Who We Are
We believe in God, maker of all things, provider of all things, who loves all people.
We follow Jesus, in whom salvation has come to us: he sees us for who we are, heals the wounds of our hearts, and makes us new. In his death and resurrection we see the deepest truth of life.
We live by the power of the Holy Spirit, which empowers us for self-giving love.
We give thanks for the Church, the Body of Christ, and for the gift of forgiveness, the power of the resurrection and the mystery of eternal life.
Foothills Community Church is a member of the Arizona Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Our Beliefs
Here are a few of the main things we believe at Foothills.
1. GOD
We believe there is one God, eternally existing in three distinct persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is the creator and ruler of the universe(s). Our view of God will impact the way we live. The uniquely Christian view is that God is love. (1 Peter 1:2; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 4:7-8).
2. JESUS CHRIST
We believe Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine. He lived among us, died for us, was buried, rose from the dead conquering death, and is now seated at the right hand of God. Jesus is God’s living and active Word that brings life. (Colossians 2:9; John 5:39-40; John 1:1).
3. THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit is working with all people to bring them to Christ and salvation. The Spirit gives us gifts for ministry, empowers us for service, and produces spiritual fruit in our life helping us grow in Christ-likeness. (2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:22-26; Romans 5:5)
4. HUMANITY
We believe humans are made in the image of God, intended to be perfect and beautiful in character, like God. Having been compromised and diminished through choices that separated us from God, humanity is in need of salvation from sin and its consequences that include spiritual and physical death. (Romans 3:23; Genesis 1:27; Isaiah 59:1-2).
5. SALVATION
We believe salvation is offered as a gift from God to humans. Salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. The process includes the preaching of the gospel, a response of faith/belief, repentance, and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 6:23; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 7:25; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26).
6. THE BIBLE
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, sufficient and authoritative for all matters of faith, life and godliness. (2 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 119:105, 160).
7. THE CHURCH
We believe in the universal church whereby all true believers are united through faith in Christ. The love of God draws us into the faith community where the reality of the “with God life” is genuinely demonstrated as we love one another as Christ has loved us. (1 John 3:11, 16; 1 John 4:11; Ephesians 5:1-2).
8. END TIMES & THE SECOND COMING
We believe Jesus Christ will return to the earth at which time the righteous dead will be raised and taken to heaven. The second coming of Christ is called “the blessed hope of the church” and “the grand climax of the gospel.” There will be final judgment and a literal “Lake of Fire.” (Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation 20:11-15).
Our Story
The first worship service of FCC was held on March 11, 2000, at the Ahwatukee Assembly of God Church with just six families present.
This was the culmination of months of planning by a group who wished to plant a new church in the Ahwatukee area that would utilize modern praise music and other creative forms of expression to offer a worship service that was attractive to the non-member looking for spiritual meaning. This community outlook would extend to offerings made by the church to benefit the community around it.
We became officially organized and accepted as a member of the sisterhood of churches of the Arizona Conference of Seventh-day Adventists on September 21, 2002. There were 47 charter members. Stuart Harrison became the first pastor of Foothills in October of 2001, followed by Alicia Johnston in January of 2016. Until that point, Foothills had rented various church facilities. In June of 2016, after years of prayer, our current church campus was completed. After Pastor Johnston’s departure, the church searched for new pastoral leadership for a few years until God sent Pastor Lyndon ‘Duff’ Gorle to Foothills.
We have only just begun to scratch the surface of the opportunities God has given Foothills Community Church, and look forward to all that He has in store.