

WHAT WE BELIEVE
Who We Are
To transform Aquidneck Island by making disciples, equipping leaders, and planting churches to reveal Jesus to our communities.
Our Vision
Our mission is to inspire and empower all people to follow Jesus.
Our Mission
Our Strategy
Our Core Values
Belong to the Kingdom
Saved - Baptized - Added to the church
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Connect to a Group
Connect with God and others
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Serve in a Community
Loving God by serving others
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Bring Others with You
Invest in and invite others
Biblically Grounded
Our ministry is grounded in the truth of God's Word and encourages discipleship, spiritual growth, and obedience to Christ.
Relationally Driven
We are inspired by meaningful relationships, engaging in outreach, cultivating connections, and serving others. Our efforts are directed at impacting the Island by sharing Jesus while meeting community needs.
Transformation Focused
We are intensely focused on nurturing spiritual transformation through discipleship, personal renewal, and new life in Christ.
Our Core Beliefs
We are Baptist by denomination but understand that denominations were developed by man, not God. They did not exist in Bible times, nor do they exist in heaven. Our guide is the Bible, God’s Word.
The following are the core beliefs of My Safe Harbor @MBC as based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.
The Bible
We believe the Bible to be without error. The Bible reveals God, the spiritual separation of man from God, the way of salvation, and how to have a personal relationship with God. (2 Timothy 3:15-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
God
There is one eternally existing God who has three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is the creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible, and is, therefore, worthy of all glory and praise. God is perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, justice, and mercy. He is unchangeable and, therefore, is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. (1 John 5:7, James 1:17)
Revelation
God has revealed himself to us through his son, Jesus Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God, the holy Scriptures, and through all of creation itself. He was born of the virgin Mary, and he lived a life without sin and is our example. (1 Peter 2:21-25)
Mankind
Both male and female humans were created in God's image for His glory. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created without sin and appointed as caretakers of the rest of God's creations. (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:16)
The Fall
When Adam and Eve chose not to obey God, they ceased to be what they were made to be and became distorted images of God. This caused them to fall out of fellowship with God and have fractured all of creation since then.
Salvation
Jesus Christ came to reconcile us with God. He lived a life without sin and willingly died on the cross to pay the penalty for our transgressions. God raised him from the dead and now, by grace, offers us a free gift eternal life to all who follow Christ, by faith, as their Lord and Savior. That is why salvation can be found in Christ alone.(Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7)
The Church
The Church is meant to be the visible body of Christ, sent into the world to glorify God and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Resurrection
Jesus Christ is returning one day to judge both the living and the dead and usher in the fullness of God's kingdom on earth. (1 Thessalonian 4:16-17)
Commonly Asked Questions About Baptism
When Should I Be Baptized?
As soon as you have believed!
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​"Then Philip began with the scripture and told him the Good News about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water, and the man said, "Look, here is water! Why shouldn't I be baptized right now?" Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." The man answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." So they went down into the water and Philip baptized him." Acts 8:35-38 (CSB)
Do You Baptize Kids?
At My Safe Harbor @MBC, we wait until kids are old enough to fully understand and make the decision to follow Jesus on their own before baptizing them.
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We do practice "Baby or Child Dedications." This ceremony is intended to be a covenant between the parents, their church family, and God on behalf of the child. The parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make their own personal confession of faith. The church body promises to stand with the parents and assist them as needed as they do so.
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This is a dedication because the parents are expressing their faith and giving the child to God. Baptism requires a personal faith relationship with Jesus followed by a public confession of faith.
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What Does Baptism Look Like?
We believe in baptism by immersion because Jesus was baptized that way.
"As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water ..." Matthew 3:16
Plus, every baptism in the Bible was by immersion.
"…then both Philip and the man went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water…" Acts 8:38-39
The word baptize means "to dip under water."
The Greek word baptize means "to immerse or dip under water."
It best symbolizes the burial and resurrection!
What Does It Mean To Baptized As A Believer?
Baptism is an outward reflection of an inward connection! Baptism is both an act of obedience and a public declaration of faith. The Bible teaches that you should follow Jesus' example of baptism by immersion soon after you make the decision
Who Should Be Baptized?
Every person who has believed in Christ.
"Those who believed and accepted His message were baptized." (Acts 2:41)​
"But when they believed Philip as he preached the Good News … and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." (Acts 8:12)