Beliefs and values are two important concepts that fall at the center of the Christian faith. They keep us grounded, and ultimately lead us closer to God. At FPC our beliefs and values reflect how we see God in our lives.
Our Beliefs and Values
Our Beliefs in a Nutshell
The Presbyterian faith has complex layers, even within the denomination itself. As with most religions, we can trace back our earliest beliefs to that of the followers of Jesus in the Bible. From there, more beliefs came out of the reformation where the Protestant church split off the Church of England. Presbyterians also differ from other Protestants when it comes to certain values and governing systems within the church. At FPC, we also use many confessional statements expressed by the Church over the centuries to guide us in what scripture leads us to believe, say and do.
- Trinity - that God is One: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Incarnation - that Christ is fully divine and fully human
- As a Confessional Church, we also hold to the declarations of faith found in The Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed.
- Salvation is by grace alone.
- Scripture is our sole guide for faith and practice.
- The sovereignty of God. God is ultimately in charge of all things.
- The election of God's people for His service. We did not choose God but He first chose us.
- The covenant (agreement) initiated by God which binds us to each other and to God.
- The stewardship of all creation. We are accountable for how we invest ourselves in the work of God's Kingdom.
- The reality of sin in all people. We are all flawed and broken. Only God is perfect and without error.
Living in the Tension of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
While we continue to be a part of the PC(USA) and actively participate in the mission of The Presbytery of Western Colorado, we have agreed to disagree on various positions within our denomination. We joined with The Fellowship of Presbyterians in 2012. After much discussion and prayer, we humbly made our position on same-sex marriage (Marriage Statement) clear in 2015. Our elders, deacons and pastors all stand together in the vows (Ordination Vows) we take as leaders, knowing that we do not have full understanding about a number of issues but still need to lead with clarity.
FPC Values
Since 2007, FPC has been guided by the values crafted, committed to and communicated regularly with our church family. We seek to embrace these in all we do, plan and carry out together. We share these values with those who attend our Connections Class, admit we have yet to fully embody them, and know there are other God-honoring values we haven't included. Each of these impact how we live out God's call to be The Church.
Foundational Values
Who We Hope to Be
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Christ-Centered
Christ is the firm foundation upon which we build our lives. As we focus on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see more clearly God's plan for us to be forgiven and reconciled to Him. When we are influenced by external and internal factors, it is Christ through the Holy Spirit who calls us back to His way, His truth, and His life.
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Missional
God calls us to action. As we strengthen one another in the body of Christ, we seek to become God's hands, feet, and voice in our community and world.
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Loving
God calls us to love as he loves: unconditionally, patiently, and graciously. As His followers we believe that loving God and loving others in genuine and consistent ways is more important than worldly success.
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Biblical
We believe all scripture is the inspired Word of God that dynamically bears witness to Christ and points us in His direction. Both Old and New Testaments tell the grand story of who God is and who we are called to be. We seek not only to understand God's Word, but to be transformed in our everyday lives through prayer and study.
Upcoming Events
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