Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What time do your Sunday services start?
9:25 am and (from Sept. to May) 6:00 pm
Q2. What kinds of things do you have going on @ your church?
Great question! See our Calendar page.
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Q3. What kinds of events do you have for youth?
All kinds of events! From serious Bible study to wild "bigger or better" games, and a lot of things in between. See our Youth blog for details.
Q4. Do you have a nursery?
Of course we have a nursery! During our Sunday morning service we provide a fully staffed nursery with 2 adult and 2 youth volunteers. There's also a "cry room" if you want to keep your child close and need a space to participate in the service while he or she fusses (though frankly, we love kids so much we don't really mind if they fuss during the service).
Q5. Is your sanctuary handicap accessible?
Absolutely. Plus, we provide personal receivers for anyone who needs a little extra help hearing the service.
Q6. How do I get in touch with the pastor or the church office?
Phone number and emails are available on our Contact page.
Q7. How big is your church?
Around 14,000 square feet (give or take the difference in my estimating skills). On average, around 196 men, women, and children occupy that space on Sunday mornings.
Q8. Is your service traditional or contemporary? And what should I wear when I come?
Our service is definitely on the traditional end of things as far as that goes, but we're incorporating more and more contemporary elements. In the end, our goal is to facilitate a blended service that honors the best of both styles, so some Sundays you'll see the pastor in a robe and other Sundays you'll see him (gasp!) in jeans. You'll also sing the great hymns of the church accompanied by an organ and the great choruses of the church accompanied by a piano or guitar. Some Sundays you'll hear great formal language that would be at home in the finest cathedrals of the world and other Sundays you'll hear down-home explanations of Biblical truths that mirror the tone of Jesus' parables. Most of the time, you'll probably hear both kinds of language, and our goal is to be a place where people from all walks of life can hear the message of the Gospel in a way that makes it understandable and exciting.
As for what you should wear, come in what you find most comfortable. We have people who wear their "Sunday Best" every week and others who would rather not dress up after being "business casual" all week. In general we're somewhere pretty close to a "slacks and a polo" or "skirt and a blouse" kind of church, but first and foremost our commitment is to substance over style; God looks at the heart, and we're going to do our best to emulate Him.
As for what you should wear, come in what you find most comfortable. We have people who wear their "Sunday Best" every week and others who would rather not dress up after being "business casual" all week. In general we're somewhere pretty close to a "slacks and a polo" or "skirt and a blouse" kind of church, but first and foremost our commitment is to substance over style; God looks at the heart, and we're going to do our best to emulate Him.
Q9. Aren't Presbyterians kind of liberal?
Yes, especially our particular branch of the Presbyterian tree, which is called the PC(USA). However, you'll find that our congregation and pastor sit comfortably on the conservative and evangelical end of the Presbyterian spectrum, both theologically and socially. For example, our congregation supports several conservative coalitions within the PC(USA) and is a proud supporter of Presbyterians Pro-Life.
None of our theological and social commitments mean that we are unwilling to make room for divergent perspectives, but they do very much point to our convictions about the authority of the Bible and the importance of putting faith into action. So you won't just find us saying things like, "abortion is wrong." You'll also find that we back up a statement like that with support for pregnancy care centers and adoption, as well as a willingness to walk beside women and couples who've made that choice and to communicate a message of grace that affirms our common need for redemption and salvation.
None of our theological and social commitments mean that we are unwilling to make room for divergent perspectives, but they do very much point to our convictions about the authority of the Bible and the importance of putting faith into action. So you won't just find us saying things like, "abortion is wrong." You'll also find that we back up a statement like that with support for pregnancy care centers and adoption, as well as a willingness to walk beside women and couples who've made that choice and to communicate a message of grace that affirms our common need for redemption and salvation.
Q10. What do you mean when you say you're Christ-Centered, Bible-based, Family-Focused, and Mission-Minded?
Let's tackle those one at a time.
When we say we're Christ-Centered, we mean that everything we've said about ourselves is ultimately filtered through the reality of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. We mean that we would affirm the classic doctrines of the Church with respect to Jesus of Nazareth--that he was God incarnate, that he lived the kind of life for which we were truly designed, and that his death and bodily resurrection are the means by which we can be made into the kind of people God intended us to be. All of which means, in the most plain way possible, that Jesus is our example and we want to be the kind of congregation that follows in the footsteps of his gracious way of living and his courageous way of sacrificing himself for the sake of others.
What we mean when we say we're Bible-Based is that we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. As a complementary affirmation, we believe that God has safeguarded the transmission of the text in such a way that we have access to all that we need to know about how to live godly lives in relationship with our Creator. We also mean by it that we look to the Bible as our authority in matters of ethics and morality and for our understanding of how to answer the big worldview questions everyone has to deal with (why is there something rather than nothing? how did we get here and why? what's wrong with the world and how can it be fixed? what happens after we die?).
When we say we're Family-Focused, we mean that we are committed to providing programming and opportunities for growth to people of all ages. We recognize, of course, that it isn't quite as easy as it used to be to define the word "family", so while we love that there are so many traditional 2 parent households in our congregation, we affirm the fact that families now come in lots of different shapes and sizes. So whether you're the 9 year old only child of two older parents, or 75 and widowed, or 28 and married with 2.3 kids, or 41 and divorced, or 22 and freshly on your own out of college, or the 16 year old step-son in a blended family with 2 half-sisters who travels between households every other weekend, we are going to do our best to provide you with a place to grow in your faith and to know what it means to have a church family who loves you.
And finally, when we describe ourselves as being Mission-Minded, we mean to communicate our commitment to sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ with our world. We do this in many different ways, not least of which is through our lives and our life together as we try and show the difference Jesus has made in us. But our eyes are focused on more than just our community. We also faithfully support missionaries doing work around the world. We spend all year collecting supplies and putting together boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Our children collect money to support people in need at Thanksgiving. Our Presbyterian Women's group raises funds to support local and international charities. And, truly, the list goes on, so that in the end, what we mean is that we put our time and our money where our mouths are when it comes to supporting the work of God's Kingdom around the world.
When we say we're Christ-Centered, we mean that everything we've said about ourselves is ultimately filtered through the reality of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. We mean that we would affirm the classic doctrines of the Church with respect to Jesus of Nazareth--that he was God incarnate, that he lived the kind of life for which we were truly designed, and that his death and bodily resurrection are the means by which we can be made into the kind of people God intended us to be. All of which means, in the most plain way possible, that Jesus is our example and we want to be the kind of congregation that follows in the footsteps of his gracious way of living and his courageous way of sacrificing himself for the sake of others.
What we mean when we say we're Bible-Based is that we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. As a complementary affirmation, we believe that God has safeguarded the transmission of the text in such a way that we have access to all that we need to know about how to live godly lives in relationship with our Creator. We also mean by it that we look to the Bible as our authority in matters of ethics and morality and for our understanding of how to answer the big worldview questions everyone has to deal with (why is there something rather than nothing? how did we get here and why? what's wrong with the world and how can it be fixed? what happens after we die?).
When we say we're Family-Focused, we mean that we are committed to providing programming and opportunities for growth to people of all ages. We recognize, of course, that it isn't quite as easy as it used to be to define the word "family", so while we love that there are so many traditional 2 parent households in our congregation, we affirm the fact that families now come in lots of different shapes and sizes. So whether you're the 9 year old only child of two older parents, or 75 and widowed, or 28 and married with 2.3 kids, or 41 and divorced, or 22 and freshly on your own out of college, or the 16 year old step-son in a blended family with 2 half-sisters who travels between households every other weekend, we are going to do our best to provide you with a place to grow in your faith and to know what it means to have a church family who loves you.
And finally, when we describe ourselves as being Mission-Minded, we mean to communicate our commitment to sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ with our world. We do this in many different ways, not least of which is through our lives and our life together as we try and show the difference Jesus has made in us. But our eyes are focused on more than just our community. We also faithfully support missionaries doing work around the world. We spend all year collecting supplies and putting together boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Our children collect money to support people in need at Thanksgiving. Our Presbyterian Women's group raises funds to support local and international charities. And, truly, the list goes on, so that in the end, what we mean is that we put our time and our money where our mouths are when it comes to supporting the work of God's Kingdom around the world.
Q11. What are your core theological convictions?
Thanks for asking! Pastors love these kinds of questions!
For each conviction you'll find a short answer followed by some explanation, that way you can get a sense for what we hold most dear and then read the specifics as you please. Also, to keep the list from getting too long, you'll find some sub-categorization going on, though it's still a bit unwieldy when it comes down to it.
Our core theological convictions are:
1. That the Bible is the inspired Word of God. That is, that the Holy Spirit inspired the verbal and written transmission of the Bible as well as its eventual collection and canonization. Also, that the Bible is our only authoritative and infallible rule for faith and life--that everything we need to know in order to live a Godly life is contained therein.
2. That God exists in Trinity. That is, that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--three persons in one Godhead--distinctly coexisting in unity. Such as it is, the reality of this conviction is veiled in mystery and we affirm that we believe it even though we cannot fully comprehend it.
We would also affirm that the God who is revealed in the Bible and in Jesus Christ (see #3) is:
2a. Sovereign. That is, that this God is all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present.
2b. The only True God. We would therefore reject the notion that "all paths lead to the mountaintop".
2c. The Creator of all things.
3. That Jesus was fully human and fully divine. This conviction goes hand-in-hand with the previous one and simply expounds on the implications of the Trinity. That is, we believe that the man Jesus (of Nazareth), having been born to the virgin Mary following conception by the Holy Spirit, mysteriously contained in his person both the fullness of humanity and the essence of divinity.
We would further affirm of Jesus that:
3a. He was without sin. That is, that Jesus was free of the corruption that mars humanity.
3b. He was crucified and died. That is, that Jesus literally died on a cross. We would reject all attempts to mitigate
or redefine what happened there as anything other than death.
3c. He was resurrected bodily after 3 days. That is, that Jesus was literally resurrected back to life and not simply
resuscitated.
3d. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father.
3e. He is the only means of salvation. That is, there is ultimately no other means by which we may be reconciled to
God besides the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (see #4 for the reason we need to be reconciled).
3e. He will come back someday. That is, that Jesus will consummate all that was inaugurated in his first coming,
including bringing fulfillment to all God's promises about eternal life for those who believe in Jesus.
4. That human beings are both special and radically corrupted. The Biblical language for how special we are is that we are made in the "image of God". No one knows exactly what that means, but we do know that it speaks to the inherent worth and value of all human life, including those with mental and physical handicaps. As a complimentary affirmation, we would articulate that this specialness is present from conception.
The Biblical language for how radically corrupted we are is summarized in the word "sinful". What we do not mean by this is that humans are all as bad as they can possibly be, but rather, that each and every person is fundamentally flawed; that we have all inherited a sinful nature that renders us incapable of pleasing God apart from faith and participation in the work and life of Jesus Christ.
5. That every person will be judged by God. The theology behind this conviction is more complex than space allows for, but suffice it to say that we believe every person, whether they were Christian or not, will render an account for their life and be judged by God.
6. That God is going to make everything Right again someday. That is, that one day God is going declare an end to what we currently experience and provide a new heaven and a new earth where life will be lived as it was intended.
For each conviction you'll find a short answer followed by some explanation, that way you can get a sense for what we hold most dear and then read the specifics as you please. Also, to keep the list from getting too long, you'll find some sub-categorization going on, though it's still a bit unwieldy when it comes down to it.
Our core theological convictions are:
1. That the Bible is the inspired Word of God. That is, that the Holy Spirit inspired the verbal and written transmission of the Bible as well as its eventual collection and canonization. Also, that the Bible is our only authoritative and infallible rule for faith and life--that everything we need to know in order to live a Godly life is contained therein.
2. That God exists in Trinity. That is, that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--three persons in one Godhead--distinctly coexisting in unity. Such as it is, the reality of this conviction is veiled in mystery and we affirm that we believe it even though we cannot fully comprehend it.
We would also affirm that the God who is revealed in the Bible and in Jesus Christ (see #3) is:
2a. Sovereign. That is, that this God is all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present.
2b. The only True God. We would therefore reject the notion that "all paths lead to the mountaintop".
2c. The Creator of all things.
3. That Jesus was fully human and fully divine. This conviction goes hand-in-hand with the previous one and simply expounds on the implications of the Trinity. That is, we believe that the man Jesus (of Nazareth), having been born to the virgin Mary following conception by the Holy Spirit, mysteriously contained in his person both the fullness of humanity and the essence of divinity.
We would further affirm of Jesus that:
3a. He was without sin. That is, that Jesus was free of the corruption that mars humanity.
3b. He was crucified and died. That is, that Jesus literally died on a cross. We would reject all attempts to mitigate
or redefine what happened there as anything other than death.
3c. He was resurrected bodily after 3 days. That is, that Jesus was literally resurrected back to life and not simply
resuscitated.
3d. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father.
3e. He is the only means of salvation. That is, there is ultimately no other means by which we may be reconciled to
God besides the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (see #4 for the reason we need to be reconciled).
3e. He will come back someday. That is, that Jesus will consummate all that was inaugurated in his first coming,
including bringing fulfillment to all God's promises about eternal life for those who believe in Jesus.
4. That human beings are both special and radically corrupted. The Biblical language for how special we are is that we are made in the "image of God". No one knows exactly what that means, but we do know that it speaks to the inherent worth and value of all human life, including those with mental and physical handicaps. As a complimentary affirmation, we would articulate that this specialness is present from conception.
The Biblical language for how radically corrupted we are is summarized in the word "sinful". What we do not mean by this is that humans are all as bad as they can possibly be, but rather, that each and every person is fundamentally flawed; that we have all inherited a sinful nature that renders us incapable of pleasing God apart from faith and participation in the work and life of Jesus Christ.
5. That every person will be judged by God. The theology behind this conviction is more complex than space allows for, but suffice it to say that we believe every person, whether they were Christian or not, will render an account for their life and be judged by God.
6. That God is going to make everything Right again someday. That is, that one day God is going declare an end to what we currently experience and provide a new heaven and a new earth where life will be lived as it was intended.
