Fourth Presbyterian Church

We are a member congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (www.epc.org).

We want to live the gospel.
As the Gospel gives birth to Christians, it is also the means of true growth and spiritual progress. Because the Gospel announces that we are free of condemnation and righteous in Christ, gospel life is characterized by joy and freedom and spiritual health. Worship is the focus of our corporate life. It centers upon the living presence of the resurrected Christ and must display the sense of God's welcome. It must be reverent because the Lord is holy. It focuses upon the Word because God has spoken, and we are gathered to hear Him in obedience.

Preach and teach the Gospel.
The Gospel not only gives birth to Christians; it is also the means of Christian growth. We encourage Christians of every age to continually rediscover the Gospel in their lives and experience its transforming power. Because renewal takes place when truth and experience are united, we are committed to make it a priority to teach sound doctrine in every part of our church. But we know that mere intellectual understanding is not enough. We need a profound sense of the presence of God to "come down" upon every part of our life together; thus prayer is a priority for us.

As the Lord calls men and women from our congregation to life-long ministry and mission, we are committed to supporting them and rejoice in the privilege of being partnered with them in His worldwide work. We set a priority upon those outside of our nation who have never heard the Gospel.

Make mature believers.
Maturity in Christ means we are called to challenge the idols of our life and put Christ in the central place. In repentance we have found forgiveness and been made welcome by God. We seek to offer Christ's welcome to sinners; at the same time we challenge them to face the idols that keep them from God and hold their lives in bondage. Committed to the spiritual health of each member, we desire to encourage all members of our church to discover and use their spiritual gifts in the service of Christ. We believe that the Lord has placed all the gifts necessary for His work in the midst of the church that He is building. We want to provide an environment that welcomes the use of these gifts.

Equip believers
We are to be an agency to prepare God's people in this generation to live as disciples, knowing the Lord intimately, understanding His truth deeply, and demonstrating His presence by service to one another in the body of Christ. We want our church to provide a friendly and encouraging environment and welcome for all regardless of age or marital status. Yet we make a priority of families, recognizing that God has specially appointed and blessed the institution of marriage. We receive as a special charge the raising of our children and youth and will make their care and nurture in Christ a priority.

Living in the lost world.
While our ministry takes place in a technologically advanced and ever changing world, it remains a lost world, hating God and living in rebellion to Him. Understanding our culture enables us to be more effective in ministering within it. We will employ every legitimate means it offers to advance the Gospel. However, we want to encourage our people to stand for Christ, recognizing that the world is not friendly to Him. We do not expect it to make us welcome. Yet led by the Holy Spirit, we are fortified in the shared values of love, integrity, faith, truth, and service. We will seek as a family of faith to live in the present, yet with our focus on eternity