STATEMENT OF FAITH

HEAL Online Christian Therapy (HEAL) believes in what is termed “The Apostles’ Creed” as embodying all the fundamental doctrines of orthodox evangelical Christianity. We believe that the Bible is God’s supernatural, holy Word to mankind and that:

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.” — 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)

For that reason, we have found the following statements of faith to be Bible-based truth upon which this ministry functions:

• We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all.

• We believe that all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, and that they are the infallible rule of faith and practice.

• We believe all people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation, redemption, and forgiveness is attainable through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” — Romans 10:9 (NLT)

• We believe in the universal Church, the living, spiritual body, of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members.

• We believe the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ’s agape love, which is greater than differences we possess, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.

• We believe worship of God should be fruitful; therefore, we look for His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have been truly worshiping Him.

• We believe that the Bible clearly delineates that spiritual gifts are for the edification of the body and that they are to be exercised in love. We believe that without love, as scripture states, all exercise of spiritual gifts is worthless.Heal Online Christian Therapy (“HEAL”) is a Christian ministry whose moral conscience and mission are founded on the fundamental religious teachings of the Bible. HEAL believes that the Bible is the revealed will of God to mankind and that it clearlydelineates God’s standards for marriage, family structure, and lifestyle behavior.

STATEMENT ON THE FAMILY

Identity

The Bible clearly articulates that all human beings are deliberately born into this world under the providential superintendence of God (Psalm 100:3, Proverbs 22:2), created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27-28) as male and female each with intrinsic andequal value, and that their gender at the time of their births reflect His purpose for their lives (Jeremiah 1:5). Consequently, we believe it is contrary to God’s design and will, and is therefore sinful, to modify one’s gender identity or to live in contradiction with one’s gender at birth.

Marriage and Parenting

The Bible sets forth a clear precedent and upholds a consistent description of God’s definition of marriage. At the outset ofmankind’s existence, God established the institution of marriage as the union of a man and a woman (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:18-23). This model for marriage is exclusively maintained and endorsed throughout the biblical record (Matthew 19:4, Ephesians 5:22-28), and has consistently and effectively served as the foundational basis of the family unit since its inception.

Furthermore, it is God’s will to build upon this foundational union by blessing a married couple with children (Genesis 3:16,Genesis 4:1). In most instances, this blessing occurs through the natural biological process, but in some cases,adoption is the means by which God blesses a husband and wife with children. The principle of adoption is extolled inscripture and is even identified as being endemic to God’s nature (Psalm 68:6, Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 4:5-7).

The Bible recognizes that the ideal of male and female parents is not always possible, and that a single parent household is occasionally necessary due to death, abandonment, or other factors. In such cases, the Bible honors the office of the single parent and acknowledges the provision of God’s grace (Genesis 16:11, 1 Kings 17:9). In each of these instances, parents are admonished to dedicate themselves to exemplifying and imparting the values of scripture to their children (Proverbs22:6, Ephesians 6:4).

Sexual Behavior

The Bible is also very specific regarding acceptable sexual behavior. Acceptable sexual behavior is exclusively reserved to occur within the confines of a monogamous marriage union of a consenting man and woman (Matthew 5:28, 1 Corinthians 7:2-3, Hebrews 13:4). Any sexual behavior outside of this relationship is fornication and therefore prohibited within the scope of

God’s will (Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5).

It is important to note that these biblical standards do not apply to the experience of any form of sexual attraction. Rather, it is the act of engaging in sexual conduct outside of the confines of these standards that is contrary to the biblical principles that provide the foundation of our religious beliefs and a Christian view of acceptable sexual behavior.

We believe God’s desire is for unmarried Christians to live free of any sexual impurity (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). God’s standard of purity extends to a Christian’s personal testimony. For this reason, they are to avoid every form or appearance of immorality (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Whether engaged in sexual behavior or not, an unmarried, cohabitating couple promotes an appearance of immorality. As a result, their Christian testimony will be compromised and tainted, which falls short of God’s standard for their lives and is therefore sin.

Moreover, we recognize the necessity that those with whom we partner in the implementation of the HEAL ministry share in the convictions identified above because “two cannot walk together unless they are in agreement” (Amos 3:3).

Consequently, HEAL requires all prospective candidates for board members, employees and volunteers representing or implementing the HEAL’ ministry with children and families agree with and adhere to the aforementioned standards as defined by the Bible. Any other attitude towards or form of identity, marriage, parenting, or sexual behavior is in fundamental conflict with our sincerely held religious beliefs; making these practices something we are unable to support or facilitate in any manner in good conscience.