A small church with a big heart.

Christianity 101 Who are these people called Christians? A set of beliefs and a life of faithfulness are usually considered the two requirements for a life of Christian discipleship. The ten key beliefs given below are abstracted from a series of sermons in the spring of 2009 by Pastor Sara McCurdy on the topic “Are You a Christian?” Beliefs Common to all Christian Believers: * The Trinity: God as Father, as Son, and as the Holy Spirit. * Incarnation: The doctrine of incarnation is central to Christian faith.  The word incarnation means to be made flesh. The incarnation was the unique event in which God, the eternal word, took on flesh becoming Jesus of Nazareth.   Beliefs Common to Protestant Believers: * Justification by Grace through Faith: Grace is God’s unmerited favor to us.  Apart from God’s grace we would be lost, remaining in our sins. We are saved by grace through our faith not by deeds. * Authority of Scripture: The Bible, the Holy Scriptures of both Old and New Testaments are believed to be the word of God written. The Bible has authority in all matters of life and faith over and above the hierarchy and traditions of the Church. Beliefs Common to Reformed Protestant Believers: * Sovereignty of God: “All events are governed by God’s sacred plan…nothing happens except what is knowingly and willingly decreed by God.” (John Calvin).  God’s rule and God’s care cannot be separated from God’s love. * Sin of Idolatry: Worshiping anything that takes the place of God in a person’s life. * Election: Jesus said, “You did not choose me but I chose you.”  (John 15), God’s purpose in election is the creation of a holy and just people. * Covenant: We believe it is God who calls us out and makes us into a community of faith.  God makes covenant promises to us and we give to God our obedience as a people of God. * Faithful Stewardship:  Seeking the proper use of the gifts of God’s creation. Giving as one is able is always an act of worship in response to Jesus’ deep and abiding love for us as his disciples. * Transformation of Society: Reformed Christians are called as people of God to work for the transformation of society by seeking justice and living in obedience to the Word of God (Presbyterian Church USA Book of Order). Additional information on what we as Presbyterians believe: The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) traces its theological beginnings to the Scriptures and the writings of John Calvin and John Knox. “The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) states its faith and bears witness to God’s grace in Jesus Christ in the creeds and confessions in The Book of Confessions. In these confessional statements the church declares to its members and to the world: who and what it is, what it believes, what it resolves to do.” (Book of Order, G-2.0100) An online version of The Book of Confessions is available at http://www.pcusa.org/oga/constitution.htm