Jesus Christ is the only hope of Salvation
This is at the center of everything we believe and do as a church. The Triune God, who created this world perfectly, did not destroy mankind after the sin that ruined the Garden of Eden. Instead, God determined to save the world through the birth, life, death and resurrection of the Son of God. This is the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. There is no other way to be delivered from the bondage of sin and to be restored to a relationship of peace with God (Acts 4:12; Rom. 1:16).
The Bible is the Word of God
It is only through God’s Word that we can come to know Him and trust in Jesus Christ. This is true for someone initially seeking the truth and also for mature believers. After the Holy Spirit was poured out on the early church, they were known for their devotion to the Word of God (Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 3:15). The Holy Spirit creates and strengthens faith, in particular, through the preaching of the Word of God when God’s people are gathered for worship. You will find a heavy emphasis on growing in the Scriptures, from preaching twice on Sundays, to our catechism classes, Bible studies and prayer meetings.
We were made to worship God
The beauty of the gospel reveals a God who has created and redeemed us and who therefore is worthy to receive our best in response. We express this corporately in our worship services with a lot of congregational singing of the psalms and other Christian hymns and in prayer together. The church exists to invite all of creation to praise, honor and glorify the one true living God: “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” (Psalm 11:1-2). This is the delight of every believer. In the words of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
Worship leads to fellowship with one another, another hallmark of the early church (Acts 2:42). The church is a family, where we strive to serve the kingdom of Jesus Christ together, and to build each other up. A healthy church is one in which members practice the “communion of the saints” (1 Thess. 5:11) in practical ways by serving one another, especially the weakest. We express and enjoy our unity also when we celebrate the sacrament of communion (Lord’s Supper) together.
We are called to make disciples
As he was finishing his ministry during his first coming, Jesus Christ commissioned the church: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). It is the church’s responsibility, therefore, to disciple people whereever they are at into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. In order to be able to reach more people, we are also committed to reaching the lost with the gospel, in our own communities and beyond. Much of our charitable giving goes towards church plants and mission causes, as well as some local ministries. We do not want to be content to simply maintain our congregation; we want to be used by the Lord to reach all those he died for.
We are a part of the historic church
The God who is at work today is the same God who has been at work in this world since the beginning. We confess, with the church throughout history and around the world, the words of the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary;
suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.
Amen.
The Apostle’s Creed
The Nicene Creed
The Athanasian Creed
We are a Reformed church
Our confessions summarize what we believe the Bible teaches. They are the fruit of the 16th century Reformation which was so vital for the revitalization of the Christian church. They aid us in understanding the gospel and what it means for our lives, and they serve as a summary of what we believe for anyone who may be interested. One of our favorite statements comes from the Heidelberg Catechism (1563):
LORD’S DAY 1 Q: What is your only comfort in life and in death?
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That I am not my own, 1
but belong with body and soul,
both in life and in death, 2
to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. 3
He has fully paid for all my sins
with his precious blood, 4
and has set me free
from all the power of the devil. 5
He also preserves me in such a way 6
that without the will of my heavenly Father
not a hair can fall from my head; 7
indeed, all things must work together
for my salvation. 8
Therefore, by his Holy Spirit
he also assures me
of eternal life 9
and makes me heartily willing and ready
from now on to live for him. 10
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The Belgic Confession
The Canons of Dort
The Heidelberg Catechism
We are a URC church
The United Reformed Churches of North America are a recent federation of like-minded churches, mostly located in Canada and the USA. We work together as churches by holding each other accountable, helping to train ministers and missionaries, aiding one another in our kingdom work, and pooling our resources for church plants and mission works. We also cherish our relationships with other Christian churches in our community and seek to cultivate Christian ties of affection and mutual service with them.