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 [i.e., universal] 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.
For more than two thousand years, the Christian church has held almost exclusively accepted viewpoints on the veracity and inerrancy of Scripture and on issues related to marriage and biblical sexuality. Acknowledgement of what constitutes a “Christian worldview” based on these beliefs has gone largely without dispute until the last decade. Current societal norms, both inside and outside the church, have challenged the clarity with which NCFCA once operated and required us to resolutely affirm what Scripture has to say about these two issues.
Scriptural Inerrancy
We believe that the Bible in its entirety “is breathed out by God” (2 Tim 3:16), is inerrant in its original autographs (Proverbs 30:5; 2 Peter 1:20-21), and is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work”. (2 Timothy 3:17)
Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of NCFCA Christian Speech & Debate as an organization and to provide a biblical role model to NCFCA affiliates and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by NCFCA in any capacity and NCFCA affiliate families agree with this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality (Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess 5:22).
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Godly wisdom is the right use of knowledge. Once we know the Lord, wisdom requires us to obey Him and follow Him wholeheartedly. Everything we do begins with our desire to obey and glorify God. However, godly wisdom isn’t just spiritual; it is practical and applies to every type of skill and area of life. For example, the same word for wisdom used in Proverbs is also used to describe the wisdom God gave to craftsmen and women (see Exodus 28:3, 31:3, 35:26). We value the right use of knowledge in every context, the use of knowledge that is most glorifying to God.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As Christian communicators, we value messages of redeeming truth. God has entrusted us with the good news that not only humanity but all of creation is being redeemed through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-19; Romans 8:18-23). God’s redemptive work is happening throughout the world, and we have the privilege of discovering, meditating upon, and communicating whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy in all areas of life.
Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” We want Christians to boldly speak truth and be prepared to give an answer in every situation. In order to know how we ought to answer each person, the Bible says that our speech must always be gracious and seasoned with salt. “Salty” speech isn’t dull or flat but is flavored with a spice that captures the attention of the listener. Gracious speech comes from a heart of love and respect for both God and our fellow man. Since death and life itself are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), we want to be faithful stewards of that power by speaking words of life and truth in a gracious, respectful, and interesting way.
Colossians 3:23–24 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Our commitment to excellence is based on our desire to do our best for the Lord. We value work that is done heartily and well and includes a singular focus on the Lord rather than on man. Working for the Lord rather than man means that we value a work-life balance that honors our God-given responsibilities in all areas of life. It means we value investments and activities that reap enduring rewards rather than just short-term gains. It means we value the praise and inheritance we receive from Christ more than winning a tournament and receiving the praise of man.
Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” We are committed to engaging with one another in ways that refine, encourage, support, and challenge one another to be our best. Therefore, we value a constructive community that promotes honesty, transparency, collaboration, and evaluation. Together, we make each other better.
