Henry’s Place Statement of Faith
Henry’s Place is a non-denominational Protestant Christian organization. We believe that it is imperative to have unity in the essentials of faith, to have liberty with regards to non-essential doctrines and interpretations, and to let love govern all matters of agreement or contention regarding the faith. Pursuant to this, we hold that the following are key essentials of the Christian faith:
• We believe that the Bible is the divinely preserved and inspired Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16.)
• We believe God is eternally and simultaneously one being in three persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. (John 17:11; 1 Corinthians 3:16)
• We believe that Jesus Christ was, in the flesh, both fully God and fully man. . . and that he died for our sins. . . and that he arose from the dead. (John 1:1-14; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8)
• We believe that every person has worth as a creation of God made in His image, but all have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfection, making union with God by human effort impossible. (Romans 3:23)
• We believe that forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life are available to all people who will accept the free gift of God’s grace through Jesus Christ. (John 3:16-17)
• We believe that those trusting Christ should repent of their sins, confess their faith, and be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38; Matthew 28:19-20)
• We believe that the church is the community of God and the body of Christ on earth and exists to reach those who are far from Christ and to disciple believers. (Matthew 28:19-20) We believe that no particular church organization or human authority has exclusive or unique access to truth or divine revelation (Gal 3:28, Rom 12:5) nor is either needed as mediator between God and man. (1 Timothy 2:5)
• We believe that Jesus Christ will one day return to earth and redeem those who belong to him. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
• We believe that gender is determined by God (Genesis 1:27) and is evidenced by physical characteristics at birth and that marriage is a union between one man and one woman (Matthew 19:4-5).
2. As those who model Christian behavior, we have certain expectations of those who participate in the camp community. All Henry’s Place full and part-time staff, volunteers, musicians/guest speakers, and camp guests must agree to abide by the following standards of Christian Conduct:
Christian Conduct Within the Camp Community
All members of the camp community must strive to pursue Christian virtues which include humility, honesty, a forgiving spirit, faith, hope and love. The freedom that we have from God is to be used to pursue good, which implies stewardship of mind, body, time, abilities, and resources. Camp community members are expected to abstain from those behaviors which the Bible condemns, including greed, jealousy, pride, lust, bitterness, uncontrolled anger, prejudice, drunkenness, stealing, profanity, dishonesty, occult practices, illegal activities, sexual sins (including homosexual behavior) and cross-dressing. In addition, legal or illegal recreational drugs may not be used on or off camp grounds during the term of your service with Henry’s Place.
Additional Expectations for Staff Member Conduct
In our freedom in Christ, we are encouraged to focus on good and to avoid those things that might cause those around us to stumble. Accordingly, the leadership of Henry’s Place has chosen to adopt additional rules for both paid and volunteer staff members in order to foster the desired atmosphere at camp. These rules require staff members to abstain from gambling, tobacco, and alcoholic beverages while on camp grounds. Modest dress is mandatory for all staff members at all times. Staff members are also expected to exercise wisdom in their entertainment choices while residing at the camp. Therefore, none of the following will be allowed without prior permission from the Camp Director: movies rated ‘R’, ‘NC-17’, or unrated; television shows or video games rated ‘MA’; or music labeled ‘Explicit’.
Finally, bearing in mind the importance of the body of Christ to the Christian walk, all staff members remaining in the local area are required to attend Sunday worship at a local church. (There are several Christian churches in the area from which to choose.)
While residing or working at Henry’s Place or while involved in Henry’s Place activities, all staff members are accountable for adhering to these standards of conduct.
