You Need a Personal Statement of Faith (and how to make one) → A More Beautiful Life Collective

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Do you know what you believe? Like really know it? Do you feel like you could give an answer to someone if they asked you what you believe about who God is, who Jesus is, what the end times will be like, and what the role of the church should be? What we believe can and should affect every aspect of our lives. But, too many of us have never thought deeply about our beliefs. We can’t fully articulate them ourselves, much less defend them to others. This is why you need a personal statement of faith, and this post will explain how you create one. This is part of our series on why what you believe matters.

S2E15 – What You Need to Know about the Christian Creeds – A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast

In this episode, we are talking about the high-church confessional documents and why you should engage with them. No matter what denomination you belong to, these confessional texts – like Christian creeds, confessions of faith, catechisms, and liturgies – have been incredibly influential in the history of the Church. We need to wrestle with what they say and determine how it fits in with our own personal statement of faith. Today, we are going to talk about why you should read these texts, and then, turn our focus to the Christian creeds in particular. Read more on the blog: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-christian-creeds/ Get a PDF copy of the Christian Creeds here: https://a-more-beautiful-life-collective.kit.com/d080819cc1 Get the Doctrine and Theology Cheat Sheet Here: https://a-more-beautiful-life-collective.ck.page/bd897d28d0 Get a list of the names of God here: https://a-more-beautiful-life-collective.ck.page/43d2d5cf6b Get a copy of our personal statement of faith creation guide here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/product/we-believe-your-personal-statement-of-faith-workbook-pdf-download/ Get “Building Our Foundations: 10 Week Study” here: https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com/product/building-our-foundations-11-week-systematic-theology-book-bible-study/ Visit our Shop to get a copy of any of the resources mentioned in this episode: I’m your host, Cayce Fletcher, and you can learn a little bit more about me here. While you’re here, would you consider leaving a comment, rating, or review? You can find our podcast, A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube. Subscribe to the blog for access to our latest content and some freebies. I love creating and sharing resources with you. You can find all of our resources at A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop. Keep creating a life you love, and cultivating your heart for God.

Why you need to create a Personal Statement of Faith

This is Season 1 Episode 30 of A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast. Throughout the next couple of weeks, we are going to be focusing on Why What You Believe Matters. You can go back and listen to the last episode to learn why what we believe should affect our lives.

In the last episode, we talked about a method for Christian Living. To create a method for this practical theology, we have to do 3 steps:

Create a statement of faith
Develop a list of Christian Virtues
Create guiding principles for life based on that statement of faith
Apply those principles faithfully with discernment

Today, we are going to be focusing on the first step of that process: How to create a statement of faith.

This is a crucial task for all Christians. We are a people of faith. We know that what we believe is important. But, all too often we allow other people – whether that is our parents, our church, or the podcasts, books, and shows we consume – to tell us what we believe.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

We don’t want to turn aside to fables just to satisfy our itching ears. We need to be prepared to give answer for the hope that we have (1 Pet. 3:15). So, we need to do the work of understanding what we believe.

Today, we are going to talk about three things: (1) What is doctrine and theology? (2) Why can’t I just use my church’s statement of faith? Why do I need to write my own? (3) How to write your own personal statement of faith. You can get my statement of faith workbook at the AMBL shop, and you can view my personal statement of faith here (which I created following the steps that I’ve written about in this post).

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What is Doctrine?

A doctrine is a set of beliefs held by a person, church, or other institution. When we talk about doctrine, we are basically just talking about your specific beliefs about a topic like who God is, why the world exists, the problem of evil, who Jesus is, etc.

The word doctrine comes from the Latin word, doctrina, which means teaching, or learning. Interestingly, ‘doctor’ in Latin means teacher, ‘docere’ to teach. The modern meaning of the word doctrine is “instruction, specifically as it applies to a lifestyle application.” In Christian circles, doctrine normally refers to spiritual matters and concepts.

So, doctrine is a set of beliefs that the church teaches. It encapsulates most of what we hear in sermons, books, and podcasts about Christianity.

The Bible, particularly the Epistles, discusses the importance of doctrine. In fact, the word doctrine is mentioned more than 50 times, with a distinct call to ward against false doctrine. The Bible says of itself that it is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). We are to be careful about what we believe and present as truth. First Timothy 4:16 says, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

What types of things are doctrines? What should my personal statement of faith be about?

Doctrines are our foundational beliefs, and really, it seems like it could encapsulate anything. A quick Google Search on ‘core doctrines of Christian beliefs’ will show you that it is hard to narrow down a list to a few things. Numbers range from 7 to 10 to 99 key points.

Here is a list to get you thinking:

Doctrine of God: Theology proper – The study of the nature of God and His works (sometimes also called Paterology)
Doctrine of the Bible: Bibliology – A study of the doctrine laid out in the Bible and Scripture
Doctrine of Angels: Angelology – Investigations of angels and angelic appearances
Doctrine of Man: Theological Anthropology – Study of the human relationship with God, including investigations of body, soul, and spirit
Doctrine of Sin & Evil: Hamartiology – The study of the doctrines of sin and morality
Doctrine of Christ: Christology – The broad scope of studies surrounding Jesus Christ, including his life, nature, teachings, and legacy
Doctrine of Salvation: Soteriology – A study of the doctrines of salvation and redemption
Doctrine of the Holy Spirit: Pneumatology – Investigating the nature and role of the Holy Spirit
Doctrine of the Church: Ecclesiology – Studies of the church and its origins and historical and current roles
Doctrine of the End Times: Eschatology – A study of the end times and the Apocalypse

Your personal statement of faith will work through some of these key doctrines and help you figure out what you believe about each of those things.

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What is Theology? Isn’t that the same thing as doctrine?

Another term that is important to understand in order to develop your personal statement of faith is theology. Theology is the study (-logy) of God (theo-).Basically, theology encapsulates all doctrines. Theology can be more theoretical than doctrine. Doctrine is normally used for teaching, whereas theology is the thought behind doctrine. Theology may also be more expansive than doctrine. Doctrines are specific to certain topics (God, man, etc.) as opposed to the more general approach of theology.

Types of theology

In the 19th and 20th centuries, theology was divided into four different categories or branches:

Biblical Theology: The study of the bible’s teachings, both individually and as a unified whole
Historical Theology: The study of the accumulated teachings of the Church over time. This branch traces the development of doctrine over time.
Systematic Theology: Systematic Theology tries to arrange doctrines in an orderly fashion in order to make a ‘self-consistent whole’.
Practical Theology: Practical theology focuses on the living out of doctrines and study in action. Practical Theology includes sub-fields such as Applied theology, Church growth, Administration, Homiletics, Spiritual formation, Pastoral theology, Spiritual direction, Spiritual theology, Political theology, Theology of justice and peace. Basically, practical theology bridges the gap between knowledge and ministry.

Though you will draw from all types of theology to create your personal statement of faith, systematic theology is generally the one you will lean on most to determine what you believe about all of these different doctrines.

Creating Your Personal Statement of Faith

To create your statement of faith, you need to use your knowledge of theology – particularly Systematic Theology – and formulate doctrinal statements for different ideas pertaining to the faith.

To do this, you should follow a few specific steps:

Figure out the beliefs of your church or domination.
Examine those beliefs to understand them and determine whether you agree or disagree with them.
For any beliefs that you are unsure of, listen to sermons, podcasts, and read books concerning that topic. Do a deep dive and learn about perspectives from all sides.
Write out your personal beliefs.

***Note: Even though this is a personal statement of faith, you don’t want or need to go through this process alone. Involve others in your thoughts and pursuit of truth. This will have a moderating effect on your beliefs and will act as a boundary just in case you start going down a path that is not true.

STEP 1. Read through your church’s or your church denominational statement of faith.

On your church domination

This past week, I was looking through a post on someone asking for recommendations for churches in the area. They had a list of ‘must-haves’ which included everything from being non-denominational to having a ‘thumping worship band – drums and all!’ In the comments, someone wrote, “What does she mean by non-denominational? Does she mean open to other religions or what?”

We are in such an interesting, unique position in the modern era concerning churches. No longer do we go to church based on (1) location, (2) family history, (3) state law), or (4) fear of social pressure and retribution. We have a list of ‘must-haves’ for our churches – that often are based on the shallow likes and dislikes, like the pastor’s preaching style, worship music, or the type of dress.

It’s no wonder that most of us don’t even think to look at the statement of faith of our churches. That’s a low priority.

In fact, at the heart of this question, was someone who didn’t want to be constrained by any type of doctrinal system as determined by a denomination.

What are church denominations? Denominations are just a recognized autonomous branch of the Christian church. Each denomination has its own rules and regulations for things like choosing pastors, connecting with others, and a system of beliefs. Most also are a separate tax entity as well (that’s why they are determined to be autonomous.) There are close to 200 major Christian denominations in the US. (And you can read an interesting article about the ‘scandal of Protestant Christian disunity here.)

You should know which denomination you are a part of, and you should look at your church’s statement of faith. Non-denominational churches do have a set statement of faith. Often, they fall into an evangelical Southern Baptist belief system but refrain from actually being a part of the convention. Once you have determined your denomination, you can also look at some of the regulations and customs that your denomination has that are unique to it.

Most differences in denominational beliefs are not salvation issues. All denominations are Christian (and hold very similar doctrinal beliefs), but their practical theology is different because of the working out of those beliefs.

I do believe that the main qualification for the church you attend should be the beliefs that the church holds. If a church matches your beliefs, then you can work to help strengthen its existing ministries to make it look more like your ideal church (like the worship team, events offered, or small groups).

The first step towards understanding if your church matches your beliefs is to read through what your church believes.

STEP 2. Examine those beliefs to understand them and determine whether you agree or disagree with them.

Why shouldn’t I just copy my personal statement of faith from my church’s statement of faith?

Though your church’s statement of faith can be a springboard for learning what you believe, by giving you a general idea, you may not necessarily agree with all of those beliefs or you may not understand what that doctrine or statement of belief means.

You want to make sure you understand why you believe what you believe, which means you need to search out those beliefs. As always, you do the most learning when you search out those beliefs yourself. That’s why you need to determine whether or not you agree with your church’s statement of faith by working through it yourself.

As I said in the last episode, you aren’t looking to deconstruct your faith. You are looking to strengthen it. You do this by knowing what you believe. The only way that you can know what you believe is to study and consider it deeply.

As you do this, you can begin to determine your own personal statement of faith. I would print out your church’s (or your denomination’s) statement of faith – which will probably be on the website or you can ask your pastor for it. Then, you should go through the statement of faith and determine what you believe about each distinct doctrine.

STEP 3. For any beliefs that you are unsure of, listen to sermons, podcasts, and read books concerning that topic. Do a deep dive and learn about perspectives from all sides.

When you are creating your statement of faith, you will probably have 3 responses to each of the doctrines given by your church.

You could understand and agree with the statement.
You could understand and disagree with the statement.
You could be unsure of what the statement is saying.

If you are a mature believer and have been going to Church, reading your Bible, and reading books on theology and the Christian life, you may already understand what you believe about lots of different doctrines. If this is the case, you probably have formulated a certain belief system even if you have never written it down.

Hopefully, much of what your church believes should be what you believe, and so, you should agree with the statement of beliefs.

If you are still learning about different doctrinal beliefs, there may be certain beliefs that you don’t really understand. If this is the case, your first priority should be to understand the belief further through study and research.

What if our personal statement of faith disagrees with our church’s?

If you find that you disagree with certain doctrinal beliefs, I wouldn’t choose to leave the church right away or upend your life in any way. Disagreeing with a statement of faith does not mean you are right and the church is wrong (or vice versa). Instead, that doctrine should be one that we need to research further.

Whether you are learning to understand the basics of a doctrine or studying to figure out ‘the side you are on’ concerning a doctrine, the best thing to do is to ‘take a deep dive’ into the topic. Read lots of books and articles. Listen to sermons and podcasts. Do a survey of the Bible and other theological texts.

One important note: Be sure to listen to both sides of the argument. If you are only reading and listening to information from one side of an argument, you will always have a lopsided view of the argument. Don’t fall for the trap of trying to listen to the other side but choose an author who doesn’t believe in that side to try to explain.

For instance, if someone is a 5-point Calvinist, you shouldn’t ask them to explain the Arminian view of election. They will be biased in their description and you will still have a lop-sided view of the theology (even if it looks like you are trying to be fair and understand both sides.

I would really recommend studying each of the main doctrinal points listed before. But, it is always best to just start with one you are really unsure of and do a deep dive into that. You have a lifetime to refine your beliefs.

How should I handle changing convictions while writing my personal statement of faith?

As you do a deep dive, you may start to notice that your convictions change about your beliefs based on your study and research. This is okay! I would argue that this is a good thing. We want to be biblical sound, thoughtful Christians. This means we want to make sure that we understand the word and what we believe about God and Jesus.

This may have certain implications for your church membership and will necessarily impact your practical theology.

I’ll caution you again: Be sure that as you are studying, you are studying in the framework of a group that holds you accountable. 2 terms are valuable here:

Orthodoxy: A generalized or accepted belief, an authorized belief. I would argue that true orthodoxy should be a bible-based belief (and that’s the only requirement).
Heterodoxy: A belief that is not generally accepted.

There are books that argue for orthodoxy above all else, but it’s always important to be discerning. If you are Bible-based, rely on study and research, and exist in an accountability structure, you should be saved from having beliefs that are really out of left field.

STEP 4. Write out your personal statement of faith.

After you have done the work, the last step is to write out your statement of faith. This statement may be revised, altered, and added on to as your understanding of God and theology deepens over the course of your lifetime.

I’d recommend putting your statement of faith in a notebook and memorizing it to increase its ‘sticking power.’ This Bible Notebook can house all sorts of other information as you’ll learn about in future episodes.

If you would like to write out your own personal statement of faith, get a copy of our “We Believe: Your Personal Statement of Faith Workbook” at our shop!

Let’s Review: How to Create Your Personal Statement of Faith

We need to know what we believe. Doctrines are statements – sentences – that describe what we believe. Theology, or the study of God and the Bible, is what informs our doctrine.

We can document what we believe in our Personal Statement of Faith. To do this, we follow 4 steps:

Figure out the beliefs of your church or domination.
Examine those beliefs to understand them and determine whether you agree or disagree with them.
For any beliefs that you are unsure of, listen to sermons, podcasts, and read books concerning that topic. Do a deep dive and learn about perspectives from all sides.
Write out your personal beliefs.

If you would like to go through this process yourself, get a copy of “We Believe: Your Personal Statement of Faith Workbook.”

Visit A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop for bible studies, planners, and other resources.

Visit Shop

Don’t forget to leave a rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts. Until next time, keep creating a life you love and cultivating your heart for God.

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How to Create Guiding Biblical Principles of Faith for Life → A More Beautiful Life Collective

April 3, 2024 at 5:01 am

[…] what I’m calling Practical Theology, we first have to figure out what we believe. We have to create a statement of faith.Then, we have to develop a list of Christian […]