Beliefs

Beliefs & Values

Heritage Covenant Church is firmly rooted in the historic Protestant faith, embracing the rich theological heritage expressed in the Reformed Confessions and Catechisms. We uphold both the Three Forms of Unity and the Westminster Standards, which guide and shape our understanding of Scripture and faith. Our Statement of Faith reflects these beliefs and distinctives, grounding us in biblical truth and aligning us with the legacy of the Reformation.

Scripture

We believe that the Holy Scriptures, comprising the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God in the original manuscripts, fully sufficient and authoritative for all matters of faith and life. Scripture alone is our final rule for faith and practice, containing everything necessary for knowing and honoring God. As the "more sure word of prophecy" (2 Peter 1:19) and "the faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3), Scripture’s truthfulness encompasses all it affirms, whether in matters of faith, history, or the created order. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, it is to be interpreted according to its grammatical-historical context and literary form, in light of its intended meaning.

The Holy Spirit, who inspired Scripture, also illumines our hearts to understand and apply its truths. We affirm that certain revelatory gifts, such as tongues, prophecy, and words of knowledge, were given specifically to confirm the apostolic ministry and ceased with the close of the apostolic era, as God’s full revelation is now complete in Scripture. Thus, Scripture alone stands supreme over all human tradition, church councils, and private revelations, directing our worship, doctrine, and conduct.

Jesus

We believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who is fully God and fully man, of one essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, He took on flesh to redeem God’s people, fulfilling all righteousness and God’s covenantal promises. Anointed as our great prophet, priest, and king, Jesus revealed God’s will, offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice to atone for our sins, and intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. As our king, He conquered sin, death, and Satan, and now reigns over all things with righteousness and justice.

In His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus bore God’s wrath, satisfying divine justice and reconciling us to God. He rose bodily from the dead, ascended to heaven, and will return to judge the living and the dead, establishing His eternal kingdom. Through faith, believers are united with Christ, sharing in His righteousness, receiving forgiveness, and being adopted as heirs of eternal life. Christ’s person and work are the foundation of our hope, the source of our salvation, and the means by which we are being sanctified, as we await His return and the fullness of His kingdom.

HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who is fully God, coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit, present at creation and active throughout redemptive history, brings life, order, and renewal to all things according to the sovereign will of God. Sent by the Father and the Son, the Spirit glorifies Christ, revealing Him to us through the Scriptures and applying His redemptive work to our hearts. The Spirit, as our divine Comforter, Counselor, and Teacher, guides believers into all truth, making the Word of God alive in us. He awakens in us genuine faith, repentance, and heartfelt communion with God, embodying the Reformed experiential perspective in which head and heart are transformed by grace.

The Holy Spirit indwells all true believers, uniting us to Christ and renewing our hearts, assuring us of our adoption as children of God and sealing us for the day of redemption. He empowers us to mortify sin and to bear the fruit of the Spirit in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Spirit bestows a variety of gifts on believers to build up the church and advance the gospel, including roles such as evangelists, pastors, and teachers. While we affirm that the miraculous sign gifts—such as tongues, prophecy, and healings—were given specifically to authenticate the apostolic ministry and were unique to the apostolic era, we also believe that God continues to work in miraculous ways today and that He still heals according to His sovereign will. However, we hold that the particular gift of healing, tongues, and prophesy, as exercised by the apostles, was specific to their ministry and is not normative for the church today.

We believe that each believer receives the fullness of the Spirit upon conversion, and we hold that teachings on “second blessings” or similar experiences as necessary for maturity are not consistent with Scripture. The Spirit’s work is continuous and progressive, sanctifying believers and equipping them with gifts for ministry. As we await the return of Christ, the Spirit transforms us more into the likeness of Christ, preserves us in faith, and enables us to live as witnesses to the kingdom, fostering a deep, experiential communion with God.

Creation & Providence

We believe that God created all things from nothing by His powerful Word, as recorded in Genesis. The creation account reflects a purposeful, ordered sequence, where each day is marked by evening and morning, setting a divine rhythm for human work and rest. This pattern also underpins the weekly Sabbath, revealing God’s intentional design for creation and the foundation for our own work and rest. Scripture echoes this in Exodus 20:11, where the rhythm of creation serves as a model for human life, illustrating God’s sovereignty, wisdom, and care.

God actively sustains and governs every detail of His creation, upholding all things by His providence (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17). Nothing occurs apart from His sovereign will, and all aspects of life are under His wise and purposeful care, ensuring that His plans are fulfilled and that all things work together for the good of His people and the glory of His name (Romans 8:28; Psalm 103:19).

The Gospel

The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ, who, by His perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection, fulfills the law’s demands and secures salvation for sinners. It reveals God’s grace in calling us to repentance and faith, offering forgiveness and new life through union with Christ. While the law shows us our sin and drives us to the cross, the gospel announces that Christ has fully met the law’s requirements on our behalf, imputing His perfect righteousness to us and making us righteous before God by faith alone. This imputation assures believers of their standing before God, not based on their own merit, but solely on the work of Christ. The gospel transforms believers by the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to walk in obedience to God’s commands—not to earn salvation, but as a grateful response to His grace. In this way, the gospel upholds the law, calling us to live as witnesses to God’s holiness and grace, manifesting covenant faithfulness in every aspect of life.

Election & Calling

We believe that before the foundation of the world, God, in His sovereign grace, chose a people for Himself from every tribe, tongue, and nation. This election is not based on foreseen merit or action, but solely on God’s love and purpose. In time, God effectually calls His elect by the Holy Spirit, drawing them to Himself through the preaching of the gospel and awakening them to new life.

The Christian & the Law

We believe that God's law, revealed in Scripture, is holy, just, and good, serving essential purposes in the life of humanity and especially for believers. First, the law reveals God’s righteous character and convicts the world of sin, showing humanity’s need for a Savior. For believers, the law serves as a guide to holy living, reflecting God’s standards and leading us toward Christlike character. The law is not opposed to grace but complements it, instructing us in a life that is pleasing to God. True Christian freedom is not a release from the moral law but rather the ability to obey it out of love and gratitude rather than fear of condemnation.

The law functions in three main ways: it restrains evil in society, provides moral direction for believers, and points all people to their need for Christ. While Christians are not condemned by the law, it instructs us, guiding us in living out God’s commands as an expression of gratitude and faithfulness. The moral law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, is a timeless reflection of God’s character and serves as a mirror to show believers areas for growth, encouraging continual reliance on the Spirit for sanctification. In this way, obedience to the law nurtures a life of faith, love, and holiness, deeply rooted in the assurance of God’s grace through Christ.

Vocation

We believe that God calls every believer to a life of faithful service in all areas, whether in the church, family, workplace, community, or public sphere. The Reformed doctrine of vocation teaches that all lawful work and roles, performed in faith, are sacred callings through which we honor God, serve our neighbors, and fulfill our responsibilities in the world. Through our vocations, God reaches the world with the gospel and transforms culture, as believers live out their faith, demonstrate Christ’s love, and uphold godly values in every sphere.

As God’s representatives, we are called to engage in every area of life—including society, culture, and politics—reflecting His image and advancing His kingdom purposes. Our work is an instrument of cultural transformation, influencing society to promote justice, mercy, and truth. Engaging in civic duties and political processes with integrity and wisdom, we seek to shape culture in a way that aligns with biblical principles, working toward the flourishing of individuals and communities. By viewing each task—great or small—as service to God, we contribute to His redemptive work in the world, bearing witness to His love and truth in all aspects of life and furthering His influence across every dimension of society.

Evangelism & Discipleship

We believe that evangelism and discipleship are essential to the mission of the church, beginning in the home, where parents are called to instruct their children in the faith through family worship, prayer, and teaching God’s Word. This covenantal setting nurtures children in the knowledge and love of God, making the home a foundational place for evangelism and discipleship. Beyond the home, the church provides a covenant community where believers grow in their faith through the preaching of the Word, the sacraments, and fellowship, equipping them to live faithfully and bear witness to Christ.

Evangelism and discipleship extend through hospitality, as we open our homes to share the love of Christ with neighbors and strangers alike. Christian education in schools also supports this mission by shaping students with a biblical worldview, preparing them to live faithfully in all aspects of life. In each of these settings—home, church, hospitality, and education—believers are called to intentionally model Christ’s love, sharing the gospel and embodying its transforming power. Through these means, the kingdom of God advances, bearing witness to His grace in every area of life.

Biblical Manhood & Womanhood

We believe that God created humanity in His image, male and female, giving both men and women equal value, dignity, and worth. Men and women share in God’s purpose and bear His image, yet God has ordained distinct roles and responsibilities for each, designed to reflect His divine order and purpose. According to Scripture, men are called to lead in the family, church, and society, exercising authority with love, humility, and sacrificial service. In the family, a husband is to lead his household, providing spiritual guidance and care, while the wife, called as a helper fit for him, supports her husband’s leadership and helps fulfill his mission. The primary calling for a woman is to her family, nurturing her children and carrying out her husband’s vision in alignment with God’s Word, reflecting the partnership God intended in creation.

While a woman’s primary calling is to her home and family, we affirm that being a helper does not exclude women from working outside the home. Scripture allows for women to serve and work in various roles in society, using their gifts and abilities to serve God and others in different capacities. However, her responsibility to her family remains central, and all work, whether within or outside the home, supports her commitment to this primary calling.

In the church, men are called to lead as pastors, elders, and overseers, teaching and shepherding God’s people with care and responsibility. Women are equally valued in the congregation, serving in various capacities and ministries, bringing their gifts to the church while honoring the distinct roles outlined in Scripture. We affirm that God created only two distinct, unchanging genders: male and female. We reject contemporary ideologies, including LGBTQ+ views, that contradict God’s design for gender, marriage, and sexuality as revealed in Scripture. True human flourishing is found within God’s created order, where men and women embrace their God-given identities and roles.

Christian Education

We believe that Christian education is a significant means of discipleship and covenant faithfulness, grounded in historic Reformed convictions that call for the diligent training of children in the knowledge and fear of the Lord. Scripture entrusts parents, along with the covenant community, to pass down the truths of the faith to the next generation, helping them to grow in understanding God’s character, creation, and redemptive plan (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4). Christian education—in the home, church, and potentially Christian schools—seeks to instill a biblical worldview, preparing children to live faithfully and thoughtfully in every area of life.

While we affirm the importance of nurturing children in the faith, we recognize that educational choices rest under each family’s jurisdiction. Parents are entrusted with deciding how best to disciple their children in light of their unique circumstances, and the church’s role is to support families in this calling. As a covenant community, we are committed to equipping and encouraging parents as they guide their children in knowing and loving God. Our shared mission is to help shape the next generation to glorify God, bear witness to Christ, and engage the world in truth and love.

The Church

We believe in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church, which is both visible and invisible. The visible church is the gathered body of believers throughout the world, where the Word is rightly preached, the sacraments are administered, and discipline is maintained. The invisible church consists of all the elect, united to Christ by faith. As a covenant community, we are called to worship, serve, and witness, building one another up in love and proclaiming the gospel to all nations.

We affirm that the church is divinely instituted, with Christ as its head, and that it operates under male leadership in accordance with Scripture, with men called to serve as pastors, elders, and overseers. The church holds spiritual authority through the preaching of the Word, administration of the sacraments, and exercise of discipline. This authority is ministerial and declarative, derived solely from Christ, and intended for the edification, correction, and growth of the body. In our worship and teaching, we uphold Reformed experiential preaching, which addresses both mind and heart, aiming to convict, encourage, and comfort believers by applying Scripture’s truth to daily life in the power of the Holy Spirit. The church’s purpose is to glorify God through worship, build up believers in faith and holiness, and bear witness to the gospel in the world. Holding fast to doctrinal purity and moral integrity, the church centers its unity on faithfulness to God’s truth, nurturing and equipping believers for every good work as they participate in Christ’s mission through service, proclamation, and disciple-making.

Baptism & Lord's Supper

We believe that Jesus Christ has instituted two sacraments—Baptism and the Lord’s Supper—as visible signs and seals of the covenant of grace. These sacraments are holy ordinances commanded by Christ, symbolizing His redemptive work and our union with Him. They do not convey grace in and of themselves, but, when received by faith, they serve as means of grace, strengthening the believer’s faith and nourishing spiritual growth. Both sacraments point us to Christ’s finished work on the cross and call us to live in obedience to Him.

Baptism signifies entrance into the covenant community, symbolizing the washing away of sin, regeneration by the Holy Spirit, and union with Christ in His death and resurrection. While we recognize differing practices in the timing and subjects of baptism, we affirm that it is a sign and seal of God’s covenant promises and a means of identifying with the body of Christ.

The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice, a means of grace through which believers are spiritually nourished and renewed in their union with Him. We affirm that participation in the Lord’s Supper requires a personal profession of faith and the capacity for self-examination, as commanded in Scripture. Therefore, we do not practice paedocommunion, holding that the Lord’s Supper is reserved for those who can discern the body of Christ and partake with understanding.

In both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, God graciously confirms His promises to His people, and we respond with gratitude, obedience, and a renewed commitment to live according to His Word.

Covenant Theology

We believe that God has revealed Himself and His redemptive purposes through a series of covenants, culminating in the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. Covenant theology upholds that God established these covenants to reveal His sovereign grace and unite His people to Himself, forming a covenant of grace that unfolds through both the Old and New Testaments. This covenant finds its fulfillment in Christ, who is the Mediator of the New Covenant. United to Christ, believers inherit God’s promises and are called to live faithfully as members of His covenant community.

We do not hold to New Covenant Theology, Progressive Covenant Theology, and Federal Vision, as each departs from the historic Reformed understanding of covenantal continuity, the role of God’s law, and the doctrine of salvation. New Covenant Theology denies the ongoing role of the moral law for guiding Christian life, while Progressive Covenant Theology emphasizes discontinuity between the covenants, diminishing the richness of God’s covenant promises for the church today. Federal Vision theology, in particular, blurs the Reformed distinction between faith and works in justification, conflating outward covenant membership with saving faith and potentially undermining assurance and the doctrine of perseverance.

Reformed theology maintains that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, with the moral law remaining a guide for believers. By adhering to the continuity of God’s law and the covenant of grace, Reformed Covenant Theology upholds the biblical distinction between justification and sanctification, providing a solid foundation for assurance and godly living.

Last Things

While we recognize a diversity of views within the church regarding specific events and timing related to Christ’s return, we hold firmly to the clear, non-negotiable truths of His physical return, final judgment, and the eternal destinies of believers and the unrepentant. We believe that Jesus Christ will return bodily to judge the living and the dead. At the resurrection, those who are in Christ will enter eternal life with God, experiencing the fullness of His glory, while the unrepentant will face eternal separation from His presence. The return of Christ will bring the final consummation of His kingdom, where righteousness will dwell, and God will be all in all.

COre Values

Heritage Covenant Church is a Reformed church plant in Northern Spokane County, firmly grounded in the authority of God’s Word, the sacraments, and prayer. At Heritage, we seek to glorify God by nurturing a covenant community shaped by our core values: authentic worship, intentional discipleship, and heartfelt evangelism. Rooted in Scripture and the historic Reformed faith, these values guide us as we work to transform lives, strengthen families, and share the hope of Christ in every sphere of life, building a lasting heritage of faith for generations to come.

Biblical Authority

We believe the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God and our ultimate authority for faith and life. Scripture governs every aspect of our worship, teaching, and ministry, ensuring that we remain faithful to God’s truth in all we do. This commitment honors the church’s historic reliance on Scripture as the foundation for life and worship, providing a stable, unchanging foundation for future generations to stand firm in their faith. By grounding each generation in the unchanging truth of Scripture, biblical authority creates a lasting legacy of faithfulness to God’s Word that can be passed down to generations to come.

generational discipleship

We prioritize equipping the next generation to know and love the Lord, ensuring the faith is intentionally passed down as a lasting heritage. Rooted in historic Reformed convictions, we emphasize Christian education—whether in the home, church, or Christian schools—as a vital means of teaching children the knowledge and fear of the Lord, preparing them to live faithfully in every area of life. By supporting parents in their God-given role and fostering a biblical worldview, we build a legacy of covenant faithfulness that honors the past and equips future generations to glorify God, bear witness to Christ, and engage the world with truth and love. Our intergenerational approach fosters unity and mutual growth in Christ. We subscribe to the Declaration of the Roles of Church & Family.

Vocation as mission

We believe that vocation is God’s unique calling on every believer to serve Him and others in specific roles and responsibilities, whether in the home, workplace, church, or community. Rooted in the Reformation teaching that all work done for God’s glory is sacred and meaningful, vocation transforms daily labor into an act of worship and a platform for discipleship and evangelism. By faithfully living out their vocations, believers glorify God, influence their communities with gospel-centered principles, and train future generations to view their work as mission, building a lasting heritage of faith that impacts the world for Christ.

Intergenerational worship

We are committed to worship that unites all generations as a covenant community. Centered on the Lord’s Day, we see corporate worship as the primary means of evangelism and discipleship through the Means of Grace—Word, Sacraments, and Prayer. We also prioritize discipleship through Sunday School for adults and children, helping all ages grow in their faith. Guided by Scripture and shaped by the church’s rich heritage, we aim to glorify God and teach future generations to worship in spirit and truth, fostering unity across all ages.

Missional hospitality

We see hospitality as central to evangelism and discipleship, reflecting the example of the early church, where welcoming others into homes and lives was a vital part of ministry and mission. By opening our lives to others, we demonstrate Christ’s love and share the gospel in meaningful and personal ways, fostering discipleship and evangelism through genuine relationships. Hospitality strengthens the bonds of the church community and invites others into the family of faith, creating a culture of love and outreach. By living missionally through hospitality, we inspire future generations to build authentic relationships, share Christ’s love, and make disciples in their communities, establishing a heritage of faith rooted in the past and impacting the future.

Serving as Christ’s Hands and Feet

We believe in engaging our local community with the love and truth of the gospel through intentional relationships and acts of service, being Christ’s hands and feet to share His message of hope and salvation. Rooted in the mission of the early church, which transformed its culture through the power of the gospel, community engagement establishes a visible gospel presence that encourages believers to actively live out their faith. By building authentic relationships, we inspire others to join in advancing God’s kingdom, paving the way for future generations to continue Christ’s mission locally and globally. This commitment creates a heritage of faith that impacts the world for Christ across time.