Who is Creekside

Our Past

History

We have deep roots in Napa Valley. Well before our charter with the Evangelical Free Church of America was signed on February 4, 1968, under the name Napa Valley Evangelical Free Church, Creekside was a small home bible study that grew. Over the years, we have continued to grow and have become a multi-generational church family nestled in Napa Valley. Our name is now Creekside Community Church because, well, we have a creek in our backyard, but our commitment to the study of God’s word and the community that was shared in that living room so long ago is still alive and well.

Affiliation

As mentioned, we are members of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA), which includes an association of 1,300 autonomous congregations. “Evangelical” refers to our commitment to the proclamation of the gospel and the authority of Scriptures as inerrant. “Free” refers to our form of church government as being congregational and not subject to denominational control. All of the congregations share the same ten-point statement of faith but are free to manage the day-to-day operation of their churches autonomously.
We are unified as churches around theological essentials in the statement of faith. However, the expression and practice of each church varies. Creekside follows more towards a Reformed tradition but doesn’t discourage people with other leanings, provided that they fall within the core theological positions that we hold fast to. As with any EFCA church, we don’t want to create division around secondary positions of theology and practice. Instead, we want to use those viewpoints to strengthen the community of believers within the congregation. To put the Gospel of Jesus Christ ahead of all that we do as a church.
Click here for more information about the EFCA.

Purpose

Our purpose is to welcome others into the joy of eternal life and the glory of God—forever. We do this by empowering Christians to bring the message of King Jesus' redeeming love, by the forgiveness of sin in His name, to a world that desperately needs Him.

How do we do it?

Get Rooted. Grow. Go.

We seek to become a church rooted in our community, grow into mature Christlike disciples connected to Jesus' love, produce the fruit of Christlike goodness, and go into the world to share the love and goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Get Rooted. Grow. Go

Real. Love.

Real love can be tough to do. Sure, love is a feeling, an attitude, and an action. It is also founded on truth and reality. The Bible teaches that love is not simply a concept but a person: God. It also teaches that we as the church ought to love because Jesus first loved us (1 John 4:19 ESV). Jesus' love was sacrificial, selfless, and focused on doing good to others. Here at Creekside, we seek to love. We want to love Jesus, love like Jesus, and love others like Jesus. Love is the glue that keeps us all together.

Real. Life.

Let's be honest: life happens. It is tough; life is busy. That's why we keep things simple. As a family of God, We seek to be a church that builds the family of God around Biblical and historic Christian teaching, rhythms of gathering, praying together, eating together, and sharing with one another.

Real. Faith.

"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17 ESV). God speaks life through the Bible. That's why we center all we do on Holy Scripture. The simplicity of following Jesus means that we seek to bring God's word powerfully into every facet of life, so we all may hear God and genuine faith can happen.

God

We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

The Bible

We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.

The Human Condition

We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel's promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.

The Work of Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.

The Church

We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.

Christian Living

We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.

Christ’s Return

We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.

Response and Eternal Destiny

We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.