WE ARE CHRISTIAN
We are disciples of Jesus Christ, joined with Christian believers across time and space who embrace Jesus as God’s Word made Flesh. We believe Jesus Christ must be at the center of our lives and making disciples of Jesus must be at the core of our ministry. We believe the Bible is the unique and authoritative Word of God, which teaches all that is necessary for faith and life. The prominence of God’s Word over our lives shapes our priorities, and the unrivaled authority of the Bible directs our actions to be in concert with Christ’s very best for our lives. We affirm the essential beliefs shared by Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, and Evangelical Christians throughout the world, as expressed in The Apostles Creed.
WE ARE MISSIONAL
We believe that the church is not an institution unto itself—but the Body of Christ sent into the world to bring the hope of Jesus. We are committed to reaching beyond ourselves—following in the way of Jesus. We believe in living out the whole of the Great Commission – including evangelism, spiritual formation, compassion, and redemptive justice – in our communities and around the world. We believe identifying and developing gospel-centered leaders is critical for the church, and a great leadership culture is risk-taking, innovative, and organic.
WE ARE EVANGELICAL
We embrace the true spirit of the word evangelical, which comes from the Greek word for “gospel” or “good news.” Rather than describing any political alignment or rigid system of doctrine, “evangelical” in its original sense describes a desire to joyfully embrace the life God offers through Jesus Christ and to share (through both gracious word and deed) the good news of God’s grace and truth.
WE ARE PRESBYTERIAN
The term “presbyterian” merely distinguishes a part of the Body of Christ governed by elders (presbyters). Presbyterians and our elder-focused church structure have been particularly influential in the United States since before the founding of our nation. We have been leaders in government, commerce, science, and the arts; instrumental in founding hospitals, schools, and colleges; and champions of social justice built on biblical principles. Presbyterians have trained and sent missionaries to teach and model the Good News of Jesus Christ around the world. We are part of this legacy, and are actively engaged with more than four dozen other Presbyterian congregations through the Presbytery of Tropical Florida in South Florida. We believe in theological education, constant learning, and the life of the mind, and celebrate this as one of the treasures of our Reformed heritage. As Presbyterians, we are part of a denominational structure that connects leaders and congregations to one another in healthy relationships of accountability, synergy, and care.
