Our Distinctives
Reformed
We subscribe to the historic creeds of the Christian faith, such as, The Apostles Creed, The Nicene Creed, The Athanasian Creed. We also subscribe to the Westminster Standards, the Confession of Faith, the Shorter Catechism, and the Larger Catechism.
Weekly Communion
The heart of biblical worship is organized around Word and sacrament. As often as we are fed by the word, we want to be fed from the Lord’s Table. Just as the worshipper in the Old Testament partook of the peace offering, so we partake of Christ’s Table when we gather.
Evangelical
“Unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3. While the outward call of gospel proclamation is universal, in order to share in the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection, you must be born again, by the Spirit of the living God.
Psalm Singing
The Psalms contain the fullest expression of human emotion, from the highest highs to the lowest lows. They are Holy-Spirit inspired prayers, written for us to pray and sing back to God. We sing hymns also, but the Psalms provide the musical backbone to our worship.
Covenant Renewal Worship
When we gather for worship on the Lord’s Day, we are renewing our Covenant with God. We do this by following the pattern of worship commanded by God in Scripture, which is summarized in five steps, Call, Confession, Consecration, Communion, and Commission.
Biblical Sermons
When our people gather on the Lord’s Day, we do not need a pep talk, or a man to share a story. We need to hear from God. We need a herald to open the Bible and tell us what God has said. We need preaching. We need preaching that touches our heads and hearts.
Infant Baptism
Simply stated, we baptize our children, because they are Christians. They are joined to the Church through the covenantal connection of their believing parents. Throughout the Bible, children are included in God’s covenant people and this pattern continues into the New Covenant. As Jesus said, “… for to such belongs the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:16)
Christian Education
We believe it is the responsibility of every Christian parent (especially fathers) to provide a distinctly Christian education for their children. This means the local church should equip Christian parents to provide this education for her covenant children. It is not the State’s responsibility to educate children, but rather the parents’.
Wine in Communion
We are convinced that Jesus used wine when He established the Supper, and we do not have the authority to alter what he established. The Jews used wine in the Passover meal, and Jesus established this sacrament in that context. When Jesus offers us the cup, we don’t want to be in the position of saying, “No thanks, Jesus, I don’t drink because I’m a Christian.”
Optimism About the Future
We hold to a historic and reformed position on the end times known as Postmillennialism. We believe Christ’s Kingdom was inaugurated at his resurrection and will grow in number and influence until He returns. Things are not getting worse and worse. Rather, Christ’s Kingdom will grow until the knowledge of the Lord fills the earth as water cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9)
Child Communion
Our children participate in the worship service with us. They are not segregated to “Children’s Church”, because they are members of THE Church. We baptize our children and welcome them into the church. We also welcome them to the Lord’s Table, because His table is for His people. When we baptize our children, we identify them as members of Christ’s people.
Cultural Engagement
We believe Christians, and the local church are to have a preserving effect on society (Matthew 5:13). The church also has a prophetic role in society, bringing the Bible to bear on the moral issues of the day, like John the Baptist (Luke 3:19). We reject the distinction between “political” issues and “religious” issues. If God has spoken on an issue, so must the church.