When the human race chose instead the way of self-love, we broke the world, broke our relationships with each other, and broke our relationship with the triune God. Nevertheless, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). That’s just the kind of God he is. So, two thousand years ago, the Father sent the Son into the world to be born as a human: Jesus of Nazareth. This is called the Incarnation (God the Son taking on a real human nature). Jesus reveals God to us, because he is God. He always has been, and he always will be. And what he reveals about God is good news for people like us. Jesus lived, died, and rose from the grave for his people, as one of us. God is the kind of God who, for love’s sake, would become a human and suffer to the uttermost in order to save us for relationship with himself and each other. And he did it in Christ. After his resurrection, Jesus returned (ascended) to Heaven, where he has been ruling over all things for the sake of his Church, sending forth his Spirit to advance his Kingdom of love, and interceding for his people at the throne of his Father. Now, by God’s grace, we participate together in Jesus’ everlasting life. Jesus prayed on our behalf, “This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). We enjoy the incarnate Son’s communion with the Father through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.Amen.

As a congregation of The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the Westminster Standards serve as a more thorough and official statement of what we believe, consisting of a Confession of Faith and two Catechisms. The Standards do not take the place of the Scriptures in our lives, but we believe they are a good interpretation of the Scriptures with regard to our great salvation. (Those who would become Elders or Deacons in our church must be able to affirm them with a good conscience.)