What we believe
The faith we confess as a Christian, Presbyterian and Reformed church.
At a glance
Authority
The Bible is the Word of God and the supreme authority for our faith and life.
Salvation
We confess salvation by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
Confession
We subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, subordinate to Scripture.
Church
Christ builds up His church through the Word, the sacraments and the service of its officers. Pastors and elders teach, care for and equip the congregation for maturity and service.
Vocation
Christ’s lordship extends over all of life, and every believer is called to serve God and neighbor faithfully through their vocation.
Scripture, our authority
We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God and the supreme rule for our faith and life. Creeds, confessions and catechisms do not replace Scripture or stand above it; they serve as historical and subordinate expressions of what the Church understands Scripture to teach.
Historic creeds
The historic Christian faith
Throughout the centuries, the Church has expressed the central doctrines of the Christian faith through creeds and doctrinal definitions that helped preserve a clear confession concerning the Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
The Apostles’ Creed provides a concise summary of the historic Christian faith. It confesses the triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and summarizes central truths concerning creation, the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection and eternal life.
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed expresses with particular clarity the Church’s faith in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It affirms the full divinity of Jesus Christ, his incarnation for our salvation, his resurrection and return, and confesses the Holy Spirit as Lord and giver of life. Its formulation is associated with the councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381).
Definition of Chalcedon
The Definition of Chalcedon confesses that Jesus Christ is one person, truly God and truly man. In him the divine and human natures remain fully united without confusion or division. This formulation preserves the historic Christian teaching concerning who Christ is and the reality of his incarnation.
Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian Creed develops with particular precision the doctrine of the Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ. It confesses one God in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and affirms that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man.
Confessional standards
The Westminster Standards we subscribe to
As a Presbyterian and Reformed church, we subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms. These documents, subordinate to Holy Scripture, present in an orderly way the system of doctrine we confess.
Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Confession of Faith presents Reformed Christian doctrine in a systematic way. Among other subjects, it addresses the authority of Scripture, God and the Trinity, creation and providence, the fall and sin, covenant, the person and work of Christ, justification, adoption and sanctification, the law of God, Christian liberty, worship, the Church, the sacraments and the last things.
Westminster Larger Catechism
The Larger Catechism develops Christian doctrine and life in greater depth through questions and answers. It deals extensively with Scripture, God, Christ, the work of salvation, the commandments, prayer, the Church and the sacraments, and serves as an instrument for more detailed doctrinal formation.
Westminster Shorter Catechism
The Shorter Catechism concisely summarizes the fundamental doctrines of the faith and the duties of the Christian life. Its question-and-answer format makes it an especially useful tool for teaching, discipleship and the formation of the congregation.
What it means to be Presbyterian and Reformed
- Scripture
We seek to have it govern our doctrine, our worship and our life.
- Salvation
It is by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
- The sacraments
We administer Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, instituted by Christ.
- Church government
Christ guides and cares for His church through its officers. Elders are called to shepherd, teach and equip the congregation for a mature and active Christian life.
Vocation and Christian life
The lordship of Christ over all of life
We believe that the Christian faith is not limited to Sunday worship or to the activities of the church. Jesus Christ is Lord of all of life, and every believer is called to serve God wherever He has placed them.
Work, family, study, professions, culture and service to our neighbor are all areas in which we seek to live faithfully, honestly and gratefully before God.
A doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a business owner, a worker, a student or someone devoted to caring for the home can faithfully serve God through their own vocation.
From creation, God entrusted human beings with responsibilities over the world He made. We understand that task as stewardship: responsibly developing the gifts we have received, caring for creation and placing our work at the service of God and our neighbor.
Christian maturity also means learning to exercise faithfully the gifts, abilities and responsibilities God has given us. The church seeks to form disciples rooted in the Word, able to serve others, bear witness to the gospel and live faithfully under the lordship of Christ in every area of life.
- Vocation
We also serve God through the responsibilities and work to which we are called.
- Work
We seek to work with honesty, excellence and service to our neighbor.
- Stewardship
We recognize that creation belongs to God and that we are to use the gifts and resources we receive responsibly.
- All of life
Family, study, profession, culture and service are part of a life lived under the lordship of Christ.
Within the Reformed tradition
This understanding of vocation and the Christian life has been developed extensively within the Reformed tradition. John Calvin highlighted the value of God’s calling in ordinary vocations. Abraham Kuyper emphasized God’s lordship over every dimension of life and the proper responsibility of its distinct spheres. Herman Bavinck related vocation, culture and human work to a life of service under the Kingdom of God.
These contributions are valuable references within the Reformed tradition; the confessional standards our church subscribes to are the Westminster Standards, subordinate to Scripture.
Historical reference
Other documents in the Reformed tradition
Throughout the Reformation, other sister churches expressed the Reformed faith through confessions and catechisms that have had an important influence on the history of the Church. Among them are the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort.
These documents are important references in the Reformed tradition, although the confessional standards our church declares it subscribes to are the Westminster Standards.
Doctrine in the teaching of the church
Browse our sermons to see how these truths are taught and applied in the life of the congregation.
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