Our Core Beliefs
The board and administration believe the Bible—the inspired and trustworthy word of God—serves as our final authority in establishing God’s revealed truth and guidance for living. We seek to derive all of our foundational Christian beliefs from Scripture, and affirm all of the central truths that have always characterized the Christian faith. These include beliefs such as the following:
- We believe in one God—Father, Son, and Spirit—whom we worship and glorify (Matt 28:19; Acts 17:29; 1 Cor 8:6; 2 Cor 13:13).
- We believe in the Father Almighty, maker of heaven, earth, and all things in them—visible and invisible (1 Cor 8:6; Rev 1:8).
- We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our Lord, by whom all things were made (John 1:1-3; 3:16; Rom 1:3-4; 1 Cor 8:6; 12:3; Phil 2:9; Col 1:16).
- For us and our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate and made man—conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Matt 1:16, 18-25; Lk 1:26- 35; John 1:14; 3:16; 6:51; Phil 2:5-7 ).
- He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures (Matt 28:5; John 19:1-6, 41; Acts 4:27-28; 1 Cor 15:3-4; 1 Thess 4:14).
- He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead (Acts 1:2, 9-11; 2:33; 5:31; 10:42; 17:31; Eph 1:20-21; 1 Thess 1:10; 4:14-17; 2 Thess 1:10; 2 Tim 4:1, 8).
- We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life (Job 33:4; John 6:63; Acts 5:3-4, 9; Rom 8:2, 6, 10-11; 2 Cor 3:6, 17-18; Gal 6:8; Rev 2:7; 22:17). We believe in one holy and universal church, built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, and the teaching of the Apostles (Matt 16:18; Acts 2:42; 20:28; Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 1:2; 3:11; 12:13; Eph 1:22-23; 2:16, 19-22; 4:11-16; 5:27; Col 1:18).
- We believe in the communion and fellowship of all Christian saints—with Christ and one another (Acts 2:42- 44; 4:32; 1 Cor 10:16; 2 Cor 13:13; Eph 2:13-21; Phil 2:1; 1 John 1:3, 7).
- We believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom 6:1-11; Eph 4:5; Col 2:11-13; 1 Pet 3:21).
- We believe in the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting in the world to come (Dan 12:2; Matt 25:46; John 3:15-16; 5:28-29; 6:40, 54; 10:28; Acts 4:2; 24:15; Rom 6:5, 22-23; 1 Cor 6:14; 15:12-58; 2 Cor 4:14; Rev 21:1-5; 22:5).
Our Core Values
- We value life. We believe God not only made the world, but loves the world. We aim to love all that God has made, and treat every person as a unique and precious gift from God.
- We value love. We believe Christians are to be known by our love, as we show the fruit of the Spirit, and live by the Golden rule.
- We value truth. We believe all truth is God’s truth, and thus we have nothing to fear from investigation. The Christian intellectual tradition is “faith seeking understanding,” and we will endeavor to welcome true teaching while we model integrity and truth-telling—to the glory of God.
- We value goodness. We believe Christians are bound by the highest code of ethics. We seek to avoid every evil vice and cling to what is noble, virtuous, and good—to the glory of God.
- We value beauty. We believe the beautiful, like the good, is a way of knowing God. For this reason we do not shun or minimize aesthetic beauty, but relish it, and seek to cultivate an appreciation for true beauty in the arts, in nature, and in life.
- We value education. We believe that knowledge is power, and crucial for the development of whole persons and a healthy society. Since knowledge is a tool that can be used for great good or great evil, we believe every discipline is essential, and every student should be given a liberal arts education in which they learn how to connect all of life with a discerning knowledge of God.
- We value community. We believe God intended for humanity to exist in community, to learn from one another, encourage one another, and grow together. We consider Mars Hill to be a community, in which students and faculty learn together, worship together, serve together, and grow together.
- We value family. We believe a stable home is vital for the health and well-being of every child. To this end, we seek to partner with parents in the holistic education of their children, and to encourage healthy habits that nurture, sustain, and improve family relationships.
