What Friends Believe
Statement Of Faith
Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends Church affirms as essential Christian
truths the following teachings: the sovereignty of God; the deity and
humanity of Jesus Christ; the atonement through Jesus Christ by which
persons are reconciled to God; the resurrection of Jesus, which assures
the resurrection of all true worshipers; the gift of the Holy Spirit to
believers; and the authority of the Holy Scriptures.
The Yearly Meeting also endorses traditional statements
of Friends, including those emphasizing an inward encounter with God,
communion without ritual, an individual responsibility for ministry
and service, and striving for peace and justice. In addition, the Yearly
Meeting speaks to contemporary issues concerning morality, human relationships,
and Christian commitment. Friends hold that an authentic Christian belief
results in both an inward faith and an outward expression of that belief.
Information that more fully documents Friends' beliefs
may be obtained through printed copies of Northwest Yearly Meeting's
"Faith and Practice" and through individual communication with our office
personnel.
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Values
- Jesus Christ is present.
Jesus Christ is actively present with us as Savior, Teacher, Lord,
Healer, and Friend. Christ is immediately accessible to all who believe
in Him. Those who take time to listen to Christ can hear His voice
and follow Him, individually and collectively.
- Scripture calls us to account and helps us know
God's will.
The Bible, as interpreted by the Holy Spirit, shows us what God requires
of us and provides authoritative and unvailing spiritual guidance
for our lives today.
- God is the source of life, and all human life
is sacred.
All life has its origin in the creative work of God, and human life
is to be regarded as a sacred gift from God. Because all persons have
equal value and are created in the image of God, we must treat others
with respect and dignity, regardless of human measures of merit or
value.
- The Holy Spirit transforms and empowers us.
The Holy Spirit enlightens our paths and transforms our lives. As
we yield our lives to God and become immersed in the life of the Spirit,
things change. Despair gives way to hope, and weakness gives way to
empowerment. All things indeed become new.
- We are called to be and to make followers of Christ.
Christ through His Spirit transforms us to be more like Himself. He
enables us to live lives of integrity and righteousness and calls
us to bring others into this relationship. We listen to Christ, we
obey Him, and we teach others how to do the same.
- We are called to live out Christ's love.
Jesus reveals the fullest measure of God's love by His example in
His death on the cross. As we become more Christ-like, we hope to
display this same quality of love corporately and individually to
those around us.
- We are called to be agents of God's peace and
love to everyone.
We are called to work for justice and to be agents of peace in a broken
world. Whether situations of conflict and confusion be persona, national,
or global - within the church or beyond it - we are called to be agents
of the same healing and love we have received from God.
These are the Values Statement approved during the 1997 Northwest
Yearly Meeting sessions (ref. 1997 Yearly Meeting Minutes, page 18,
minute #24).
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