What We Believe
As members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) we affirm belief in:
1) A Triune God. We know God in three different ways as...
• The God who created the universe and even now is at work recreating our world,
• Jesus the Christ, God incarnate, in whose life, death, and resurrection we find our salvation, and
• The Holy Spirit- God at work in the world and in us.
2) That the Bible is the unique and authoritative witness to the Word of God.
Our worship is centered on the reading and proclaiming of Scripture. Our discipleship is grounded in the lessons of the Bible. Apart from Christ it is our highest authority. But we are not biblical literalists. We believe that in order to respect the authority of Scripture, one must understand the historical, social, and literal context of biblical texts. It is only by understanding how God worked in the past, that we can best understand how God wants us to be today.
3) That we are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
Jesus said that we are called to love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. We are also called to love our neighbors as ourselves. Faith for us is not about a single decision, it’s about a lifetime commitment to follow the teachings of Jesus. We are works in progress, striving to follow Christ’s example in all aspects of our lives- spiritual, social, political, economic, etc.
4) That God has revealed in Jesus Christ that God loves all people.
Therefore we recognize all people as our neighbors. We also recognize that God calls all people, male and female, gay and straight, of every race and ethnicity to serve in Jesus’ name. If you are LGBTQIA, you can be yourself with us, and you will be welcomed and valued as you are.
5) That the Kingdom of God is near.
Jesus came to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is both at hand and nearby. It is already and not yet. We believe that we who follow Christ are called to witness to the ways of the kingdom through the way we share God’s love and grace, advocate for “the least of these,” and continue Christ’s ministry of reconciliation.
6) That salvation is in God’s hands.
We are all sinners who cannot save ourselves. God offers us salvation as a gift through Jesus Christ. Therefore discipleship for us is not simply about getting into heaven. It’s not about judging or saving others either. It’s about living in gratitude to God and obedience to Christ for the benefit of the kingdom on earth. We are called to serve God in the world as Jesus did.
7) That Christ gave us two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
A sacrament for us is something Jesus did himself and told us to do. We celebrate joining Christ’s covenant community through baptism (of all ages). We partake of bread and non-alcoholic wine together monthly to celebrate the freedom won for humanity in Christ, and be strengthened for our journeys of faith. We believe lots of other things too. In the community of faith we don’t always agree. Our church is not a dogmatic church. It is a diverse community of people striving to learn and serve together.
If you want to learn more about what we believe, come talk to us or see our denomination’s website, www.pcusa.org.