Our Mission

Core Values

• Worship: We commit to praise and exalt God in our personal, family, and corporate worship. We hold a high respect for the traditional forms of worship, and we strive for excellence in our worship efforts.
• Witness: We commit to proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ through sharing our stories and living changed lives. Every area of our lives is impacted by the Gospel, and everything we do points to Christ as Lord.
• Study: We commit to the study of scriptures as a life-long pursuit. The Holy Bible is the authoritative and infallible word of God, and it is our guide and rule for life. We also respect and study the theological heritage that has been handed down to us by the church, particularly in our confessional documents.
• Share: We commit to sharing our lives with one another. As we walk the Christian life, we encourage and challenge one another; we care for one another; and we share in the joy of the Lord. We recognize and develop in our members the gifts of the Holy Spirit through education and training.
• Serve: We commit to following Christ's example of service to glorify Him and keep His commands. These services consist of financial support of church ministries, investment of time and effort in church programs, and engaging in personal ministry. Our service reaches out not only for the people of God but to the entire world as an expression of love.

Covenant-First Presbyterian Confession

It is our goal in this confession to address a limited set of issues, which we feel are essential to our Christian faith, and on which the position of the denomination is either unclear, or differs from that which is set down in this document. It is our hope that this will provide a clear guide to prospective members on where we stand on these issues so they can make an informed decision about joining us. It is also our hope that this document will be a call to the PC(USA) to re-examine its own position on these issues in light of Scripture and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Our Basis

Holy Scripture: We believe that God reveals himself to us in His word the Bible. The Bible is the inspired record of God’s redemptive plan through out history, which was fulfilled in the coming of the living Word, Jesus Christ (1). The Bible is God’s infallible guide for all people to know God more fully, to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to direct their lives according to His holy will (2). Other Creeds and Confessions derive their authority in so much as they are consistent with God’s revelation of himself in the Bible. The Bible, being God’s word, is authoritative for all times.
(1) John 1:1 (2)II Timothy 3:16

God: We believe in one God who exist in three persons Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We confess that God the Father created the universe, including mankind, through the Word, Jesus Christ his eternal Son, (3) and the Spirit (4). This same God upholds his creation each day through his providence (5). We believe that the eternal Son of God entered human history as a child and was born of the Virgin Mary (6). In his life and death he fully satisfied God’s righteous judgment against our sin, and so provides salvation to those who come to him in faith. We believe the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son to live in the redeemed, to comfort them, and to lead them into paths of truth (7). (3) John 1:2 (4) Gen. 1:1 (5) Acts 17: 24-28 (6) Luke 1:35 (7) John 15:26

Sin: We believe that sin entered the human race through the disobedience of the first man, Adam. As a consequence sin has become a part of our genetic heritage so that all people are corrupted by evil from birth (8). Our sinful nature results in each of us committing sinful acts every day of our lives. Because of Christ’s work however, we rejoice, as Christians have throughout the ages, in the forgiveness of sins as stated in the Apostle’s Creed, and that as new creatures in Christ (9) we are able to fight against sin in our lives and in the world. (8) Rom. 5:12-19 (9) Gal. 2:20

Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation since only he as perfect man and eternal God could satisfy God’s righteous judgment against our sin (10). We believe that Christ, through his death and resurrection, conquered the powers of evil and now reigns with God the Father (11). It is right that we should call him Lord and devote our lives in His service (12). We believe that through faith we share in Christ’s victory over sin and death. (10) Heb. 7: 23-28 (11) Matt. 28: 18-20 (12) Heb 1:1-3

Consequences for Personal Christian Living

Freedom from Bondage: We believe that we can know what sin is from the Bible, and that as new creatures in Christ we are called to live holy lives in grateful response to God for our salvation (13). We believe that despite the fearful hold that sin has on us, since it is in our very nature, we can, with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Christian community, successfully overcome the temptations and the besetting sins in our lives. We believe it is part of our victory in Christ to carry on this struggle even though we frequently fail.

Human Sexuality: We believe that the Bible clearly affirms that the appropriate expression of sexual activity is within marriage between a man and woman (14). Consequently, we reject the ordination of church officers who are practicing homosexuals or living unchaste lives, since it would legitimize what the Bible clearly calls sin (15). We recognize that sexual orientation may be a deeply rooted part of human nature, and consequently the church must respond in love to all those who are sincerely fighting to resist this sin. We condemn all acts of prejudice and violence against homosexuals. (13) Col. 3: 1-14 (14)Matt. 19: 4-6 (15) 1 Cor. 6: 9

The Church in Society: We believe the church as the gathering of forgiven sinners is called to be Christ’s voice of reconciliation and rebuke, and Christ’s hand of healing and restoration in a broken world (16). As the Presbyterian Church has spoken prophetically in the past against the state church of Germany in its Declaration of Barmen, and pastorally in its call for the church to be a reconciling force in the Confession of 1967, so to it must speak today to the needs of society. We believe it also must provide comfort, help, and hope to those who need it, and so demonstrate to a skeptical world the love of Christ for all people.

In so doing we guard against two extremes common to the ambience of our times, but contrary to God’s Word. On the one hand we do not make humankind with his goals and desires the ultimate guide to what is right, and so enthrone him above God. We also reject the view that man is only the most sophisticated animal that has evolved. Rather we affirm that man was created in the image of God (15), and that God so valued him that he sent his Son to die for him. If God so created people with dignity and moral worth, and so valued them, so must we.

As a consequence we believe that trends within our society, such as widespread abortion and euthanasia, need to be resisted by vigorous dissent and loving acts of service. We also affirm that our concern extends to all sinful practices, which diminish human dignity, such as abuse, addiction, and sexual exploitation. The church needs to be ever vigilant, and prophetic, to make sure in this time of increasing control over the initiation and termination of human life that its spiritual dimension is not lost. (16) Heb. 10: 23-25 (15) Gen. 1: 26-27

CONCLUSION

God has promised to answer prayer. Therefore, we ask that you prayerfully consider this confession in the light of His Word.