Burbank First Christian Church

Our Guiding Principles

Following are the principles we use as we explore, experience and express our faith. You will find our church community a safe place for you to journey.



1. Compassion First. Compassion is the one activity that describes God, God is love. Compassion is the primary expression of all authentic Christianity. So, first and foremost, we try to be a community of compassion. All people are invited to participate in our community and we will treat you the way we ourselves would want to be treated.

2. We are Non-Creedal. Okay, what in the world does this mean? It simply means, we do not adhere to any particular creed or demand the adherence to any statement of faith. Most creeds were developed to identify heretics. Most creeds contain little or no statements about what Jesus of Nazareth actually did during his life. Creeds and statements of faith are lacking for this reason. So, we allow people the freedom to grow their own faith and be true to their own conscience.

3. Taking the Bible Seriously, Not Literally. We study the Bible as a document of ancient people's testimony about God. The Hebrew Scriptures are Israel's testimony and the New Testament is the early church's testimony about experiencing God through the person of Jesus of Nazareth. We do not read the Bible in a simple literalistic way, but rather take into consideration the cultural context and meaning of the text to its first readers. We take the Bible "seriously but not literally." The Bible is primarily a book of faith.

4. Jesus Showed Us God. Jesus is the center of our faith, more so than the Bible. We believe that Jesus' life (how he lived, what he did) revealed what God wants from all humanity. His message, life, and the way he faced death, still are relevant to us today and help us access God's will for our lives.

5. Salvation is About a Journey Not a Destination. Salvation is a common term used in many religious circles. Of course, it is not primarily a "spiritual" term. Salvation comes in many forms, depending on what you need to be "saved" from. If you are hungry, salvation comes in the form of food. If a relationship is falling apart, salvation comes in the form of reconciliation. So, we understand salvation to be multi-dimensional. It's not about getting fire insurance to avoid hell. Salvation is the experience of moving closer to health and wholeness. Salvation is also progressive, it is not a one time shot. The Christian scriptures use salvation in all three tenses: We are saved. We are being saved. We will be saved. Thus, salvation is a journey, in which the Christian experiences salvation in the past, present, and future.