what we believe
At Forres Community Church, our core beliefs are rooted in the historic Christian faith, grounded in the Bible and faithfully expressed in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. We believe the Church is one, holy, universal (catholic), and apostolic (Ephesians 4:4–6).
One: We are united with believers worldwide as the single body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–13; John 17:20–23).
Holy: We are set apart for God’s purposes (1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 1:4).
Universal: The church is for all people, in every place and time (Matthew 28:19–20; Revelation 7:9).
Apostolic: Our faith is built on the teachings of the apostles (Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:19–20).
These ancient statements connect us with Christians throughout history, helping us hold fast to the truth of the Gospel and the mystery of God’s saving love (2 Thessalonians 2:15; 1 Timothy 3:15).
We believe in **one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—**who has made Himself known through creation (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1–4), through Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16–17), and most fully through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1–3; John 1:14; Colossians 1:15–20).
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed is a concise statement of Christian faith, summarizing core beliefs about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Despite its name, it wasn’t written directly by the apostles but evolved from early Christian baptismal confessions in the 2nd century. Its name reflects that it faithfully summarizes what the apostles taught. Clauses were gradually added over centuries to counter various heresies, resulting in the version we use today, which was largely finalized by the 8th century as a foundational creed of Western Christianity.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father (and the Son),
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
The Nicene Creed is a pivotal statement of Christian faith developed to counter heresies in the early church. It was drafted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE to affirm Jesus Christ’s divinity. The creed was then expanded at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 CE to include more detailed statements about the Holy Spirit, finalizing the version used widely today. It’s a key doctrinal text for most Christian denominations, outlining core beliefs about the Trinity.