What We Believe about God: We believe in one God, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe God has fully expressed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully man. Christ, having accomplished a perfect, substitutional, sacrificial, and atoning work, now acts as intercessor and mediator before God on behalf of believers.

What We Believe about the Bible: We believe the Bible is the authoritative, inspired, and infallible Word of God. It is the only God-ordained standard of faith and life for all mankind, and is, in and of itself, the basis for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in godly living.

What We Believe about Mankind: We believe mankind is spiritually dead and in need of the saving grace of God in redemption and salvation through regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Man’s sinful nature has so separated him from God and has so distorted his being that it is only by and through the Lord Jesus Christ that reconciliation is accomplished.

What We Believe about the Church: We believe Christ has committed His power, which is wholly spiritual, to His Church. The Church is the agency ordained for the edification and government of His people, for the propagation of the faith, and for the evangelization of the world. The sole functions of the Church—as a kingdom and government distinct from the civil government—are to proclaim, administer and enforce the law of Christ revealed in the scriptures. Scripture instructs the Church to do good works, among which are:

• to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8);
• to share with others (Hebrews 13:16);
• to seek food for others so that they may be saved (1 Corinthians 10:24, 33);
• to practice justice, mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23); and
• to believe in Jesus, whom God has sent into the world (John 6:29).

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Hope for the Inner City is committed to the following fundamental principles of ministry:

• Christian approach to ministry supported by the teaching and acts of Christ
• Holistic ministry that addresses the physical, social, and spiritual needs of everyone we serve
• Asset-based ministry that uses people’s strengths, individually and collectively, to determine the design, implementation, and evaluation of our programming
• Relational ministry that links people of varying race, gender, and age together to foster a community of respect, sacrifice, and accountability
• Incarnational ministry that seeks to be a presence in the community we serve
• Developmental ministry that moves people from crisis to self-sufficiency
• Collaborative ministry that uses the strengths of our ministries and our partners to work together