What is Christianity? Perhaps you have heard people describe Christianity as a philosophy or even an ethical stance. Perhaps you have heard people claim that it is actually an experience. While each of these descriptions is something a Christian has, no one description serves as a definition of what Christianity is. Christianity has at its core a transaction between God and man. A person who becomes a Christian moves from knowing about God distantly to know about God intimately and directly. Christianity is, above all, knowing God. And what we call the gospel is the good news that we can know God because of who Jesus Christ is and what he has done. In short:

We believe that God has given us good news in Jesus Christ.

• The good news is that Jesus is God’s Son, entering our world, sharing our nature, in order to become our Savior and Lord.
• The good news is that Jesus’ life of obedience, his death on the cross, and his resurrection bring us forgiveness and new life.
• The good news calls us to trust in Christ, to receive peace with God and in the power of God’s Spirit to turn from our sinfulness and to live for him.

We believe that, through Christ, God can be known as our Heavenly Father, and that through the Holy Spirit we may trust, love, and worship him.

• Our Christian faith is empowered by his presence—through the Holy Spirit.
• Our Christian lives are lived in his family—the church.
• Our Christian worship involves praising him—as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe that through the Bible, God teaches us what to believe about him and how to live for him.

• In our church life and in our personal lives we submit to the authority of the Bible.
• In our church gatherings we place an emphasis on teaching from the Bible.
• In our church family we encourage personal and corporate Bible study.

We believe that the world’s greatest need is to hear and respond to this good news. That is why we want to encourage others:

• To believe in Christ as Savior and Lord.
• To experience the power of the Holy Spirit.
• To know God as Father.
• To discover God’s will in the pages of the Bible.
• To take part in the life of his family, the church.
• To bring the good news to the whole world.

And a little bit more about our beliefs…

Now the above statements are intended to serve as a summary for you of our core beliefs and commitments. However, Redeemer also belongs to a wider family of churches—that of the Presbyterian Church in America, a denomination with roots in the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Having had the benefit of a long spiritual heritage over many generations in which godly Christians have studied and thought through the Scriptures, we as a church affirm our commitment to the fuller expression of our the doctrinal beliefs as they are contained in the Westminster Confession of Faith, together with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.

Now Redeemer understands that regardless of our statement of faith, our friends around us are skeptical when considering Christianity and need to “feel” the love of Christ if they are to ever believe the above statements. We believe that the surest way for people to experience God’s love is through vibrant church fellowship that is committed to teaching the Bible. Therefore, we as a church are continually seeking to grow not only in our understanding of biblical truth, but also in the manifestation of our love towards God, one another, and this world. So please join us if you already share our Christian faith. Please join us if you are exploring the Christian faith for the first time. We’ll be glad to see you and do all we can to make you feel welcome and at home.