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At Canyon Crossing, we are part of the Christian & Missionary Alliance, a Christ-centered missionary movement devoted to sharing all of Jesus with all the world. Our beliefs are rooted in Scripture, centered on Jesus Christ, and consistent with the historic Christian faith.
We believe there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is the Creator of all things, perfect in holiness, love, power, and wisdom, and worthy of our worship and obedience.
We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, ascended to heaven, and will one day return in power and glory.
We believe the Bible is God's inspired Word, completely trustworthy and the final authority for what we believe and how we live.
We believe all people are separated from God because of sin and are unable to save themselves. Salvation is a gift of God's grace received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Through Him we receive forgiveness, new life, and the assurance of eternal life.
We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, empowering us to live for Christ, grow in holiness, understand God's Word, and serve effectively in His mission.
We believe the Holy Spirit continues to equip His Church through spiritual gifts for ministry, encouragement, service, and witness. We desire to be a Spirit-empowered people who depend on God's presence and power as we pursue Jesus and carry out His mission in the world.
More on our understanding of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts is provided below.
We believe the Church is the body of Christ, made up of all who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior. The Church exists to worship God, make disciples, care for one another, and proclaim the Gospel to the world.
We believe God calls every believer to a life of worship, prayer, obedience, and continual spiritual growth. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are being transformed to become more like Jesus.
We believe Jesus Christ is our Healer. We pray for the sick, trust God to work according to His will, and believe He remains compassionate and powerful today.
We believe Jesus Christ will personally and visibly return. This blessed hope encourages us to live faithfully, serve wholeheartedly, and look forward with confidence to His coming Kingdom.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people. Those who have trusted in Christ will enjoy eternal life with God, while those who reject Him will experience eternal separation from Him.
The Christian & Missionary Alliance summarizes its understanding of Jesus through the Fourfold Gospel:
He forgives our sins and reconciles us to God.
He transforms us through the Holy Spirit and enables us to live a holy life.
He meets us in our weakness and invites us to trust Him in every circumstance.
He will return again to establish His Kingdom and make all things new.
For more information about the official Statement of Faith of the Christian & Missionary Alliance, Statement of Faith
We believe Jesus Christ is our Savior.
This begins with a hard truth: God is the Creator, and we belong to Him. He made us for Himself, to know Him, worship Him, obey Him, and live in fellowship with Him. But humanity has rebelled against God. We have gone our own way, broken His commands, rejected His authority, and tried to live as though we belong to ourselves.
The Bible calls this sin.
Sin is more than making mistakes. Sin is rebellion against a holy God. It separates us from Him, corrupts our hearts, damages our relationships, and leaves us spiritually dead. No amount of religion, morality, good intentions, or personal effort can undo what sin has done. We cannot save ourselves.
Scripture says:
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23
“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way.”
Isaiah 53:6
That means our deepest need is not simply encouragement, improvement, or inspiration. We need forgiveness. We need mercy. We need rescue. We need a Savior.
The good news is that God did not leave us in our sin. In love, He did everything necessary to bring us back to Himself. He made the way when we could not make a way. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to rescue us.
Jesus is fully God and fully man. He lived the sinless life we failed to live. He died on the cross in our place, bearing the judgment our sin deserved. He rose again from the dead in victory over sin, death, and the grave.
Jesus did what we could never do for ourselves.
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Luke 19:10
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”
1 Peter 3:18
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
To be saved means to be rescued by Jesus from sin, judgment, and separation from God. It means being forgiven, made new, reconciled to God, and brought into His family.
Salvation is not earned by being a good person. It is not achieved by church attendance, religious activity, or trying harder. Salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”
Ephesians 2:8
God’s kindness through Christ is what draws us to repentance. He does not invite us to come because we have already cleaned ourselves up. He invites us to come because Jesus has made the way.
“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
Romans 2:4
We respond to Jesus with honest repentance and thankful faith.
To repent means we turn from sin and turn to God. We stop hiding, pretending, blaming, or defending our rebellion. We come honestly before the Lord, acknowledging that we are lost without Him and unable to save ourselves.
To believe means we trust Jesus completely. We believe He died for our sins, rose again, and is able to save us.
To receive His forgiveness means we come with thankful hearts, trusting that what Jesus has done is enough. We do not earn grace. We receive it. We do not make ourselves new. Jesus makes us new.
To confess Jesus as Lord means we surrender our lives to Him. He is not merely an addition to our life. He becomes our Savior, King, and Lord.
The Bible says:
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
A prayer can be a meaningful way to express repentance and faith, but salvation is more than repeating words. We are not saved by a formula. We are saved by Jesus.
A salvation prayer is not magic. It is the honest cry of a person who sees their sin, knows they cannot save themselves, and turns to Christ for mercy.
You might pray something like this:
Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against You. I have gone my own way and cannot save myself. Thank You for loving me, coming for me, and making the way back to God. I believe You died on the cross for my sins and rose again from the dead. I turn from my sin and trust You as my Savior. Forgive me, make me new, and lead my life from this day forward. I surrender to You as Lord. Amen.
Following Jesus does not end with a prayer. It begins a new life.
When someone trusts in Christ, they are forgiven, made new, and brought into the family of God. The next step is to begin following Jesus daily through worship, prayer, Scripture, obedience, baptism, and life with the Church.
Baptism does not earn salvation, but it is an important step of obedience. It publicly declares that you belong to Jesus and have been made new by Him.
At Canyon Crossing, we would love to walk with you as you take your next step with Jesus. No one is meant to follow Him alone.
We believe Jesus Christ is our Sanctifier.
Sanctifier is a big word, but it has a beautiful meaning. To be sanctified means to be set apart for God and made more like Jesus.
Jesus does not save us and then leave us alone. Salvation is the beginning of a new life with God. When we are saved, we are forgiven, made new, and brought into God’s family. But God has more for us than simply being forgiven. He wants to change us, fill us, empower us, and teach us to walk in the life He created us to live.
Jesus is our Savior, and He is also our Sanctifier. He not only rescues us from the penalty of sin; He breaks the power of sin and leads us into a Spirit-filled life.
Scripture says:
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23
“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”
1 Corinthians 1:30
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
Galatians 2:20
It means Jesus is still working in us.
He forgives us, but He also forms us. He exposes sin, heals what is broken, reshapes our desires, teaches us obedience, and empowers us by the Holy Spirit.
Sanctification is not just behavior improvement. It is not pretending to be better than we are. It is not trying to become holy by our own willpower. It is the life of Jesus being formed in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Christian life is not meant to be lived in human strength. We need more than discipline. We need more than good intentions. We need the presence and power of God.
Jesus said:
“Abide in Me, and I in you.”
John 15:4
“Without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
There is more after salvation.
We do not mean that salvation is incomplete. When a person trusts in Jesus, they are truly forgiven and truly made new. But the life of following Jesus continues. After we are saved, we are invited to seek the fullness of the Spirit and learn to walk in the power of God.
Jesus does not call us to follow Him and then abandon us to figure it out alone. He gives us the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to resist sin, obey God’s Word, love others, use spiritual gifts, serve faithfully, and become witnesses to the world.
Paul wrote:
“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
Galatians 5:16
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”
Ephesians 5:18
Being filled with the Spirit is the expression of the sanctified life. It is a life of surrender, dependence, obedience, and power. It is not about religious performance. It is about yielding ourselves fully to Jesus and letting the Holy Spirit do in us what we cannot do in ourselves.
We seek the sanctifying work of Jesus by surrendering ourselves fully to Him.
We come to Him honestly and say, “Lord, all of me belongs to You.”
Our thoughts belong to Him.
Our desires belong to Him.
Our habits belong to Him.
Our relationships belong to Him.
Our gifts belong to Him.
Our future belongs to Him.
We ask Him to fill us with the Holy Spirit, break the power of sin, make us holy, and empower us to live for Him.
This is both a decisive surrender and a daily walk. There are moments when we come to Jesus and fully yield our lives to Him. And then, day by day, we keep walking in that surrender.
We respond to Jesus our Sanctifier with hunger, surrender, faith, and obedience.
We do not settle for a powerless Christian life. We do not accept the idea that we are saved but stuck. We believe Jesus has more for His people. He calls us forward. He gives grace for the next step. He fills us with His Spirit and empowers us to live as His witnesses.
You might pray something like this:
Lord Jesus, thank You for saving me. I believe You have more for me than simply being forgiven and left unchanged. I surrender my whole life to You. Set me apart for Your purposes. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Break the power of sin in me. Teach me to walk in obedience. Make me more like You. Empower me to live for You and serve Your mission. Amen.
If Jesus is our Sanctifier, then every believer has a next step.
That next step may be surrender.
It may be repentance.
It may be forgiveness.
It may be obedience.
It may be baptism.
It may be seeking the fullness of the Spirit.
It may be using your gifts.
It may be serving, praying, giving, or sharing your faith.
We have not arrived, but Jesus is faithful to keep working in us.
At Canyon Crossing, we want to be a church that takes the next step. We believe Jesus is still changing lives, breaking chains, filling His people with the Holy Spirit, and empowering us to live for Him.
We believe Jesus Christ is our Healer.
This means healing is not just something Jesus occasionally does. It is part of who He is. When Jesus walked among the sick, the broken, the oppressed, and the hurting, He moved toward them with compassion, authority, and power. He healed the sick, cast out demons, restored the broken, and revealed the heart of the Father.
Jesus is not distant from human suffering. He entered into it. He carried our griefs, bore our sorrows, and made a way for healing, restoration, and hope.
Scripture says:
“He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”
Matthew 8:17
“By His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
It means we can bring our sickness, weakness, pain, grief, and need to Him.
We believe healing flows from the finished work of Jesus. At the cross, Christ dealt with sin, death, sickness, and every effect of the fall. His redemption reaches the whole person: spirit, soul, and body.
This does not mean healing is a formula we control. It does not mean every prayer for healing is answered in the same way or at the same time. But it does mean we have a biblical reason to come to Jesus with confidence. We ask because He is compassionate. We pray because He is powerful. We trust because He is good.
Healing is not about mastering a technique. It is about trusting a Person.
When Jesus healed the sick, He was not simply performing acts of kindness. He was demonstrating the Kingdom of God.
Every healing is a sign that God’s Kingdom has come near. It points us toward the day when every sickness will be gone, every tear will be wiped away, and death itself will be defeated.
Jesus taught His disciples to proclaim the Kingdom and heal the sick. The church continues that same mission today. We preach the Gospel, pray for the sick, care for the hurting, resist the work of the enemy, and point people to the hope of Christ.
Scripture says:
“Heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
Luke 10:9
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him.”
James 5:14
We seek healing by coming to Jesus with faith, humility, and trust.
We pray for the sick because Scripture tells us to pray. We anoint with oil because Scripture tells us to anoint. We lay hands on the sick because Jesus commissioned His people to minister in His name.
The oil itself has no power. The power is in the name of Jesus. Anointing with oil is a simple act of obedience and faith. It reminds us that we are depending on the Holy Spirit, not human ability.
We believe the local church should be a place where hurting people can ask for prayer with confidence. We want to be a church that prays for healing without hype, manipulation, pressure, or shame.
We believe Jesus is able to heal, and we pray with expectation.
At the same time, we reject the idea that healing can be reduced to a formula. Faith is not pretending pain is not real. Faith is not blaming the sick when healing is delayed. Faith is not demanding that God work according to our timing.
Faith is trusting Jesus.
Sometimes healing is immediate. Sometimes healing is gradual. Sometimes healing comes through prayer, medicine, counseling, rest, community, or a longer process of restoration. Sometimes, in ways we do not fully understand, healing does not come in the way or timing we hoped.
When that happens, we do not accuse people of lacking faith. We do not offer shallow answers to deep suffering. We keep loving, keep praying, keep walking together, and keep trusting Christ.
We do not let circumstances become our final authority. Jesus is still Healer, even when we are waiting.
We believe modern medicine can be a gift from God.
Using doctors, medicine, counseling, treatment, or medical wisdom does not mean someone lacks faith. We can pray for supernatural healing while also receiving the practical help God has provided.
Our trust is not ultimately in medicine, but neither do we despise it. We thank God for every good gift, and we look to Jesus as our ultimate Healer.
We pray for the surgeon’s hands. We pray over the medication. We pray for the counselor’s wisdom. We pray for supernatural intervention. We use wisdom, and we trust Christ.
We believe healing belongs to the Kingdom of God.
Because the Kingdom has already come in Jesus, we pray for healing now. Because the Kingdom has not yet come in fullness, we still live in a world marked by sickness, suffering, weakness, and death.
This is why Christians can pray boldly and still grieve deeply. We believe Jesus heals today, and we also believe the final healing of every believer is guaranteed in the resurrection.
Scripture says:
“Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.”
Philippians 3:21
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.”
Revelation 21:4
Every healing now is a sign of what is coming. One day, every sickness will be gone. Every weakness will be made whole. Every body will be raised new. The best healing is still ahead, and it is guaranteed in Christ.
We respond to Jesus our Healer by bringing our needs to Him and praying for others with compassion and faith.
If you are sick, hurting, grieving, weary, anxious, bound, or broken, Jesus invites you to come. You do not have to pretend you are fine. You do not have to carry your pain alone. You can bring your whole self to Him.
You might pray something like this:
Lord Jesus, I believe You are my Healer. I bring my sickness, weakness, pain, and need to You. I trust Your compassion, Your power, and Your wisdom. Heal what is sick, restore what is broken, strengthen what is weak, and help me trust You as I wait. Amen.
At Canyon Crossing, we believe Jesus is still our Healer. We pray for the sick, anoint with oil, care for the hurting, use wisdom, trust God’s timing, and hold firmly to the hope that Christ is making all things new.
We believe Jesus Christ is our Coming King.
The story of Jesus is not finished. The same Jesus who came in humility, died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended to the Father will come again in power and glory.
Jesus is not only our Savior, Sanctifier, and Healer. He is our King. He reigns now, and one day His Kingdom will be fully revealed. Every wrong will be made right. Every enemy will be defeated. Every tear will be wiped away. Sin, sickness, death, and evil will not have the final word. Jesus will.
Scripture says:
“This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11
“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Titus 2:13
“The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 11:15
It means history is moving somewhere.
The world is not spinning out of control. Our hope is not in politics, human progress, religious effort, or temporary comfort. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, who reigns now and will return to establish His Kingdom in fullness.
Jesus came first as the suffering Savior. He will come again as the victorious King.
When He returns, He will judge evil, restore creation, raise the dead, gather His people, and make all things new. His return is not meant to produce fear in the people of God. It is meant to produce hope, courage, endurance, and faithful living.
Believing Jesus is our Coming King is not about obsessing over charts, dates, headlines, or theories.
Jesus did not tell His Church to predict the day of His return. He told us to be ready, stay faithful, make disciples, and live with expectancy.
Scripture says:
“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”
Matthew 24:42
“Occupy till I come.”
Luke 19:13
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.”
Matthew 28:19
The return of Christ should not make us passive. It should make us faithful.
We do not withdraw from the world because Jesus is coming. We engage the world with urgency because Jesus is coming. We worship, serve, give, pray, forgive, share the Gospel, and live holy lives because the King is returning.
The promise of Christ’s return gives hope in a world filled with pain, injustice, sickness, grief, and death.
There are wounds in this life that are not fully healed yet. There are prayers that seem unanswered. There are losses we still grieve. There are wrongs that have not yet been made right.
But Jesus is coming.
His return means suffering is temporary. Evil is temporary. Death is temporary. The Kingdom of God is eternal.
Scripture says:
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.”
Revelation 21:4
Because Jesus is our Coming King, we do not have to live in despair. We can grieve with hope. We can suffer with hope. We can wait with hope. We can work with hope.
The King is coming, and He will make all things new.
We respond to Jesus our Coming King with readiness, holiness, mission, and hope.
We live ready because Jesus could return at any time.
We live holy because we belong to His Kingdom.
We live on mission because people need to hear the Gospel before He comes.
We live with hope because the future belongs to Christ.
To say Jesus is our Coming King means we do not live for this world as though it is all there is. We belong to a greater Kingdom. We serve a greater King. We are waiting for a greater day.
You might pray something like this:
Lord Jesus, I believe You are coming again. Help me live ready, faithful, and full of hope. Keep my heart from fear, distraction, and compromise. Teach me to live for Your Kingdom, share Your Gospel, and serve You until You come. Amen.
At Canyon Crossing, we believe Jesus is our Coming King. We look forward to His return, live with hope, and give ourselves to His mission until the day He comes.
At Canyon Crossing, we believe the Holy Spirit is actively at work in the Church today. The same Spirit who empowered believers in the New Testament continues to empower God’s people for worship, service, witness, and ministry.
We believe spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the Church and the advancement of God’s mission in the world. These gifts are expressions of God’s grace and are intended to strengthen, encourage, equip, and bless His people.
We believe all of the gifts described in Scripture remain available to the Church today and should be received with gratitude, exercised in love, and practiced according to biblical instruction.
Scripture tells us to “desire spiritual gifts” and to “earnestly desire to prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:1, 39). Because of this, we do not approach the gifts of the Spirit with fear, skepticism, or indifference. We seek God, welcome His work, and earnestly desire all that He wants to give His Church.
The New Testament describes spiritual gifts in several ways. These gifts are not given for personal status, spiritual pride, or public display. They are given so that Jesus is glorified, the Church is strengthened, and the mission of God moves forward.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes gifts that are often called manifestation gifts. These are specific works of the Holy Spirit given for particular moments of ministry, witness, and need.
These include words of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
We believe the Holy Spirit is free to give any of these gifts to any believer as He desires. We seek these gifts with humility and expectation, trusting the Spirit to distribute, activate, and direct them according to God’s purpose.
In Romans 12, Paul describes gifts that often shape the way believers serve, respond to needs, and contribute to the life of the Church. These are sometimes called motivational gifts or grace gifts.
These include prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy (Romans 12:6-8).
These gifts remind us that God uses different people in different ways. Some are quick to serve. Some are gifted to teach. Some are moved deeply by mercy. Some lead, encourage, give, or strengthen the faith of others. Each gift matters because every believer has a part to play in the body of Christ.
In Ephesians 4, Paul describes ministry gifts given by Christ to equip the Church for maturity and mission.
These include apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11-13).
The purpose of these gifts is not to elevate certain people above others. Their purpose is to equip the saints for the work of ministry, build up the body of Christ, and help the Church grow toward maturity in Jesus.
We believe every follower of Jesus is invited to seek the fullness of the Spirit and to earnestly desire the gifts He gives. We do not want to place limits on what God may do in or through any believer.
We believe the Holy Spirit may empower believers in many ways, including through gifts such as prophecy, tongues, healing, miracles, wisdom, discernment, teaching, leadership, mercy, service, and evangelism. We want to remain open, obedient, and available to the Spirit’s work.
At the same time, spiritual gifts are never meant to become a source of comparison, pride, confusion, or division. They are given in love, exercised in love, and tested by the truth of God’s Word. The gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit belong together.
As part of the Christian & Missionary Alliance, we seek to live with expectation without agenda.
That means we earnestly desire the work of the Holy Spirit and believe He is able to move powerfully among His people. We pray with faith. We ask God for His gifts. We expect Him to speak, lead, heal, empower, convict, comfort, and send.
At the same time, we do not try to force, manipulate, or manufacture the work of the Spirit. We submit ourselves to God’s Word, God’s timing, and God’s wisdom. We seek Jesus above experiences and welcome the Spirit’s work in the way He chooses.
Scripture teaches that spiritual gifts must be practiced in love and in a way that builds up the Church (1 Corinthians 13; 1 Corinthians 14:12). We desire spiritual gifts, but we desire them under the authority of Scripture, with humility, discernment, and care for the body of Christ.
Because of this, we seek to make room for the Holy Spirit while also maintaining biblical order. We do not quench the Spirit, and we do not despise prophetic words, but we test what is spoken and hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21).
Above all, we want to be a Spirit-empowered, Christ-centered church that pursues Jesus, lives like family, takes the next step, joins the work, and shares hope.