At Grace, we hope to see every aspect of our faith and practice shaped by Scripture. The Bible is our highest standard. What do we believe the Scriptures teach? You will find that answer in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the accompanying Shorter and Larger Catechisms. Together these give a foundational grasp of the system of doctrine taught in Scripture.
Orthodox
the ancient faith handed down by the apostles
Grace affirms and confesses the great ecumenical creeds of the ancient church which defined the Christian doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation of Christ. We often use the Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Chalcedonian Definition as confessions of faith in our worship. The word orthodox means 'right belief,' and emphasizes our connection to the broader church of Jesus Christ throughout the ages.
Reformational
grace alone by faith alone
We believe in justification by faith and the sovereignty of God in all things, including salvation. The Westminster Standards are our doctrinal statement, and we frequently use the Scots’ Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and other Reformation-era confessions in our worship. Reformational thought sees all of life as lived before the face of God. Thus, we seek to glorify God not only in our worship on Sundays but in every aspect of life: in our vocations, in our relationships, in our civic and social spheres.
Liturgical
ancient worship for today
The elements of Christian worship are given to us by God in Scripture. The way in which those elements are handled -- the circumstances, so to speak -- are left to the wisdom of the church. Grace worships in a self-consciously historical way, using liturgical forms from the Reformation and before, both as a way of connecting our own practice to the larger church and as a means of forming our hearts and minds. You do not passively observe worship at Grace. Rather, you are a participant.
Presbyterian
a community led by elders
Like the synagogues before them, the first Christian churches were led not by a single officer but by a group of elders. The Greek word for these men was presbyter. This form of church government, recovered during the Reformation, is characteristic of Reformed and Presbyterian churches like ours. Our ordained ministers are called teaching elders, and they are joined by ruling elders from the congregation. All of our elders serve a pastoral role, giving oversight to the life of the church.