First Steps Fresno First Early Childhood Education

The Scriptures
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is Gods revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author salvation for its end and truth without any mixture of error for its matter.

God
There is one and only one living and true God. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father Son and Holy Spirit with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature essence or being.

God the Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe His creatures and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience and in His death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin.

God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin of righteousness and of judgment. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship evangelism and service.

Man
Man was created by the special act of God in His own image and is the crowning work of His creation. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image and in that Christ died for man; therefore every man possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Salvation
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration sanctification and glorification.

The Church
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of baptized believers who are associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospeland seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. This church is an autonomous body. The New Testament speaks also of the church as the body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages.

Baptism & the Lords Supper
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believers faith in a crucified buried and risen Saviour the believers death to sin the burial of the life and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.
The Lords Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

The Lords Day
The first day of the week is the Lords Day. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion.

Last Things
God in His own time and in His own way will bring the world to its appropriate end. Jesus Christ will return personally and visiblythe dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell. The righteous will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.

Evangelism & Missions
It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by personal effort.

Stewardship
God is the source of all blessings temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. God is the creator and owner and believers are the managers. Christians have a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time talents and material possessions.

Cooperation
Christs people should organize such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches. Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian organizations as well as social institutions where possible and profitable for the wellbeing of society.

Religious Liberty
Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal.

Family
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. Marriage is the unity of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God since both are created in Gods image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. Children from the moment of conception are a blessing and heritage from the Lord.