Since God’s Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, we accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced with a decision is “What does the Bible say?” We practice daily Bible reading, Bible study, and Bible memorization. The Bible is the basis for all we believe and practice (Psalm 119:9, 11, 98, 99, 105; 2Timothy 3:14-17).
THE AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
Christ is the recognized Head of our church, not any person, group, or religious organization. While recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe every local church should be self-governing and independent from any denominational control. (Ephesians 4:1-16; Colossians 1:18).
THE PRIESTHOOD OF EVERY BELIEVER
Every believer has direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading/study for Jesus Christ is his Great High Priest and no other is needed. The Bible teaches that every Christian is called to “full time” Christian service, regardless of his or her occupation. We practice the truth that every believer is a minister by encouraging every member to find a place of service and ministry. (Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:18; Hebrews 10:19-22; 1Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:4-7).
TITHING
At Fairview we practice tithing for the support of Christ’s Body, the Church, as God commands. We view this as a Triple Tithe: Treasure, Time, and Talents. Speaking of our Treasure, we believe that the tithe is our foundational standard of giving, which is 10% of our gross income. Additionally we believe that we are to also give of our abundance, recognizing that this is important to the Lord since He has given us magnificent promises of blessing for our obedience in this area of our lives. (Leviticus 26:30; Luke 6:38; 2Corinthians 9:6-15; Matthew 25:14-30; Ephesians 2:10; James 2:14-26).
IMMERSION
We practice baptism by immersion under water – the way Jesus was baptized, and the way the Bible commands. (Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28:16-20; Colossians 2:12).
SPIRIT-LED LIVING
We believe the only way possible to live the Christian life is by God’s power within us. So we seek to practice a daily dependence on God’s Spirit to empower us to live righteously. (John 15:5; Ephesians 5:18; Philippians 2:13).
TELLING OTHERS ABOUT CHRIST
It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News with those whom God brings us into contact with. We practice personal evangelism and witnessing by intentionally sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with family, friends, and our fellow man, and by bringing them to church. (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 2:1-12; Romans 10:8-17; 1Peter 3:15).