Love God. Love People.

John 15:12

 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Mission statements. Purpose. Vision. These are all ways that businesses and churches around the world summarize who they are as an organization. They are easy to understand but portray immense depth when dug into. Our calling as a church is to love God and love people. At the beginning of 2020, we cast vision together to love well and grow into the likeness of Christ. As you get to know us, we hope that our love of God and people becomes evident by our actions.

The Bride Church Logo

The Threefold Purpose of The Bride Church

Worship God in all His fullness – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Build up and equip the Church of Jesus Christ through the preaching and teaching of His Word and through the Holy Spirit’s empowering of the Church for the work of ministry.

Persuade men and women to repent, confess Jesus Christ as Lord, and grow up into His stature, bringing glory to the Father in all things.

What We Believe (Statement of Faith)

The Bible (Holy Scripture)
We believe that the Scriptures in the original manuscripts, both Old and New Testaments, are the fully inspired, breathed out Word of God. These Scriptures were given through God’s prophets, apostles, and apostolic associates by means of the Holy Spirit, who superintended the writing of Scripture through individual personalities, background, and style. The Bible is without error and the only infallible rule of faith and practice, and is supreme and final authority in the lives of Christ followers. This written Word is final and complete.

The Trinity (Triune God)
We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in all attributes pertaining to God, sharing in all glory, power, and majesty. The Triune God is the exclusive creator and sustainer of all creation, redeemer and judge over all. God created humankind in His own image, and humankind’s highest purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

The Father
We believe in God the Father, the infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, justice, wisdom, power and love. He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of humankind. He hears and answers prayer and He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. The Father adopts His elect as sons and daughters, co-heirs with Christ, and employs them in His eternal plan, having lavished His love on them. He is the vinedresser, pruning followers of Christ that they may bear fruit (the character of Christ) until we are all like Him.

Jesus Christ, The Son
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s eternal Son. Though He is equal with the Father, having shared in creation, Jesus Christ entered into the human race as the virgin-born son of Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit, fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the coming Messiah. He lived a sinless life, dependant on His heavenly Father and empowered by the Holy Spirit to perform miracles and teach truth and love with authority. Having been rejected by Jewish leaders, tried and found innocent by Pontius Pilate, but condemned and delivered nevertheless to be crucified, His death was substitutionary and atoning. Jesus Christ was buried in a borrowed tomb, but raised bodily from death on the third day, never to die again. He ascended back into heaven, where He perpetually intercedes for His people at the rightful Head of His body, the Church. He will personally and visibly return to earth to claim His own and set all thing straight as Judge of the living and the dead.

The Holy Spirit
We believe in the eternal person of the Holy Spirit, no less God, sent by the Father as promised by the Son to convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. The work of the Holy Spirit is essential for a true understanding of the Scriptures and for regeneration and conversion of the sinner by leading an individual to repentance toward God and saving faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit baptizes all believers upon conversion into the triune life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and into Christ’s body as His Church. The Holy Spirit indwells each follower of Christ, sealing them for assured salvation. He imparts the divine nature of God, empowering them with the life of Jesus Christ, teaching them to abide in Him and bear His character called the fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s anointing is for every follower of Christ to understand truth and be empowered for service. His filling is commanded and continually accessible, as followers of Christ confess their sin and yield to His way over their own. The Holy Spirit’s main and pleasurable role is to glorify the Son as the the Son has glorified the Father in all things. Therefore, the Holy Spirit’s emphasis is upon Jesus and not upon Himself.

Humankind
We believe that humankind was created in the image and likeness of God. Through original sin, the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and by choice became alienated from God. Every person is a depraved sinner and utterly unable to remedy their lost condition apart from Jesus Christ. Salvation is the gift of God brought to humankind by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.

Men and women who have become followers of Christ are new creations in Christ and declared righteous in His righteousness. This right standing with God is acquired by faith alone, and not by works or performance. As new creations, followers of Christ learn to walk in the new nature provided in Christ. Followers of Christ are still susceptible to sinful nature (the flesh), but have the capacity to learn to rely on the nature of Christ in them, the hope of glory, changing from one degree to another into the likeness of Christ until sanctification is complete at the return of Jesus Christ or their departure from this earth.

Marriage is a relationship instituted by God defined as the lifelong, exclusive, covenantal union of one man and one woman. Marriage also represents the relationship between Christ and the Church, whereas Christ laid His life down for the Church and the Church is submitted to the headship of Christ. Scripture teaches us that sexual activity should only be exercised within the context of a covenantal marriage between one man and one woman.

The Church
We believe in the universal Church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, of which Christ is the Head. The Church is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons. The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. We believe in the autonomy of local churches, free of any external authority and control. The Church’s central calling is to preach the Gospel, promote righteousness and justice, and to become a spiritual community where people profoundly connect with God and each other. Jesus Christ, as the Head of the Church, leads the Church primarily through elders/pastor-teachers (shepherds) that He has raised up. It is their role to, in one accord, seek His mind and heart for direction and skill in guarding, feeding, and training the members of His Church (His sheep).

Ordinances of the Church
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church. Upon a new follower of Christ placing their faith in Jesus as their Savior and confessing Him as their Lord, they are to follow the instructions of Christ and be baptized. Baptism is an outward picture of the inward unification and identification of the follower of Christ with the death, burial, and resurrection of their Savior, Jesus Christ. We are also instructed to participate together in The Lord’s Supper, or Communion in remembrance of Jesus’ atonement for our sins through His death on the cross. We celebrate communion during all Sunday morning gatherings. Baptisms are celebrated as often as needed.

Spiritual Gifts
We believe members of the body of Christ are each gifted by the Holy Spirit as He wills with one or more of the New Testament gifts for building up and edifying the Church. In accordance with Holy Scripture, any prophetic word spoken today for the purpose of encouraging, edifying, comforting, or clarifying direction for the church or individuals within the body does not carry the same weight as canonized Holy Scripture (the Bible). As such, these words should be tested like all teachings. “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21, ESV).

Laying on of Hands
We believe in the laying on of hands for ordination of pastors, elders, and deacons; as well as for receiving gifts of the Spirit and for prayer and healing.

The Return of Christ
We believe in the personal, visible return of Christ to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom. Everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected in their due time. Through the final judgment, the righteous will experience eternal blessing and the wicked will be subjected to eternal punishment. Upon His return, Jesus Christ will usher in a new heaven and a new earth where His beloved will worship in His presence for eternity.

The Apostles’ Creed
We affirm what is termed “The Apostles’ Creed” as the embodied fundamental facts of Christian faith. The Apostles’ Creed can be found here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are you located?
1321 Peach Tree Lane, which is on the corner of Queens Avenue, just off of Highway 99, Yuba City.

What kind of worship/music do you have?
Contemporary worship, usually with a full band. There is often a hymn mixed in as well and our congregation loves to sing.

What should I wear?
We accept you as you are. If you want to dress casual, that’s good! Do you want to get dressed up? That’s good too!

Can I come without being baptized?
Yes, absolutely. There is no prerequisite to come to church at The Bride. We do celebrate Believers’ Baptism. If that is something you are interested in, we would love to talk to you more about that.

Do I have to become a member?
No, we do not have a membership to be a part of the The Bride Church. We welcome all to the family.

What denomination are you?
We are not tied to a specific denomination. Our leadership consists of a board of elders who lead and guide the church.

Are you strictly Bible based teaching?
Yes, we believe the Bible is the only foundation for teaching and preaching. Sermons range from topical to expository.

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
Yes. The Holy Spirit guides us to grow in the likeness of Christ. You’ll find that everything from our worship through song to the sermons are led by the Spirit at The Bride Church.

Is there Sunday School?
Yes. We offer Sunday School for all children, from nursery through 6th grade. We also have a youth group that meets on Monday nights for 6th-12th grade.