Our Purpose
We exist as a congregation to know Jesus Christ and to make Him known:
- To proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ so all may come to know and love Him;
- To nurture His people in joyful faith, fellowship, and commitment; and
- To demonstrate His way of love in service to the world.
Our Beliefs
We believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Three of the hallmarks of our “reformed” faith:
- Salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone.
- Reliance on the Scriptures as our authority for faith and practice.
- The priesthood of all believers, expressed in the saying “Every member a minister.”
We believe that God calls us to faith in Christ, and that God’s grace alone allows us to respond. We
celebrate two sacraments: baptism and communion.
BAPTISM
At FPC, we believe that the Holy Spirit claims us in the waters of baptism—God claims us to be His own!
Baptism acknowledges our intention to live as God’s people or our intention to raise our children in the
ways of Christ. While the act of baptism takes only minutes, the commitment represented by
baptism—both God’s promise to us and our response of faith—is eternal. We offer baptism both to believers—those who have made a conscious decision to follow Christ in their daily lives—and to infants whose parents would like to make a public commitment to nurture their children in faith with the help of the church family. To request a baptism at FPC, call or email the church office.
COMMUNION
The service of communion is open to all who call Christ Lord, not limited by denomination or membership. Everyone is welcome to the Table of Christ in this church, whether they have ever had a “First Communion” or not. Access to the Table is a gift of grace to the undeserving who come in faith,
repentance, and love. Baptized children who are being instructed by parents or teachers in the meaning
of this meal are invited to participate. Those who doubt or whose trust is wavering may come to the Table in order to be assured of God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ.
At FPC, we serve Communion by intinction: One takes a piece of bread and dips it in the cup. Ushers
direct the rows to come forward to receive the bread and cup as the congregation shares Christ’s supper. Those who are unable to come forward who wish to be served while sitting in the pew may let an usher know. Those deciding not to partake may remain seated in meditation. Those with allergies or who prefer not to partake from the common plate or cup are invited to receive peanut, nut, gluten, and dairy-free elements from the center Elder at the front of the church.
What is a Presbyterian?
The word “Presbyterian” refers to the way our church is governed. “Presbyterian” comes from the Greek
word “Presbuteros” which means “Elder.” FPC is governed by Elders—ordained church members elected
by the congregation to lead and govern the church. Our goal is not to make “Presbyterians” but to build
more faithful followers of Jesus Christ.