Lordship

We uphold the lordship of Jesus, believing that he is the divine Son of God and our only Savior (Acts 4:12; 10:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 12:3). Whatever we do as a fellowship, above all we want Jesus Christ to be honored and we want His purposes to be served (1 Corinthians 15:58; Colossians 1:10; 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:11,12). We seek to abide in him, believing his words, "I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5)

Authority

We regard the Bible as the inspired record of God's revelation of Himself and His will. We trust it as the ultimate authority in all matters of faith and practice (Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20,21). We believe that God continues to speak to this generation through the Bible, so we promote Bible reading, Bible study, Bible memorization and meditation (Psalm 1:1,2; 119:11; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:15).

Unity

We desire the unity of believers for which Jesus prayed (John 17:20-23). In order for CSF to be a true fellowship of believers from various Christian traditions, we invite all to set aside the names, the dogma, and the creeds that distinguish and divide us. We ask for strong agreement on the direct teaching of Scripture; we ask for tolerance and freedom for diversity of opinion on issues about which the Bible is silent or may reasonably lead to more than one inference. Our unity will be maintained in an atmosphere of love and patience for one another (Galatians 6:1,2; Ephesians 4:15, 32; 2 Timothy 2:23-25). "In essentials unity, in opinions liberty, and in all things love." "No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible, no name but Christian."

Discipleship

CSF does not intend to become an-other competing church body, or a re-placement for any student's local church affiliation. We are a ministry and missionary arm of the church at large, serving the campus community. We do not aim at making converts to a denomination, but at making and nurturing disciples of Jesus. The "Go and make disciples..." mandate of Matthew 28:18-20 belongs to all of us. In response to that mandate, we invite, teach, and encourage everyone toward a relation-ship with Jesus and a life increasingly conformed to his example and his will. We baptize seekers, not as a church member-ship requirement, but as a public testimony of personal faith in Christ (Matthew 10:32,33; Galatians 3:26,27), as identification with him in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:3,4), and as the universally accepted mark of discipleship. In a desire to emulate the earliest practice of the church, we baptize by immersion. We believe that the continued pursuit of full devotion and obedience to Christ is what it means to be a disciple.

Participation

Solitary Christianity is unknown in the New Testament. Everywhere it is assumed that believers will be in fellowship with other Christians, and, when their God-given gifts are applied together in harmony, they are effective as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). We value the contribution that each believer can make to the whole, so we aim to help participants identify a role of service appropriate to them, and we encourage and assist each other in the development of our personal ministry. Each person may derive a sense of belonging and an added sense of worth as they recognize how they can contribute to the mission objectives of Christ through CSF.

Servanthood

Jesus taught his followers to pray ". . . Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." We desire the will of God on earth, and we desire to give ourselves as servants to His will. Every disciple has an obligation to love her/his neighbor, which may translate into deeds of compassion or kindness (Luke 10:30-37). The Lord com-mends those who feed the hungry, clothe the naked, receive the stranger, and visit the sick or imprisoned (Matthew 25:34-36). The principle is "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). We also have a commission to be witnesses of Christ, pointing the way to God (Matthew 10:32,33; Matthew 28:18-20). God's only plan for making his message known is through believers in Christ (Ephesians 3:10,11). CSF puts a premium upon activities which reflect God's love and endeavors which proclaim the message of salvation in Christ.

Community

There are dozens of instances in the Scriptures of commands given to believers to be obeyed in reference to one another. These "one another commands" include love one another (John 13:34; 15:17), pray for one another (James 5:16), encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:18), confess your faults one to an-other (James 5:16), and forgive one an-other (Colossians 3:13). These commands are only obeyed in a context of community, fellowship, and a well developed trust and intimacy. Building that kind of community is a guiding value within CSF. It is not something we can legislate, command, or necessarily organize. It is evidence of the Holy Spirit working in us and among us (Galatians 5:19-23), but we do intentionally nurture, model, and support that kind of community.