About First Presbyterian Church
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Together at First Presbyterian Church, we're striving to become the kind of church described in the Bible, where there's relevant teaching, heart-felt worship, honest friendships, constant prayer, and compassionate care for those in need. In short, we'd like to have the kind of contagious Christianity that can influence and encourage the entire community, one life at a time.
The Church consists of all who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation and is the spiritual body of Christ. This includes all the redeemed of the ages, believers from among all peoples from every tribe, tongue, and nation. The primary purpose of the Church is to worship God and glorify Him by building up believers and effectively reaching the world with the gospel of Christ. We believe that Christ is the King, the High Priest, and a Holy Prophet of the church (Acts 3:22-23; Hebrews 4:14; 8:1). God ordained the ministry of the local church to include taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world and thereby accomplish His redemptive purposes among all peoples. The local congregation is a gathering of believers who are associated by the New Covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Spirit; observe the ordinances of Christ; are governed by His laws; and exercise the gifts, rights, and privileges within them by the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit. Its only proper officers are Elders and Deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.
About Mankind: We are all made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. We are the supreme object of God's creation. Although mankind has tremendous potential for good, we are marred by a condition of disobedience toward God called "sin." This condition separates us from God, and is the purpose of Jesus Christ coming to earth to redeem humankind.
About Salvation: We believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; that this salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God; that it was purchased by Christ on the cross; that it is received through faith, apart from any human merit, works, or ritual; and that salvation results in righteous living, good works and biblically informed actions to bring about godly justice wherever we live.