Statements of Faith
This is a summary of our Camp Kadesh Statement of Faith. For the full version click here. It is the expectation that anyone applying for a position at Camp Kadesh will have read these statements.
1. The Triune God: We believe in one God, who has always been, even before the beginning of time. We believe that God is three Persons (Trinity): the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit, who exist in perfect unity and love, and although they are three different Persons, make one God. We believe that all were present, even before the beginning of time, and were involved in the creation of all things. We believe that God is immortal and eternal, and knows all things, before they even happen.
2. Our Understanding of God: Our knowledge and understanding of God comes from two sources. Firstly, our knowledge of God comes through the Son (Jesus), who as part of His mission came into the world to reveal to humanity who He is. Secondly, we believe that God gave us His word, the Bible. We believe that the Bible is not simply words on a page, but words given by God, through His Holy Spirit, to specific people, to record, so that the knowledge and understanding of God would be passed down through generations. We believe that the whole Bible, both Old Testament and New Testament, are divinely inspired. We believe that in partnership with the Holy Spirit, the Bible will never become irrelevant and always be applicable.
3. Creation of Humanity: We believe that God created all humanity, in His own image, and that as He finished, He saw all creation, including us humans, as very good. We believe that God’s purpose for all humans is to care for His creation, share His love, and be in relationship with Him.
4. Gender and Sexuality: We believe that God created both men and women, and that they are created equal in the image of God, and that all people have equal access to God through faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that Adam and Eve (Men and Women) were created to complement each other, and that marriage is to only be between a man and woman. We believe that sex is not simply a physical act, but a spiritual act, that binds two people, male and female, into one perfect unity, and that that unity is to exemplify the unity between God and His people (the church)
5. The Fall of Humanity and Redemption through Jesus: We believe that Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan, and through their free choice (given to us by God, so that we may know and experience true love), they disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit. God gave us free choice out of His love for us, yet humanity, in our sin, and because of the actions of Adam and eve, are no longer holy. As a result, we naturally are distant from God. In His infinite knowledge, God knew that giving us free choice would drive us away from Him, yet He had a plan. We can follow His redemption plan throughout all of scripture. This plan includes (but is not limited to) calling a nation, named Israel, to exemplify His power and love to all the world. Israel would ultimately fail, yet again God had a plan. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world as an infant, born to a virgin. Jesus lived a perfect life, as Immanuel (God with us), and showed all humanity what God was trying to show us for many years. Jesus then chose to be placed on a cross, in His perfection, and was killed. When Jesus died, He died with the sin of all humanity. Through His sacrifice, He carried the debt of our sin (being eternal death) and offered us all eternal life.
6. The Holy Spirit: We believe that as someone receives Jesus into their life (meaning chooses to have a relationship with Him), they also receive the power of the Holy Spirit, which makes them capable, through the Holy Spirit, to do the miraculous. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in the redemption of humanity. The Holy Spirit equips believers to share the love of God, convicts the hearts of sinners, and invites people into relationship with God.
7. The Kingdom of God vs Satan: We believe that there is a battle for each person, a battle between good and evil, between God and Satan. Although this is God’s creation, Satan is constantly trying to take it for himself. As we are saved (have a relationship with Jesus) we are called to fight, not a physical war, but a spiritual one. We believe that it is a Christ-followers duty to live in a way that exemplifies the love and grace of Jesus and share that love with a dark world. This is hard, and it can be tempting to withdraw in seclusion, or simply live like the rest of the world, yet we must be a light in the darkness. We believe that God has the ultimate plan, where He will one day, in His timing, destroy Satan, and the pain and hurt Satan brings, and that God’s Kingdom will reign forever. In God’s redemption plan, he promises to restore all things to the way they were before the fall of humanity.
8. Heaven & Hell: We believe that when a follower of Jesus dies in this life, they will immediately be in the presence of God, and spend eternity in heaven. We believe that when someone who chooses not to be in relationship with Jesus dies, that they will not be in the presence of God, and this place is called Hell.
9. The Church: We believe that The Church is the group of Jesus’ followers. It is the job of the Church to act Christ-like, embracing the teachings found in the Bible, and be an example to the broken world of what The Kingdom of God is. It is also the Church’s job to, in community, be a place of refuge for the broken hearted, and a hospital for the spiritually sick, where anyone, regardless of gender or race, would be welcomed.
10. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper: We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Communion) were established and taught by Jesus. Baptism is done when someone makes the decision to follow Jesus, as a sign that they have joined the Church, and are committed to living as such. The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of what Jesus did for us on the cross.