Jaroslav Pelikan said that, "Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living and Tradition is the living faith of the dead." 

Creeds and creedalism have tended to scare Protestants and especially Baptists. Our tradition has taught us that we find truth in the person of Christ who is communicated to us through Scripture. While holding this to be true we also believe that the historical church has given us a gift by having difficult conversations and confessing the truths that affirm the tenets of Christian faith. 

The Nicene Creed then, is a summary of our faith. It both gives us a foundation to stand on and a direction to move. The creed does not stifle our ability to do theology and have meaningful conversations about faith, while it does remind us of where we have been and what has already been said. The creed empowers us to be creative without being heretical.

THE NICENE CREED

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, 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.
 

What We're About

UBC SEEKS TO FORM A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE INTO THE WAY OF CHRIST THAT EMBRACES BEAUTY AND LIVES MISSIONALLY.

FORM:

At UBC we strive to be a community formed into the image of Christ, becoming the people God has called us to be and doing the things God has called us to do. We recognize that this formation is a lifelong process that occurs through regular practices of Christian worship, nurturing a healthy and consistent life of prayer, living authentically within mutually submissive and loving relationships, and seeking ways to realize the dream of God in our world. Our goal is not to house a collection of super-Christians who fit within a puritanical mold of sterile morality, but to congregate and send out a community of passionate pilgrims who are on an intentional journey toward Christ. 

EMBRACE BEAUTY:

The first thing we know about God from scripture is that God is a creator and says of creation, "this is very good." At UBC we seek to be a people that recognizes the beauty of God’s creation, often in the ordinary, everyday affairs and relationships of our lives. Rather than separating the spiritual life (sacred) from everyday living (secular), we desire to value art, beauty, creativity, and diversity—all of which emanates from and points to God and God’s creation. We also seek to imitate our creator through the act of creating. We recognize and celebrate that living life to the fullest for some in our community includes artistic expression. We believe that whenever we create art to celebrate, praise, lament, or express emotion, we are participating in the nature and work of God. 

LIVE MISSIONALLY:

As people on an intentional journey toward Christ, we are to be active participants in bringing the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. We strive to be missional, to be the incarnate Christ immersed in the world, without becoming a product of it. In each situation we find ourselves in (i.e. - work, home, school, church, the grocery store, the pub, etc.), we seek to actively love those around us through word and deed, and to consistently seek out opportunities to live and be caught up in the life Christ embodied.