Our Beliefs

We believe that the Bible is contained in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe it is the inspired, inerrant, infallible, living, and all-sufficient Word of God. By the sovereign power of the Holy Spirit, God’s Word is the primary means by which the elect are united to the risen Christ and nourished unto eternal life. The Bible alone is the sole rule for our faith and practice. 

What we believe about the Bible is contained in the Westminster Standards (the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, 1646). We do not recognize these documents as infallible but as a sound interpretation of biblical doctrine and a faithful expression of the historic Christian faith (our pastor, elders, and deacons all subscribe to the Westminster Standards).

To summaarize, we look no further than the five slogans that emerged from the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. The five slogans teach:

1. Salvation is by grace alone (sola gratia)
2. Salvation is through faith alone (sola fide)
3. Salvation is in Christ alone (solus Christus)
4. The Bible alone is the Word of God (sola Scriptura)
5. To God alone be the glory (soli Deo gloria).  

Furthermore, we hold to a high view of the work of called, trained, and ordained leadership in the life of the local church. As the ordained leadership shepherd and feed the flock through spiritual oversight, discipline, doctrine, preaching, prayer, and the right administration of the sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper), God promises to bless His redeemed children with growth in grace.

We believe in a warm and welcoming expression of the Christian faith, one that promotes and defends sound doctrine while at the same time exhibiting sincere love, joy, humility, patience, and kindness. 

We believe that the Bible teaches a Presbyterian form of church government. The word Presbyterian is derived from the Greek word for elder (presbuteros). The Apostle Paul, in the pastoral epistles, not only gave explicit direction for the appointment of a plurality of elders in every church (i.e., Titus 1:5; Acts 20:17), but, in addition, provided clear qualifications for the office of elder (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).

We understand the office of elder to be divided into two distinctive roles, that of ruling elder and teaching elder or pastor (1 Timothy 5:17). Both ruling and teaching elders are responsible to provide loving and encouraging spiritual oversight for every member of the flock (1 Peter 5:1-3). However, the teaching elder or pastor is called, in particular, to “work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17).

Under a Presbyterian or representative form of government, members of the local church are accountable to their session of elders, sessions are accountable to their local presbytery, and presbyteries are accountable to the General Assembly (c.f. Acts 15). In a day when moral and doctrinal oversight and accountability are rare in the church, God’s prescribed form of shepherding His people exalts His divine wisdom and care. The Apostle Paul charged the Ephesian elders to “pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). 

The Book of Church Order, commonly referred to as BCO, is part of the constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America, which is subject to and subordinate to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the inerrant Word Of God. The BCO is comprised of the Form of Government, the Rules of Discipline, and the Directory for Worship as adopted by the Church.

At Faith Presbyterian Church, worship is considered the highest priority and privilege of the Christian Church (Psalm 100). We desire that our worship:

1. Glorifies God
2. Edifies the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16)
3. Magnifies the message of salvation through Christ alone (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)

At FPC, we adhere to the regulative principle of worship which teaches that only what God explicitly commands in Scripture should be included in worship, rejecting anything not prescribed in His Word. This principle is rooted in passages like Leviticus 10:1-3 (Nadab and Abihu’s unauthorized worship), Deuteronomy 12:32 (“You shall not add to it or take from it”), Matthew 15:9 (vain worship through human traditions), and Colossians 2:23 (warning against self-made religion). We follow this principle to ensure that our worship is pleasing to God, free from human invention, and centered on His revealed will rather than personal preference.

Here is a list of the elements of worship regulated by Scripture, with full references from the English Standard Version (ESV):

1. Call to Worship

God summons His people to worship Him.

• Psalm 95:6 – “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”
• Psalm 100:2-4 – “Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! … Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!”

2. Prayer

Corporate and individual prayer, including adoration, thanksgiving, intercession, and supplication.

• 1 Timothy 2:1-2 – “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
• Acts 2:42 – “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

3. Confession of Sin

Acknowledging sin before God, individually and corporately.

• 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
• Nehemiah 9:3 – “And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God.”
• Psalm 32:5 – “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”

4. Assurance of Pardon

A declaration of God’s forgiveness through Christ.

• Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
• Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

5. Reading of Scripture

Public reading of God’s Word to the congregation.

• 1 Timothy 4:13 – “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.”
• Nehemiah 8:8 – “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.”

6. Preaching and Teaching

Proclaiming and explaining the Word of God.

• 2 Timothy 4:2 – “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
• Acts 2:42 – “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

7. Singing of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

Congregational singing as commanded in Scripture.

• Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
• Ephesians 5:19 – “Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.”

8. Administration of the Sacraments

Baptism – A sign of entrance into the covenant community.

• Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
• Acts 2:38 – “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.’”

The Lord’s Supper – A memorial of Christ’s sacrifice.

• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 – “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

9. Tithes and Offerings

Giving to the Lord as an act of worship.

• 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 – “Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”
• 2 Corinthians 9:7 – “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

10. Benediction and Blessing

A pronouncement of God’s blessing upon His people.

• Numbers 6:24-26 – “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
• 2 Corinthians 13:14 – “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

One of the primary tasks of the leadership of FPC is to keep the means of grace central in the life of the church. The means of grace (Word, sacraments and prayer) are the means that God Himself has personally appointed and promised to bless for the salvation, sanctification, and comfort of His people (c.f. Acts 2:42).

It is through the Word (read and preached), sacraments, and prayer that God’s people are united to Christ and, in Him, nourished and kept unto eternal life. The unadorned means of Word, sacrament, and prayer are spurned by the world as a foolish waste of time (1 Corinthians 1:18, 21). The means of grace are viewed by pragmatic church growth experts as ineffective and irrelevant. However, we understand the Word, sacraments, and prayer to be the very means by which the Holy Spirit unites sinners, through faith, to God’s crucified and risen Son (c.f. Westminster Shorter Catechism Q. 88).

FPC's music for worship intends to be God-glorifying, Christ-centered, biblical corporate worship that vibrantly responds to the greatness of God in his providence, grace, and love as evident in the gospel. Thus, it's our hope that we all learn what it means to be true worshippers of God during this aspect of the service.

Worship is gratefulness for the good news--it becomes our desire to magnify God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit by skillfully combining God’s Word with music, as believers have done from the beginning of time and will continue to do throughout eternity. It is indeed what is regulated by Scripture.

Song Criteria

Is the song biblical? The lyrics must be in accord with the truth of God’s Word and fit with our confessional understanding of Scripture.

Is the song God-glorifying? Does the song direct us toward God? Does the song revere and praise God, or is it solely reflecting on the benefits he bestows to me in the experience of worship?

Is the song Christ-centered? Does it focus on boasting too much of my own commitment and devotion rather than the merits of Christ’s finished work?

Is the song singable? In Psalms, we find the congregation of God's people singing together with the blessing of a variety of instruments.  Therefore, we choose songs that are suitable for the whole congregation and accompany our singing with various instruments.

To accomplish the above, FPC primarily uses the Trinity Psalter Hymnal but we'll often incorporate many other traditional or modern songs that will be printed in the bulletin.

If you have any questions regarding our worship music, please contact Rev. Naulty.

FPC is committed to personal and corporate evangelism. However, we understand evangelism and mission to be more than just an event facilitated by a church or the handing out of a gospel tract. Gospel proclamation primarily entails the faithful reading and preaching of the Scriptures in the gathered public worship of God on the Lord’s Day. Worship is doxological evangelism. The Gospel is also proclaimed when God’s people scatter throughout the week to their homes, neighborhoods, and vocations and share the gospel with others––thus being salt and light in a corrupt and dark world (Matthew 5:16).

The end goal of our evangelistic endeavors, whether at home or abroad, is not simply to get people to make a decision or pray the sinner’s prayer. Rather, it is to lead people to committed church membership and a lifetime of repentance and faith in Christ through the ordinary, yet life-transforming, ministry of the Word, sacraments, and prayer.

Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

At FPC, we encourage strong unity and loving hospitality. We want to be warm and welcoming to all those that visit us. We firmly believe that as Christ and His Word remain central, God’s people will stand faithfully with, and for, one another.