With nearly 20 years of ministry experience, Greg brings creativity, youthful energy, humor, and sincerity to Encounter Church. As a pastor, Greg is hungry for space that is all about creative communication and impacting the creative learner.
Greg is a husband, a dad, a hockey player. He loves the Philadelphia eagles and a really good plate of sushi. But most importantly, Greg is passionate about helping people encounter God in creative and engaging ways.
Scripture
The Bible is the Word of God, written by human authors, inspired under supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, without error, and the final authority for faith and life. We affirm its truthfulness, power, and purpose of salvation to be unchangeable.
God
God is one-eternal God, Creator and Lord of the world, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who has created all things out of nothing and continues to sustain, provide, and rule all things to accomplish His purposes.
Jesus
We believe there is only one Savior, Jesus Christ the Son of God who is coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit, who added full humanity to His perfect deity, was born of a virgin, obeyed God perfectly, died for the sins of humanity, rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death, and ascended to the Father.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is coequal with the Father and the Son of God, and came from the Father and Son to complete and perfect in us all the works Jesus began. He is active in making people aware of their need for Jesus, providing the Christian with power for living, convicting of sin, forming Christ-like character, and gifting us for ministry.
People
People are created in the spiritual image of God. Though every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are now marred by a sin nature, alienated from God, and without an ability to reconcile themselves to God apart from the work of Christ.
Salvation
We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Salvation from the consequences of our sin is the gift God provided by His grace and received by those who have faith in Jesus alone and His finished work on the Cross. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
The Universal Church
The Church, universally and locally, is a new people of God in which Christ has ultimate authority, is called together as Christ’s followers to share the truth and love of Jesus with the world.
The Return of Jesus
Jesus Christ will return physically to establish His Kingdom on Earth.
Eternity
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through the forgiveness of sin.
Spiritual Gifts
The Holy Spirit is active in producing spiritual gifts in the life of the believer. Spiritual gifts are given to the believer according to the will of God for the purpose of edifying His Church and advancing the work of God. We do not believe Spiritual Gifts to be essential to the mission of God, but we allow for liberty in exercising Spiritual Gifts in a controlled manner, according to the guidelines of Scripture.
Ordinances
Baptism is a symbolic act whereby the believer publicly declares having received new life in Christ. Communion is an obedient act whereby the believer symbolically proclaims the Lord’s death.