What We Believe

Our Values

Being a Presbyterian includes three important parts: Conviction, Connection, and Commission.

Conviction

Find footsure faith

Presbyterians hold deep convictions about truth. We call those convictions Christian doctrine, which is a way to describe the truths found in the Bible. Our faith commitments are summarized by the Westminster Confession of Faith together with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.

Connection

Experience committed community

Presbyterians are committed to connection because Christianity isn’t meant to be lived out alone. It’s to be lived out together. We foster community in relationships and mutual care within our local church and in connections with other churches.

Commission

Cultivate lasting change

Presbyterians seek to be faithful to our commission from Jesus, sharing the good news of who he is, what he’s done, and what he promises for life and eternity. We do this through our local ministries and our support of missionaries around the world as well as church planters in our own country.

A Few of Our Key Convictions

What’s important to us at Christ Presbyterian Church? Here are some of our important convictions.

The 5 Solas

Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone

God reveals through the Bible alone what we’re to believe about him and what he has done for us in Jesus Christ as well as how we ought to live our lives as followers of Jesus.

Solus Christus - Christ Alone

The Bible reveals our central problem: We’ve rebelled against God, which is to say we’re sinners in need of forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Everything necessary for us to be forgiven and reconciled is accomplished by and found in Jesus Christ alone.

Sola Gratia - Grace Alone

The forgiveness and reconciliation that we need are purely gifts of God to us because of Christ’s work. We cannot earn them, work for them, or in any other way gain them for ourselves. They are ours by pure and perfect grace, which is made a reality in us through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Sola Fide - Faith Alone

Since the gifts of forgiveness and reconciliation are gifts of pure grace that we do not earn or gain for ourselves, we receive them by faith, by trusting the gospel promise which is that Christ has done all the work and God lovingly forgives and reconciles us if we believe and embrace his promise.

Soli Deo Gloria - Glory to God Alone

Because he is Creator and Redeemer, because he is innately worthy, and out of our gratitude for his merciful grace to us, we strive to live all of life only for the glory and honor of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as we look forward to an eternity in his presence.

Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone

Solus Christus - Christ Alone

Sola Gratia - Grace Alone

Sola Fide - Faith Alone

Soli Deo Gloria - Glory to God Alone

Worship at CPC

Worship at CPC is “liturgical,” meaning there is a regular order and structure to our worship service. We value worship that is guided by biblical principles, is gospel-driven, and engages the whole congregation.

We strive to ensure our worship is…

Biblical

We follow the “regulative” principle of worship by worshiping God only using the forms and means he desires, which he reveals in the Bible. These include prayer; praise with psalms, hymns, and songs; reading and preaching God’s word; and celebrating the sacraments.

Gospel-Driven

It’s only because of God’s grace to us in Jesus that we can meet with him in worship. We emphasize God’s grace in the gospel through our corporate confession of sin and the assurance of pardon, in the sermons preached, and by the celebration of the Lord’s Supper every week.

Corporate

As part of the broad liturgical dialogue of worship–God speaks, we respond; we speak, God responds–the whole congregation participates through things like singing, printed prayers prayed in unison, and affirmations of faith using creeds such as the Apostles’ Creed.

The Lord’s Supper

In the Presbyterian and Reformed family of churches, we believe in two sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Sacraments are sensible signs and seals of the covenant of grace–God’s promise to us in Christ of the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life with him. As signs, they point to the promises. As seals, they affirm and assure us of the promises. They’re sensible in the sense that they appeal to our senses–touch, taste, sound, sight, smell.

God declares the good news to us through his word in the Bible and through the preaching of that word in sermons. Knowing that we are material creatures with bodies made for this world, in his wisdom, God also “preaches” to us through the sacraments.

With reference to the Lord’s Supper, the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” So, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Sunday in our worship because it keeps us focused on the gospel and assures us that God is faithful to all his promises.

Questions about any of our convictions or faith commitments? We’d love to talk with you about anything you want to know more about. You can submit a question or comment using the link below.

Questions? We’d love to hear from you!