WHO

WE ARE

We are a church that was planted in Bonn in 2018.

There are many things that make up who we are as a church and much of this is best seen and experienced first-hand. Some of the more critical aspects can be found in our constitution which defines what we believe and how we function.

THE GOSPEL

SIMPLY MEANS “GOOD NEWS”

However, before we can really understand why the Good News is so good, we need to know the bad news.

  • The Bad news is that we are all sinners. Paul says in Romans that we all “fall short” of God’s glory, and because we fall short of this standard we cannot earn or work for a right standing with God, but because we are sinners we can only earn death.

    Despite our sin, God loves us.

  • Even though we do not live up to his standard of goodness and holiness, he loves us and wants to reconcile us to himself.

    Therefore, God sends his only son, Jesus, to come and pay the price of our sin by dying on a cross. The penalty for sin is death, and Jesus paid the price in full for the whole world. Then after three days he comes back from the dead proving he has power over sin and death and wants everyone to know that if they believe in Jesus, and trust in his work on the cross, believing he rose again from the dead will be saved from their sin.

  • Through believing in Jesus we are set free from the bondage of sin.

    Even more, God credits to us the goodness and right standing we need to be reconciled to him.

    He gives us his righteousness and declares us forgiven.

    Even more, he gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to come and live within us, teaching us how to live lives that reflect the love and righteousness of God.

    Finally, for those who believe in Jesus, he guarantees us a place with him in heaven for all eternity.

The Gospel is all about God reconciling us back to him, so that we can worship him and be with him forever and ever.

This is truly Good News.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

These statements of faith reflect our devotion to the Bible’s first place in matters of faith and practice

The following statements of faith do not contain everything we believe at IBC Bonn, but everything we teach agrees with the doctrine presented in this section.

  • We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in the original manuscripts. We believe that it is the exclusive, final, and complete revelation of God for all people and is the ultimate authority in all matters of faith and daily life. We believe that the Bible communicates God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ without confusion or distortion. (Galatians 1:8–9; Ephesians 3:4–5; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; Hebrews 1:1–2; 2 Peter 1:19– 20)

  • We believe there is one God who exists in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). He is creator of heaven and earth. We believe that before its fall into a state of sin, God’s creation was perfect in all things. As creator, God rules over His creation and is the only One who may judge between good and evil. He is righteous, holy, sovereign, all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present. In perfect love, He concerns Himself mercifully and graciously in the affairs of all people. He hears and answers prayer. He forgives sin and saves from condemnation all who by His grace come to Him through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1–3; Exodus 34:6–7; Deuteronomy 4:25, 30, 31; Psalm 139; Psalm 145; Isaiah 6:3; John 4:24; Ephesians 2:8–9, 4:6; Titus 3:4–5)

  • We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s one and only begotten Son, fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. We believe that salvation from sin and to a new life in God is only possible through the gracious self-giving of Jesus Christ and must be received by faith. We believe in His sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe that He died in our place for our sin, that He rose again, and that He ascended into heaven. We believe He continually intercedes for His people and will personally and bodily return to earth. (Genesis 3:15; Luke 1:27– 28; John 1:1–2; Romans 5:8–10; 1 Corinthians 15; Philippians 2:5–8; Hebrews 4:15, 7:25; Luke 24:36–43; Acts 1:11; Ephesians 2:8–9; John 3:16)

  • We believe in the Holy Spirit, sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He restores, sets apart for God’s purpose, and empowers all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ at the point of salvation. Having sealed the believer in Christ, He remains an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. (Genesis 1:2; John 14:1– 16:33, 16:8–9; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 12; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 1:13–14)

  • We believe that both men and women are created in God’s image. Therefore, men and women, although distinct, are equal in dignity, honor, worth, and are together co-heirs with Christ. We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation from which they are incapable of saving themselves. We believe that God, by His grace alone, has provided the only means for salvation through the sacrificial, atoning, and substitutionary death of Jesus Christ and His resurrection. We receive eternal life and enter a personal relationship with God, when by faith we confess and repent of our sin and commit our lives to Jesus Christ, our only Savior. (Genesis 1–3; John 1:12; Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9–13; 1 John 1:9; Isaiah 53:1–12

  • We believe in the global Church, the living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all followers of Jesus Christ are members. We believe in the local church, accountable to God alone where we unite by the Spirit for worship, work, learning, and fellowship as a community of believers in Jesus Christ. We believe that we, in response to the Great Commission, have been sent out and given the task of making disciples (committed followers of Jesus Christ) from among all peoples. (Matthew 28:19–20; Mark 16:15; Acts 2:42–47; Romans 1:11)

  • We believe the Holy Spirit indwells and gives spiritual gifts to each believer to love, serve, and edify the Church according to the biblical definition, order, and function of those gifts for the glory of God. Each believer has a spiritual gift, and therefore has a ministry to be exercised within the local church. (Ephesians 1:13–14, 4:16; 1 Corinthians 12–14; Hebrews 2:4; Romans 12:4–8)

  • We believe that Christ has, according to the Scriptures, instituted two church ordinances for believers:

    a. Baptism is an act of obedience and a joyful, public expression of previous, personal commitment to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. The baptism of the believer into and under water “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, the end of an old way of life and the beginning of a new life in Christ. (Matthew 28:19–20; Romans 6:3–4)

    b. The Communion of the theLord’s Table is a proclamation, celebration, and a repeated reminder of Christ’s death, resurrection, and future return. (Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–20; 1 Corinthians 11:17–26)

  • We await the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth in his full glory and power and the establishment of his eternal kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment of all humanity, the eternal joy in God’s kingdom for those who are made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and the endless suffering in hell of those who do not place their faith in Him. (Matthew 24:1–25:46; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15, 15:50–54; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18; Revelation 20:11–15, 21:1–4)

OUR CONSTITUTION

Through our constitution we aim to build a community by clearly communicating our Vision, Values, and Beliefs. Below you will find the full constitution.