Get TO Know US:
Samuel is our head Pastor. He finds great joy in seeing lives transformed through the love of Jesus Christ and is passionate about building community, unity, and fellowship. Married to his greatest supporter, Stacy, he is blessed with two adult children who were raised with a compassion and love for others. Samuel is deeply committed to serving others and seeing the hurting healed and the lost come to know Jesus. In this season of his life, his passion is to raise up and mentor young leaders, equipping them to carry the torch of faith and make a lasting, positive impact for generations to come.
Jenna serves as our Head Youth Leader with a deep passion for seeing the next generation encounter Jesus Christ and be transformed by His presence. Her desire is to raise up a generation of giant slayers—young believers who are so completely set on fire for Jesus that everywhere they go, others encounter the love, power, and presence of Christ through them. In doing so setting the world on fire for Jesus.
Together with her daughter by her side, Jenna desires to see a genuine move of God among this generation—a move that cannot be contained, silenced, or quenched.
The Bridge of Hope Knoxville Worship Team exists with one desire above all else: to usher in the presence of God in every service. We believe there is no sweeter place to be than in the presence of our Lord, where hearts are changed, burdens are lifted, and lives are transformed.
Our heart is not simply to lead songs, but to create an atmosphere where people can encounter the living God. We desire to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, surrendering our plans and preferences so that He can move freely and do what He does best. Heal the broken and set the captive free. Our cry as a worship team is: Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.
What We Believe
Our Foundation
We believe that the Christian faith is grounded in the truth of God's Word and centered completely on Jesus Christ. We affirm the historic Christian faith expressed in the Nicene Creed and seek to live out that faith through the teaching of Holy Scripture, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the life of the Church.
1. Holy Scripture
We believe the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, given by the Holy Spirit and faithfully preserved as the foundation of our faith. We believe Scripture is trustworthy, without error in its original writings, and the highest and final authority for what we believe and how we live.
Everything we teach, practice, and believe is to be examined in light of God's Word.
2. The One True God
We believe there is one God, the eternal Creator of heaven and earth and everything that exists, whether seen or unseen.
We believe this one God eternally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, yet one God, sharing the same divine nature and deserving equal glory, honor, and worship.
3. Jesus Christ, the Son of God
We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, not a created being, but truly God and eternally one with the Father.
We believe Jesus Christ is also truly human. He entered the world through the virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit and became man while remaining fully God. In Jesus Christ, divinity and humanity are united in one Person without either nature being diminished or confused.
We believe Jesus willingly gave Himself for our salvation. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, truly suffered and died, and was buried.
We believe that Jesus physically rose from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures declare. He conquered sin and death, appeared to His followers, and ascended bodily into heaven, where He reigns at the right hand of the Father.
We believe Jesus Christ will return openly and gloriously, and He will judge both the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.
4. Salvation
We believe that salvation is God's gift of grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.
Salvation is not something we can earn through our own goodness or works. Through faith in Christ, our sins are forgiven, we are reconciled to God, and the Holy Spirit brings new life within us.
As we walk with Christ, the Holy Spirit continues His transforming work in us, shaping our character and teaching us to become more like Jesus. This transformation takes place within the fellowship of God's people as we grow in faith, obedience, love, and holiness.
5. The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who is fully God and is worthy of worship and glory together with the Father and the Son.
We believe the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets and continues to work actively in the Church and in the lives of believers today.
We believe the Holy Spirit fills, empowers, equips, guides, teaches, comforts, and transforms God's people. We believe in the baptism and empowering work of the Holy Spirit and in the spiritual gifts described throughout Scripture.
We believe God continues to work through spiritual gifts, including gifts of healing and deliverance, according to His will and purpose. These gifts are to be exercised in submission to God's Word, with humility and love, and always with the purpose of bringing glory to Jesus Christ and building up His Church.
6. The Church
We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, made up of all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ.
The Church is more than a building or a weekly gathering. It is the people of God, called together to worship Jesus, glorify His name, proclaim the Gospel, encourage one another, and grow together in the likeness of Christ.
We believe the Church is empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a witness for Jesus Christ. We are called to carry the Gospel beyond the walls of the church, serving others and making disciples of people from every nation.
We recognize that the Church exists throughout the world and across generations. Though congregations may differ in tradition, culture, and practice, all who faithfully hold to the truth of the Gospel belong to the greater body of Christ.
7. The Sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion
We believe in one baptism for the remission of sins, as proclaimed in the Nicene Creed. Water baptism is an important act of obedience to Jesus Christ and a public expression of faith in Him. Through baptism, believers identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
We also believe in the sacrament of Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper, instituted by Jesus Christ Himself. In Communion, we remember and proclaim the sacrifice of Christ, receive God's grace by faith, and share in fellowship with the body of Christ.
We receive these sacred practices as gifts entrusted to the Church by Christ and seek to honor them according to the teaching of Holy Scripture.
8. Marriage and Human Sexuality
We believe that God created humanity in His image and that every person possesses inherent worth, dignity, and value.
We believe God established marriage as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman. We believe sexual intimacy is a gift from God intended for the covenant of marriage, and that believers are called to honor God through purity, faithfulness, and self-control both within and outside of marriage.
At the same time, we believe every person is worthy of dignity, compassion, love, and respect. We recognize that people experience struggles, brokenness, and circumstances of many kinds, but we believe the grace of God is offered to every person through Jesus Christ.
Our calling is to faithfully proclaim the truth of Scripture while extending the love, mercy, forgiveness, and transforming grace of Jesus.
9. The Return of Christ and the World to Come
We believe that Jesus Christ will come again in glory and that His return will bring the fulfillment of God's purposes.
We believe in the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the everlasting reign of Christ. We look forward with hope to the life of the world to come and the fulfillment of God's promises.
Our hope is not ultimately found in this present world, but in Jesus Christ, who has conquered death and promises eternal life to those who belong to Him.
Our Hope
Everything we believe leads us back to Jesus.
He is our foundation, our Savior, our Lord, and our hope. We desire to be a people who know God's Word, love Jesus, welcome the work of the Holy Spirit, faithfully proclaim the Gospel, and live as a light in our community and in the world.
To the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit, belongs all glory, honor, and praise. Amen.