What We Believe

No matter what you believe (or don’t believe) you are welcome to journey with us.

We say this every Sunday night at the beginning of our worship gathering.  And we mean it!

It is important for you to know that whatever you believe or don’t believe, you are welcome here and welcome to journey with us. If you are in a place of deconstruction or reimagining faith and participation in church, we hope we can provide a kind, safe community in which you can find a place of belonging and a space to process and explore your own spiritual journey. 

At the same time, we are a church – a distinctly Christian community centered in the person of Jesus. 

The community life, public teaching, and shared practices of Nova Church are shaped by the basic core beliefs that all Christians, in all times and places, have held to.  These beliefs are expressed in two statements of the historic church: the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.

  • I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

    I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic* church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.

    *catholic refers to all Christians everywhere

  • We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

    We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.


    We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

    *catholic refers to all Christians everywhere 

Nova is affiliated with a church network called ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.  If you would like to know more about how this plays out in our local church, we would be so glad to get coffee and talk more.

The Story the Bible is Telling…

The Bible is telling an overarching story. The story of God and yes, the story of us.

In the beginning God created a world that was beautiful and just. A world of wholeness, what the Bible calls, “shalom.” And we were made to live in perfect community with God and with each other. We were made to enjoy life with God, God who is three in one—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Every human person is made in the image of this personal God.

The tragic turn of the story of Scripture is when humans turned from God. This is what the Bible calls “sin.” But God’s love doesn’t quit on us. The story of Scripture is the story of God’s loving pursuit. And in the fullness of time, God took on flesh—became fully human. God came down for our rescue and healing. In Jesus Christ, God is taking all of the broken pieces of our lives and our world and putting them back together again. This is what we mean when we declare the good news that Jesus is making all things new. Through his death and resurrection, Christ overcomes the power of sin, death, and evil. Through him each of us is offered forgiveness and restored life with God. We look forward to the day when Christ returns and sets the world right at last!

Nova is a community centered in the person of Jesus Christ. We believe life with God is available and accessible through Jesus. Jesus describes this as “the kingdom of God.” Through Jesus, God is at work, here and now, bringing renewal. God invites us to participate in what God is doing in our lives, our city, and our world.

See how this shapes our mission and vision as a church.