What We Believe. Why It Matters.

The human body is sacred, good, and a fundamental aspect of our identity. Our body and spirit share an integral union, mutually integral to our personhood. 

We affirm the biblical teaching that God created humanity in His image as male and female — equal in value, distinct in role, and complementary in design (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:18–23). Our gender was not “assigned” at birth but determined by God at conception. Gender is not a social construct or personal choice, but a sacred gift from God that reflects His wisdom, design, and purpose (Psalm 139:13–16; Isaiah 45:9). We recognize that there are very rare but diagnosable medical conditions (i.e., intersex, etc.) where one’s sex may be indeterminable genetically or biologically at birth, and that such medical conditions require the utmost sensitivity, care, and qualified/expert assistance. 

While we also understand that the experience of gender dysphoria is real and often painful, we believe the path to healing is not found in rejecting one’s created design, but in embracing the identity given by God and redeemed in Christ (Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:10). We believe that the desire to manipulate appearances in order to align with the other gender leads to spiritual confusion and emotional chaos, and is a sinful rejection of our God-given design.  

We believe that human sexuality is a good gift from God, designed to be expressed within the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. This understanding is rooted in Scripture’s consistent affirmation of sexual union as sacred, ordered, and intrinsically linked to our biology (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6). While all people are made in God’s image and worthy of love and dignity (Genesis 1:27), sexual desires and behaviors — like every other area of life — are subject to the lordship of Jesus and his design (1 Corinthians 6:18–20; Romans 12:1–2). We believe that any form of sexual immorality, including, but not limited to, lust, fornication, adultery, unbiblical divorce, cohabitation prior to marriage, the use or promulgation of pornography, pedophilia, homosexual conduct, bisexual conduct, polygamy, polyamory, bestiality, or incest, is sinful and offensive to God. 

We seek to be a community of truth and grace, offering compassion without compromising biblical clarity (John 1:14; Ephesians 4:15). The gospel calls us not merely to self-expression, but to surrender. Jesus provides redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sins, seeking mercy and forgiveness through His good news (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:3-7). Stonegate is a safe place for those struggling with sexual sins and temptations. As a church, we will walk patiently and fight alongside anyone navigating questions of sexual identity, expression, or practice. Our desire is to provide love, care, and biblical direction with compassion, kindness, respect, and dignity. We will not tolerate bullying, hatred, harassment, or other sinful responses toward those seeking care, wholeness, and the freedom found in Christ and His design (Matthew 11:28-30; John 8:31–36; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Galatians 5:1; Hebrews 2:17-18; Hebrews 4:14-16). 

We believe that the family is the foundational institution of human society, established by God to reflect His covenant love, nurture the next generation, and model relational discipleship (Deuteronomy 6:6–7; Ephesians 5:22–6:4). The family is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. 

Marriage is a sacred, lifelong, monogamous, covenantal union between one man (born a man) and one woman (born a woman) (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:6–9). Marriage is a picture of Christ’s relationship with His Bride – the Church (Ephesians 5:22-23). Marriage also provides the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race. Parenting is a high calling entrusted to mothers and fathers to raise children in the fear and love of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6; Colossians 3:20–21). Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. While we recognize that every family story is different and complex — often marked by loss, hardship, or restoration — we affirm God's design for the family as good, and we aim to support and disciple families toward wholeness in Christ (Psalm 68:5–6; Galatians 6:2). 

We believe that every human life — from the womb to the tomb — is sacred and created in the image of God and possesses equal dignity, value, and worth (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13–16). Life is not ours to take or redefine, but a gift entrusted to us by our Creator. This conviction shapes our perspective on the unborn, the vulnerable, the elderly, the marginalized, and the suffering. We affirm the dignity of all people regardless of age, ability, or circumstance, and we oppose anything that devalues or destroys human life, including abortion, euthanasia, and systems of abuse (Proverbs 24:11–12; Isaiah 1:17). As followers of Jesus, we are called to protect life, serve those in crisis, and embody compassion and conviction in how we speak, vote, and care for others — not out of fear or political pressure, but out of love for God and neighbor (Micah 6:8; Matthew 25:40). 

We believe that all people are made in the image of God and possess equal dignity, value, and worth (Genesis 1:27; Acts 17:26). God created one human race that encompasses a plurality of ethnicities, designed to reflect the unity, equality, and distinctiveness of the Trinity. When humanity rebelled against God, the earliest consequences were division between God and humanity, and between humanity and one another. 

The gospel dismantles pride, prejudice, and division, forming a new family in Christ made up of every tribe, tongue, and nation (Ephesians 2:14–16; Revelation 7:9). God calls His people to love justice, show mercy, and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). This includes standing against racism in all its forms, caring for the poor and abused, and working toward relational and societal flourishing (Proverbs 31:8–9; Isaiah 1:17). We reject both indifference and ideology as substitutes for gospel-shaped justice. Our aim is not to signal virtue or chase cultural trends, but to reflect the kingdom of Jesus — where righteousness and justice dwell together (Psalm 89:14). 

We believe Jesus is Lord over all things, including our public life and civic engagement (Colossians 1:16–18; Philippians 2:9–11). As citizens of heaven living on earth, we are called to engage the political world with wisdom, humility, and faithfulness (Jeremiah 29:7; Matthew 

5:13–16). Our ultimate hope is not in political leaders, parties, or systems, but in the kingdom of God (Psalm 146:3–5; Hebrews 13:14). We reject the conflation of Christian faith with any political ideology — whether on the left or right — and instead aim to reflect Christ’s values in how we vote, speak, advocate, and love our neighbors (Micah 6:8; 1 Peter 2:13–17). Our allegiance is first to Christ, who calls us to be salt and light in every sphere (Matthew 22:21; Matthew 28:18–20). Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. To promote these ends, Christians should be ready to work with all men and women of goodwill in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love, conviction, and civility without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth. 

We believe that technology, including artificial intelligence, is a remarkable tool that reflects both humanity's creativity and its fallenness. It can be used to serve God’s purposes or to distort them (Genesis 1:28; Romans 1:25). We affirm that no machine can bear the image of God or replace human worth, conscience, agency, or relationship. Christians are called to leverage technology where appropriate — using it to build up the church, advance the gospel, and care for others — while also resisting its capacity to shape identity, displace community, or undermine truth (Ephesians 5:15–17; 2 Corinthians 10:5). A biblically conservative approach calls us to steward AI wisely and ethically—for good, not harm—while guarding against idolatry, dehumanization, injustice, or over-reliance that diminishes or replaces our need for God and one another. In a rapidly advancing world, we seek to be discerning, not dismissive — neither idolizing nor fearing innovation, but evaluating all things through the lens of Scripture and the lordship of Christ (Colossians 1:16–17; 1 Thessalonians 5:21–22).