Forward church holds to the ancient creeds of the Church.
Why We Affirm These Creeds
From the earliest days of Christianity, believers have expressed their faith through short, clear summaries of what the Bible teaches. These ancient creeds—crafted by the global Church and affirmed by Christians for nearly two thousand years—help us stay rooted in the historic faith.
At Forward Church, we affirm the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed because they faithfully express the essential truths of Scripture about:
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The nature of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
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The full divinity and full humanity of Jesus Christ
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God’s work in creation, redemption, and the coming kingdom
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The unity of all believers in the worldwide Body of Christ
These creeds are not additions to Scripture—they are faithful summaries of what the Bible teaches about God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They ground us in historic Christianity, protect the core truths of the gospel, and connect us to believers around the world and throughout the ages.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
* “Catholic” here simply “universal” — the church worldwide.