What We Believe
We Believe God Loves You!
As Presbyterians, we are part of the Reformed tradition, dating back to the 1500s. We refer to ourselves as "Reformed, always Reforming," meaning we are always listening to what God is saying. We recognize that as human beings we are imperfect, and therefore our church is imperfect, but we are always listening to the Spirit, and keep our minds open to change as God leads us. Below are some of the basic beliefs our church teaches.
Trinity
We believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the One triune God, who exists as one and three simultaneously.
The Father
God the Father is Creator of the universe. God made women and men in his image and commanded us to be stewards of the earth. God gave us free will, so that we might worship him freely, but we misused it, choosing instead to turn away and fall into sin. Because of this every human being is separated from God, and none of us can overcome this sin on our own.
Jesus Christ
God the Son is Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world. He came to earth, born without sin of the virgin Mary. He lived as one of us, and preached the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven and the need for repentance, and taught those who followed him to follow the two greatest commandments: To love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. His message of radical love and justice was met with opposition by many, and as a result he was crucified on the cross. Three days later he rose from the dead. In his death he took our sin upon himself, making reconciliation between us and God possible. In his resurrection he conquered death, so that all who believe in him may have eternal life.
Holy Spirit
God the Holy Spirit is the Sustainer of the world. The Spirit dwells in the heart of every believer, equipping and giving the strength to follow God’s will and be God’s hands and feet in this world.
We believe that we are saved by grace through faith. God pursues everyone with grace through Jesus Christ and we have the choice to accept or reject it. No one can earn grace and salvation through any good deeds of their own. It is only through God’s free gift of grace that we may be reconciled to him and become part of the Body of Christ.
The Church
The Church is the Body of Christ, made up of all believers around the world. All members of the Body are essential to the work of the Church. We are united by the Holy Spirit, who equips us to follow our call to spread the Gospel to all corners of the earth, and work for justice and peace in order to bring about God’s Kingdom here in this world.
Baptism and Communion
We believe that sacraments are an outward sign of inward grace. Baptism is a sign of the saving grace already at work within us. In baptism we enter into the community of believers. In the Presbyterian church we accept any baptism done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Communion is a sign of the continuous work of God’s grace in our lives. When we take the bread and wine (or juice) together we are taking part in the joyful feast in heaven, as well as remembering the sacrifice Christ made for our salvation. Communion is open to any baptized believer of any denomination or church. We do not limit this sacrament to only members or Presbyterians.
Freedom of Conscience
As Presbyterians we do not dictate what our members can or cannot believe concerning social or political issues. The beliefs described above are considered the essentials, but on other things, the non-essentials, we believe in allowing for freedom of conscience. We don’t demand that you be pro-life or pro-choice, for or against marriage equality, for or against the death penalty, or believe in evolution or creation. This doesn’t mean you won’t ever hear us talk about these things, but we make space at the table for all opinions. We only ask that all of our members have respect for those we disagree with, and treat each other with love and compassion, remembering that we are all members of the Body and united in our core beliefs.
For a more thorough explanation of what makes Presbyterians unique, check out the PC(USA) website here.
Trinity
We believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the One triune God, who exists as one and three simultaneously.
The Father
God the Father is Creator of the universe. God made women and men in his image and commanded us to be stewards of the earth. God gave us free will, so that we might worship him freely, but we misused it, choosing instead to turn away and fall into sin. Because of this every human being is separated from God, and none of us can overcome this sin on our own.
Jesus Christ
God the Son is Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world. He came to earth, born without sin of the virgin Mary. He lived as one of us, and preached the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven and the need for repentance, and taught those who followed him to follow the two greatest commandments: To love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. His message of radical love and justice was met with opposition by many, and as a result he was crucified on the cross. Three days later he rose from the dead. In his death he took our sin upon himself, making reconciliation between us and God possible. In his resurrection he conquered death, so that all who believe in him may have eternal life.
Holy Spirit
God the Holy Spirit is the Sustainer of the world. The Spirit dwells in the heart of every believer, equipping and giving the strength to follow God’s will and be God’s hands and feet in this world.
We believe that we are saved by grace through faith. God pursues everyone with grace through Jesus Christ and we have the choice to accept or reject it. No one can earn grace and salvation through any good deeds of their own. It is only through God’s free gift of grace that we may be reconciled to him and become part of the Body of Christ.
The Church
The Church is the Body of Christ, made up of all believers around the world. All members of the Body are essential to the work of the Church. We are united by the Holy Spirit, who equips us to follow our call to spread the Gospel to all corners of the earth, and work for justice and peace in order to bring about God’s Kingdom here in this world.
Baptism and Communion
We believe that sacraments are an outward sign of inward grace. Baptism is a sign of the saving grace already at work within us. In baptism we enter into the community of believers. In the Presbyterian church we accept any baptism done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Communion is a sign of the continuous work of God’s grace in our lives. When we take the bread and wine (or juice) together we are taking part in the joyful feast in heaven, as well as remembering the sacrifice Christ made for our salvation. Communion is open to any baptized believer of any denomination or church. We do not limit this sacrament to only members or Presbyterians.
Freedom of Conscience
As Presbyterians we do not dictate what our members can or cannot believe concerning social or political issues. The beliefs described above are considered the essentials, but on other things, the non-essentials, we believe in allowing for freedom of conscience. We don’t demand that you be pro-life or pro-choice, for or against marriage equality, for or against the death penalty, or believe in evolution or creation. This doesn’t mean you won’t ever hear us talk about these things, but we make space at the table for all opinions. We only ask that all of our members have respect for those we disagree with, and treat each other with love and compassion, remembering that we are all members of the Body and united in our core beliefs.
For a more thorough explanation of what makes Presbyterians unique, check out the PC(USA) website here.