Mission and Beliefs

Mission

River City Believers Academy exists to partner with parents to prepare students for real life as passionate followers of Jesus Christ.

We are a discipleship school, and, as an extension of the Christian home, we are committed to helping students discover the unique God-given gifts as they begin to follow His leading. Our Bible-based, college-preparatory curriculum equips students with critical thinking and reasoning skills, is based in a biblical worldview, and prepares them to serve and lead in today’s changing world.

Core Values

The values that drive our mission provide a lens through which we see our calling. They bring clarity to our vision and add focus to our decision making.

Grace and Truth - Jesus came to earth as the full expression of the Father and as the incarnate Word full of grace and truth (John 1:1-18). It is by grace that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8), and it is truth that sets us free (John 8:32). Grace and truth will mark our actions, thoughts, words and decisions.

Relationship, Discipleship and Partnership - A triune God is relational in nature (Genesis 1:26; Matthew 4:3-17). The great commission and the two greatest commands are relational mandates for discipleship and Christian community (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:30-31). Collaboration and partnership are biblical extensions of relationship (Nehemiah 2:18; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Acts 4:32-35). Relationship, discipleship and partnership will define the RCBA mission.

Learning and Growing - Learning is the aim of academics and growth is a sign of health and life (2 Timothy 2:15). Learning sets the course for success in life (Proverbs 4:10-13; Proverbs 9:9). Bible-based and Christ-centered growth and learning glorify God and transform hearts and minds (Romans 12:2; Luke 6:40). We are committed to learning and growing into the fullness of all He calls us to.

Excellence, Integrity and Higher Calling - Excellence sets us apart to accomplish His calling (Daniel 6:3). Integrity sustains and directs our mission (Proverbs 11:3). Teaching is a higher calling, and a Christian education helps students discover their higher calling in Christ (Romans 12:6-7; 2 Peter 1:10). We will lead with excellence and integrity as we pursue His high calling in our classrooms and our boardroom, in our academic rigor, spiritual development and fiscal responsibility.

Statement of Faith

River City Believers Academy is a ministry of River City Community Church in San Antonio, and follows the core teachings of that church.

We believe that there is one God, a loving creator eternally existing, revealing Himself in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was fully God and fully man.

We believe in Christ's virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary death on our behalf, His physical resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His ultimate, victorious return. God created humans for a meaningful relationship with Him, but our willful sin has created a wall of separation between him and God. God sent His son, Jesus, to pay the just death penalty for our sin with His death on the cross. God’s gift of salvation brings forgiveness and eternal life to all who repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ. It removes the separation that sin created and allows us to be reborn into God’s divine nature through the presence of His Holy Spirit.

We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is empowered and gifted to live a Godly life.

We believe the Bible to be the unique, Spirit-inspired, word of God. It is infallible and authoritative in all that it addresses.

We believe in the eternal resurrection of all people—those who are saved to the resurrection of eternal life, and those who are lost to the resurrection of separation and judgment.

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in Christ.

Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality

RCBA supports a biblical view of marriage, gender and sexuality. All board members, faculty and staff affirm the following statements. It is God who assigns our fundamental human identity and gender. We believe that all humans, male and female, reflect the image of God. A person;s gender is sacred and has a divine purpose. We also affirm that God loves all people, including those who struggle with their gender assignment, identity and expression. Therefore, we are to love all people, regardless of their struggles. The Bible describes human gender in binary terms. Genesis 1:27 provides the definitive statement, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Our bodies are God's dwelling place. In the context of discussing sexual identity and behavior, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Marriage

We believe that God created marriage to be exclusively the union of one man and one woman, and that sexual activity is to occur exclusively within that union. (Genesis 2:18-25; Ephesians 5:21-23; 1 Corinthians 7:2)

Gender

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, and that these two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Genesis 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Sexuality

We believe that sex is a gift from God that is to be enjoyed with fidelity in the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. We believe that we are called to chastity in singleness. We believe that sexual relations outside the covenant of marriage are contrary to the will of God. We believe that the Bible is the final authority regarding sexual behavior. Examples of sexual behavior forbidden by Scripture may be found in the following passages: Exodus 20:14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; Hebrews 13:4; Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; and Romans 1:26-27.

River City Believers Academy will uphold the biblical view of marriage, gender, and sexuality and will adhere to its positions on these issues in its teachings, curriculum and treatment of students.