We are “Reformed” in our faith and practice, which means that our church is part of the fruit of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Christ’s Church is nurtured by deep, historical roots. Driven by a passion for the Word of God, the Reformation was a recovery of five Scriptural principles:

1. Scripture Alone (Sola Scriptura)—Scripture is the Word of God, and is the ultimate source of authority in the Church. Our consciences are not bound to the words of men, but to the Word of God.
2. Faith Alone (Sola Fide)—God is the one who saves sinners, and He saves them by giving them the ability to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.
3. Grace Alone (Sola Gratia)—Scripture teaches that people are saved not by what they do, but by what God has done for them in the person and work of His Son, Christ Jesus. It is by grace that we have been saved, through faith.
4. Christ Alone (Sola Christos)—Christ alone is the Savior of sinners. We rely on His blood and His obedience to save us for eternal life.
5. God’s Glory Alone (Soli Deo Gloria)—We live for God’s glory. All creation exists for His glory and praise.

This is the message that turned the world upside down. We boldly and confidently proclaim this message of freedom and liberty to the world around us.

The word “gospel” means “good news” and it is the heart of the Bible!  God made man and woman perfect and upright but they chose to go their own way; they fell into sin and rebellion against God.  The Bible tells the unfolding of the “good news” that even though we are more sinful than we could ever imagine, we are also more loved than we could ever dare hope.  Jesus, being fully God, came from heaven, was born a human, lived the life we could not live, and died the death that we should have died.  He broke death and rose from the dead, reigning now at the Father’s right hand, interceding for His people.

By His grace, God takes the initiative in establishing a relationship with us, reaches down, captures our heart, and invites us into an irresistible relationship with Himself.  To say that we believe in the gospel is to say that we believe in the Bible, that we believe what it says about God, about us, and about how the Father reconciled us to Himself through His Son.

Our beliefs are not new; they have always been the beliefs of God’s people.  That is why we gladly affirm the historic statements of faith:

• The Apostle’s Creed
• The Nicene Creed
• The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms

We gladly affirm the following summary* of what the Bible teaches:

• We believe the Bible is the written word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in the original manuscripts. The Bible is the revelation of God’s truth and is infallible and authoritative in all matters of faith and  practice.
• We believe in the Holy Trinity. There is one God, who exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
• We believe that all are sinners and totally unable to save themselves from God’s displeasure, except by His mercy.
• We believe that salvation is by God alone as He sovereignly chooses those He will save.  We believe His choice is based on His grace, not on any human individual merit, or foreseen faith.
• We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who through His perfect life and sacrificial death atoned for the sins of all who will trust in Him, alone, for salvation.
• We believe that God is gracious and faithful to His people not simply as individuals but as families in successive generations according to His Covenant promises.
• We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells God’s people and gives them the strength and wisdom to trust Christ and follow Him.
• We believe that Jesus will return, bodily and visibly, to judge all mankind and to receive His people to Himself.
• We believe that all aspects of our lives are to be lived to the glory of God under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
  

  * from the website of the Presbyterian Church in America

We also believe that the gospel is intended to be lived out in a community of people who believe the same thing; that the best way to learn this gospel is in a community of people who wrestle together through the pains, trials, and questions of life; that the best way to make this gospel known is through a community of people who live out their beliefs together.  We believe that this community of people is the church and we are one part of it.

That is why we are glad to be a part of Calvary Presbytery within the Presbyterian Church in America.