God

The one true God is revealed as a Holy Trinity of three Persons in perfect unity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equally divine, one God, alone worthy of worship.

Word

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and will not fail us in any respect. God’s Word is our ultimate authority for faith and life.

Creation

God is the Creator of Heaven and Earth who made all things beautiful and in order, including human beings in his image, male and female, as the pinnacle of creation.

Sin

Human disobedience caused a rift between God and Creation. The whole world suffers in the twisted effects of the fall, the rebellion of humanity against God.

Jesus

Jesus Christ, God’s own Son, is the Second Person of the Trinity incarnate in flesh, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, taught us to see the Kingdom, died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for our sins, and was raised up to eternal life in his glorious bodily resurrection.

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is God present to us and to creation who makes God known to believers, grants the power for repentance and faith, conveys the Word of God to us through the Scriptures, builds and sustains the Church, and will carry the mission of God on to its eternal ends.

The Church

The Church is the community of all believers made children of God by saving faith in Jesus Christ, separated into local congregations, empowered to reflect the coming Kingdom of God through worship, mission, caring community, ministry to the city, and active evangelism to seek and to save the lost.

Sacraments

Two acts of worship carry a particular promise of God’s presence and activity: Holy Communion and Baptism. Believers may be baptized after profession of faith, and children of believers may be baptized awaiting profession of faith. Communion is open to all who come and receive with understanding and faith.

Service and Leadership

Every believer is called to use his or her God-given spiritual gifts and talents to strengthen the community of believers and carry out the mission of the church. As Jesus called both men and women to active service in every area of this mission, we do the same. Leadership serves humbly in submission to transparent accountability.

Does First Pres have membership?

Yes. When you become a member, you’ll receive encouragement, support and correction as Jesus promises to those who share spiritual fellowship. You’ll grow more Christ-like together in Christian community and discover your unique place in a common mission in God’s story. Members also become eligible to serve in leadership positions such as ministry teams and elected officer roles.

What does baptism look like?

We celebrate both infant and adult baptism as a way of receiving people into the family of faith here at First Pres. When someone is baptized, the congregation promises to receive that person into fellowship and to walk with them in such a way that they will be continually surrounded by Christian love and care.

How is communion practiced?

We regularly remember Jesus’ last meal with His disciples before His death by receiving the sacrament of communion. Our communion table is not a Presbyterian table, nor is it a First Pres table. Rather, it is open to anyone who calls on the name of Jesus for salvation. Communion is received by intinction on the first Sunday of each month in our Worship Center services.

Can I host a memorial service at First Pres?

Memorial services at First Pres are grounded in our understanding that Jesus has conquered death through His work on the cross, and in our Lord’s promise of life beyond death for all who have a relationship with Him. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the life of a loved one who has died, giving thanks for how God used him or her to touch our lives.