Our Church

We believe that the local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the purpose of worshipping God, edifying one another through the Word of God, proclaiming the Gospel, fellowshipping, praying serving, helping, caring, and loving one another. These believers will encourage the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their life together.

Our Beliefs

Christ

We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God. We believe in His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His imminent, personal return to the earth in power and great glory.

The Bible

We believe the Bible, both the Old and the New Testaments, to be the inspired, inerrant, infallible, authoritative, Holy Word of God.

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, sent to convict of sin and regenerate upon repentance. He indwells the believer, guiding into ALL truth, and giving gifts as He determines, so that the believer may minister to the world as Christ’s Ambassador.

God

We believe that there is one God who is infinitely perfect, eternally existent, revealed in three persons: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Man

We believe that man was created in the image of God with a free will, sinless and without guilt or shame and walked with God in purity and holiness. Through his own disobedience he sinned. As a result, all mankind are sinners, lost, without hope and in need of a Savior.

Judgement

We believe that all authority has been given to Jesus Christ to judge all mankind. There will be a resurrection for both the saved and the lost – they who are saved unto the resurrection of eternal life, and they who are lost unto the resurrection of eternal punishment.

Salvation

We believe that regeneration by the Holy Spirit through the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ is absolutely essential for the salvation of lost and sinful men. All who repent and believe in Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life, and become children of God. This salvation is by God’s grace and not a result of man’s works.

The Christian Life

We believe it is God’s Will that all believers follow the Lord Jesus Christ in water baptism and observe the Lord’s Supper. We also believe it is God’s will for all believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit, wholly sanctified, and separated from sin and world, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service. This experience is worked in the life of the believer by Jesus Christ following conversion. This life will result in the manifestation of the fruit of the Holy Spirit and the demonstration of the spiritual gifts.

The Church

We believe that the Church is the body of believers worldwide consisting of all those who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Head of the Body, the Church, which he has commissioned to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the Gospel to all nations.

The Local Church

We believe the local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the purpose of; worshipping God, edifying one another through the word of God, and faithfully sharing the good news of Jesus with others. We believe the local church is called to serve one another through prayer and meet one another’s needs in love. The church encourages the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in living for God and strengthening each other.

Healing

We believe that divine healing is the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to heal the sick and the afflicted in answer to the believer’s prayer. The laying on of hands and anointing with oil are privileges of the Body of Christ when praying for healing. We also believe that God uses doctors, medicine, and other material means in the healing process.

History

1966 – A Home prayer meeting and Bible study started.

1967-68 – The group formed a church called Suffield Fellowship and invited G.W. Busse to be the Pastor. They still met at his home in the area until they outgrew it and moved to Lake Center Christian School to meet.

1968 – A house and land were purchased and the house remodeled to fit the congregation and parsonage.

1969 – The congregation met for the first time in the parsonage basement on Easter Sunday. The congregation continued growing and soon outgrew the basement of the parsonage.

1973 – A new building was completed adjacent to the parsonage.

1978 – The search for a new Pastor began as Pastor Busse was now 74 and ready retire.

1979 – Jim Shuman was asked if he would serve as the new Pastor. He accepted and has been Pastor ever since.

Early 1980’s – The parsonage was still being used for classrooms, but a need was developing for additional classrooms.

1984 – Funds to build the new addition of five classrooms and a nursery were miraculously raised and the addition was built and complete in 1985 with no additional debt.

1992 – A new Sanctuary, with a gymnasium built-in, and several more classrooms was completed.

1990’s – The parsonage was lived in by the youth pastor and his wife and the basement was completely remodeled twice for the youth group. It ended up as Street Legals Underground, complete with video games a pool table, a stage area, air hockey and black lights.

1997 – The Pastor and Elders revised the original 1968 Constitution to meet more up-to-date needs of the church.

2004 – Suffield Fellowship Church became debt free by paying off the entire church mortgage.