ABOUT
EMERGE BERKELEY
GET TO KNOW US
Emerge Church was launched in January 2023 with a vision to be a place where faith comes alive in the heart of Berkeley. We’re rooted in the city’s diverse culture while carrying a message of hope.
We’re a nondenominational, Bible-believing church committed to serving the East Bay—whether you’re here for a few months, a few years, or a lifetime. Our gatherings are a place to encounter God, grow in community, and discover your purpose.
We chose the name Emerge Berkeley because we believe every person has a story in progress. In this city known for change and ideas, we see God inviting people to emerge into the life He designed for them—whole, free, and sent into the world with His love.
Our Mission
We follow Jesus and make disciples.
Our Vision
Serving God’s purpose in our generation.
MISSIONAL JOURNEY
We believe that the path to fulfilling God's purpose is clear and practical, unfolding in four key steps: Believe, Belong, Grow, and Go. This is how we (as a church) live out our mission, both as individuals and as a community.
BELIEVE:
Start with Jesus
Everything begins with believing in Jesus. Through worship, prayer, and God’s Word, we help people encounter Christ and begin a personal relationship with Him. This is where faith and transformation begin.
BELONG:
Finding your people
Once you believe in Jesus, you are invited to belong to something greater than yourself—the church family. Belonging means finding a place in the community, a place where you are known, loved, and supported. We walk together in community, growing in faith and life.
GROW:
Becoming like Jesus
Following Jesus is a journey of growth. Through teaching, discipleship, and spiritual practices, we help you become rooted in your faith and shaped by God’s truth. This is where you deepen your understanding and transformation as a disciple.
Go:
Live on Mission
God sends us to make a difference in the world. Whether in our neighborhoods, schools, or across the globe, together we’re equipped to live out our faith and share the love of Jesus with others.
CORE VALUES
These values define how we live, lead, and love as followers of Jesus. They’re more than ideas—they shape our culture and guide everything we do.
Christ-Centered
Jesus is the focus of our faith, teaching, and mission.
Culturally Intelligent
We seek to understand and engage the world around us with wisdom and grace.
Mission-Focused
We are sent people who serve, share, and shape the world around us.
Spirit-Empowered
We live in dependence on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
Community-Driven
We grow best in authentic, loving relationships.
Growing as Disciples
We pursue ongoing transformation through Scripture, spiritual practices, and obedience to Christ.
The Bible is Inspired by God & Without Error
All Scripture is self-attesting and, being truth, requires the human mind wholeheartedly to subject itself in all its activities to the authority of Scripture complete as the Word of God, standing written in the sixty-six books of the Holy Bible, all therein being verbally inspired by Almighty God and therefore without error.
There is One True God
We believe that there is but one only, the living and true God and that there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and that these three are one and the same in substance, equal in power and glory.
Jesus Christ is Fully God & Fully Human
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has always existed. He, too, is without beginning or end (Revelation 1:8). In order to complete His earthly sacrificial mission, He became human by being born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31, 35). He lived a perfect life, absolutely without sin (Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22). While on earth, He worked many miracles through the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:22, 10:38).
In order to restore fallen mankind, He died on the cross as a substitute for the sins of every person (1 Corinthians 15:3, 2 Corinthians 5:21). He was raised from the dead by the supernatural power of God (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:38, 1 Corinthians 6:14, 15:4). Since His resurrection, He has been exalted and is seated at the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11, 2:33; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:3).
The Fall of Humankind in Sin
"Just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so sin spread through all men" (Romans 5:12). One of the immediate effects of the Fall was that mankind was separated from God. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had perfect communion and fellowship with God. When they rebelled against Him, that fellowship was broken. Because of the Fall, death became a reality, and all creation was subject to it. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
The Salvation of Humankind in Christ
God made a way through His Son, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" You receive this gift of salvation by faith alone. Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is God's gift-not from works so that no one can boast."
Jesus Christ died in our place when He was crucified on the cross. We deserved to be the ones placed on that cross to die because we are the ones who live sinful lives. But Christ took the punishment on Himself in our place—He substituted Himself for us and took what we rightly deserved. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The Role of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the seal of man's salvation (John 14:26-27; Eph. 1:13). He teaches us (John 16:13) and brings revelation to us (John 14:26; Rom. 8:26-27). He also works out sanctification in our lives by God's Word, helping us become more like Jesus (Eph. 5:26; 1 Pet. 1:2), and gives spiritual gifts to us so that we might represent God's kingdom to the fullest within our communities (Acts 2:1-21; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; Acts 4:27-31; Heb. 2:2-4; Eph. 4:7-16; 1 Pet. 4:10-11).
The Blessed Hope of Christ's Return
Titus 2:12–13 teaches us "to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." We will be blessed beyond measure when we see Christ. The trials of this life will be over, and we will see that "our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). The bodies of those who have died will be raised to be joined with their souls, and then the bodies of those believers still living on earth will be changed into a body like the Lord's resurrection body.
Sanctity of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Psalm. 139).
Statement on Sexuality
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God (Genesis 1:26-27).
Statement on Marriage
We believe God designed marriage as a unique conjugal relationship joining one man and one woman in a single, exclusive, life-long union, and God intends sexual intimacy only to occur within that relationship (Genesis 2:24).