Faith Chapel
Serving: Southeast Greensboro \| Pleasant Garden \| Climax \| Julian \| Level Cross \| Randleman

Our Basic Commitments

EVANGELICAL AND COMMITTED TO THE SCRIPTURES

We are committed to the Bible as God's infallible Word. We believe it is a trustworthy, sufficient rule for faith and life, and the supreme authority in the Church and Christian life. We believe that the Church's historic understanding of God, man, and Jesus is biblical. With orthodox Christianity in all ages we believe that God is the loving and holy Creator, that the human race was created upright, but that it is now fallen and separated from God. We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the only Mediator between God and man, His life the only basis on which humanity can be reconciled with God. We believe that Jesus is God and that He was born to live as a man for us, to die for us, and to be raised from death for our salvation. Those who trust in Him are forgiven and reconciled to God, have eternal life now, in this age, and will live to enjoy and glorify Him forever.

HISTORIC

The Church must speak to the age in which its people live, but our message comes from a body of timeless truth that others have studied and known before us. We do not think it wise to ignore what the Church has learned in the past. Our ancestors learned many things from Scripture, thought them through, and put them into the church's practice. We want to benefit from their learning and wisdom.

One area in which we see a need to rediscover the "old paths" is worship, the central thing in our relationship with God. In worship we come into the very presence of God. The church's life of interpersonal relations, missions, evangelism and mercy flows from its worship.

We would like to rediscover rather than reinvent worship. We believe that worship should be reverent, joyful, and God-centered, following Scriptural patterns; that preaching should be substantial as well as relevant; that prayer is of primary importance in worship; and that music in worship should have beauty and substance.

REFORMED

The leaders of the Reformation rediscovered the Bible at a time when it was neglected. By "Reformed," we mean the understanding of the Bible that developed during the Reformation in Switzerland, the Netherlands, England, and Scotland. Most of English speaking Protestantism grew from these roots, and most Christianity in America in the early days of this country was of this sort. By "Reformed" we also mean (and believe in) church government that is led by elders, elected by a congregation.

The "rallying" convictions of the Reformation, with which we agree, have sometimes been summarized in the following mottos:

Sola Scriptura- Holy Scripture is the supreme authority in the Church and Christian life.
Sola Gratia- God's free grace alone is the source of salvation
Sola Fide- faith alone is the instrument for receiving salvation.
Solus Christus- Christ alone is the author of salvation.
Soli Deo Gloria- God alone receives credit, glory for salvation, and transformed lives.

COMMUNITY

The early disciples of Christ were bound together not only by a shared experience and convictions about Jesus, but by a shared life. Jesus saw this shared life as something of great importance. We believe that true "community" is a rare thing in our day, but it is needed just as now as it was then. This means we must put a premium on relationships, on welcoming and accepting others, and on hospitality.

THE GREAT COMMISSION

We believe that our knowing God, our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, is the greatest thing we possess. Christ has given us life, and Christ wants that knowledge shared. We are called to be His witnesses.

THE MERCY MANDATE

Jesus spoke stern and serious words in Matthew 25, indicating that the grace that makes for a true disciple will show itself in deeds of mercy and kindness. In John's Gospel the resurrected Christ told the disciples He was sending them as He was sent. The summary of true religion in James 1 includes as one of its 2 components deeds of mercy. We believe that mercy should be the direct overflow of our worshiping the God who has been merciful to us, and will emphasize this in the life of our church.

ALL OF GRACE

We believe that none of what we are as Christians, none of what we are to be or become, can come about apart from God doing it. All is of grace, and we desire to live in light of that grace with God's help.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you would like to know more about the beliefs that are common to all Associate Reformed Presbyterian Churches, please check out these pages at our denomination’s website:

http://www.arpsynod.org/whatwebelieve.html

http://www.arpsynod.org/resources.html