WHAT DOES THIS CHURCH BELIEVE?
We believe all Scripture is self-attesting and being Truth, requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life. The infallible Word of God, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks. On this sure foundation we affirm these Essentials: First Presbyterian Church | Our Beliefs (greenvillepres.org)
WHY DO WE RECITE THINGS ALOUD?
The church is a community of shared faith. We affirm our most fundamental beliefs through corporate recitation of creeds and prayers. Each month will highlight a different affirmation: Psalm 23, The Apostle’s Creed & The Lord’s Prayer.
WHY ARE WE SINGING THESE SONGS?
Music, as a part of Creation, is beautiful, good, and full of variety. People made in God’s image enjoy many different styles of music. Singing in worship helps the congregation to focus on what God has done in Christ for each one of them. At FPC you will hear a blend of old and new songs. Some songs are from our treasured tradition of hymnody while others are contemporary. The goal of our song choices is to facilitate our worship of God through thoughtful lyrics that engage our minds and hearts.
WHAT IS A PRESBYTERIAN?
A presbyterian church is governed by elders, selected from the congregation. Elders are under shepherds of Christ, the head of the church. Our pastor is a teaching elder who moderates the session, the governing board of FPC.
FPC strives to be a Great Commission church. The goal of our church is to provide a place where people can come as they are to worship and learn Christ. Learning Christ is both a once-for-all choice to serve Him at conversion and a lifelong process of denying the self and taking up His cross in humble repentance, faith, and obedience. We provide opportunities for people to grow in grace. And we pray that they would become ambassadors of the gospel, taking the good news of forgiveness to the world.
WHAT IS "PASS THE PROMISE"?
Pass the promise is a Biblical concept that we find going back to the first sermon that Peter preached at Pentecost.
Acts 2:38-39 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Peter intentionally highlights that this promise is for God’s people and for our children. It is the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ. The reason children are mentioned is because we have a responsibility as parents to give these promises to our children just as Deuteronomy 6:4 clearly describes. The Shema (as it is known) teaches us that it is our job as parents and as the community of God’s people to pass the Word of God on to our children. As New Testament believers in the church, we know this to be the gospel of Jesus Christ.
WHY
The church in our time has struggled to keep this important concept front and center in our worship life. Christian moms and dads pray for their children to know and follow the Lord. All-too-often we see kids raised in Christian homes who do not maintain or pursue their faith as adults. They are lost somewhere between their family of origin and their adult life. Pass the promise is the commitment of the church to partner with parents to build generational faithfulness into families that will stand the test of time and the culture around us. This responsibility falls primarily on the parent, but at FPC we are here to support and help pass the promise to your children.
HOW
At FPC we are committed to partnering with parents to establish good faith habits in the home. We provide resources and support by way of counseling or education toward making the concepts and practices of the Shema a reality in our lives. The stages of development from infancy through young adulthood are in vision as we seek to come along-side your family as we pursue Jesus together.
We hope you will consider joining us at FPC, allowing the people of God and the Word of God to play the necessary and important role of guiding your family in these formative years. Pass the Promise to your sons and daughters.
Check out the FPC Kids hallway to see some of these resources first-hand for yourself!
WHAT IS LITURGICAL WORSHIP?
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