieving the highest standards in service, ministry, and personal conduct.

Keep in mind, doctrinal statements have always been formed in response to heresy. Understanding this helps explain the legalized feel and wordsmithing that go into doctrinal statements. For example, there was no emphasis on the Trinity until some gathered a following denying it. There was no emphasis on inerrancy until some claimed to believe in Christ but rejected the Bible as true or authoritative. The following are the core beliefs of the Hillsboro Church Of Christ based on the foundational truths taught in the bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mathew 3:16-17; John 14:9-10
There is one eternally existing God who has three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is the creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible, and is therefore worthy of all glory and praise. The triune God is perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom,  justice, and mercy. He is unchangeable and therefore is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Genesis 1:1, Acts 17:24-28; Philippians 2:10-11
We believe God is the creator of man and of all things - visible and invisible. The Father is a distinct person: uncreated, immeasurable, and eternal. The Father is glorified in the worship of the Son.

Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 9:6-7; John 1:1-18; Matthew 1:18; Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 15; Colossians 1:15-20; Revelation 1:18
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary and atoning death through His shed blood, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in power and glory at some point in history.

Genesis 1:2; John 15:26-27; 16:5-15; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; Romans 8:29-30
The Holy Spirit was neither made nor, created, nor begotten; He proceeds from the Father and the Son. We believe the Holy Spirit dwells within every Christian, transforming them into the likeness of the Son.

Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:13
We believe the Bible is the inspired and infallible word of God and the final authority for all matters of faith and practice..

Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:14-47; Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:28-29
We believe that the church is the body and bride of Christ, comprised of all Christians everywhere. Her mission is to make disciples and teach them to obey all that Christ commanded.

Genesis 1:27-31; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23; 5:12-21 Ephesians 2:1-2; 1 John 1:7-8
We believe that all people are created by God in His image which bestows upon them intrinsic dignity. Yet each has willfully sinned. As a result, all people are in need of a Savior, being lost, without hope, and dead apart from Jesus Christ.

Matthew 26:28; Luke 24:45-47, Acts 2:38; 16:30-31;  
Romans 5:8-11; 6:1-7; 10:9; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 1:6; 2 Peter 3:9
We believe that salvation (the forgiveness of sins) comes by grace through faith in the completed work of Christ on our behalf through His blood (His death on the cross). Salvation is a free gift from God and includes an immediate restoration of a person's relationship with Him. Through submission to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives there is a lifetime of continuing transformation of that person's character into the image and likeness of Christ.
We believe the pattern the Bible teaches to receive Jesus as Savior is to believe in Christ as God's Son and Savior of the world, to repent of personal sin, to confess Jesus as Lord, and to be immersed in baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

Daniel 12:2; John 6:47; Romans 8:10-11; 1 Corinthians 15; Hebrews 9;27
We believe that death seals the eternal destiny of each person. Those in Christ inherit eternal life; those who remain in rebellion, eternal punishment in hell. Jesus Christ is returning one day to judge both the living and the dead and to usher in the fullness of God's kingdom on earth.

We believe that following Jesus in today’s world requires courage, conviction, and clarity. In a cultural moment that often promotes self above submission, confusion above created order, and fleeting pleasure above eternal purpose, we strive to live as a distinct light through Jesus Christ—full of both grace and truth (John 1:14).
Our Lord taught that the greatest commandments are to love God above all else and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36–40). Therefore, our biblical convictions are not merely abstract doctrine, but a call to live with both bold loyalty to God and deep compassion toward others, even when doing so stands in contrast to prevailing cultural norms.

We believe that every human being is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27), beginning at conception and worthy of dignity until natural death. This foundational truth shapes our unwavering stance on the sanctity of life—opposing elective abortion and euthanasia as sinful distortions of God’s authority over life and death.

God created each person as male or female—two distinct and complementary genders that reflect His image. Rejection of one’s God-given biological sex is a rejection of God’s design and creative intent.
We affirm that marriage is a covenantal union between one man and one woman, as instituted by God and reaffirmed by Jesus (Genesis 2:18–25; Matthew 19:4–6). Sexual intimacy is a gift from God meant to be expressed exclusively within this covenant. Any form of sexual immorality—including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, incest, bestiality, and use of pornography—is sinful and offensive to God (1 Corinthians 6:9–10; Hebrews 13:4). Disciples of Jesus must not condone these behaviors but instead offer the hope of transformation through the gospel.

Men and women are both created to reflect God's nature in unique, gendered ways. In marriage, both partners are to submit to one another—wives modeling the church’s devotion to Christ, and husbands modeling Christ’s sacrificial love. In the church, while men and women serve together in gospel ministry, the New Testament reserves the elder/overseer and primary preaching roles for qualified men. This is not a statement of value but of divinely appointed order, grounded in Scripture (1 Tim. 2:11–15; 3:1–7).

To preserve the witness of the church and honor Christ, all members, staff, and volunteers of our congregation must agree to live in alignment with these convictions, offering a biblical model of truth and grace to the world (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14–16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22).