What We Believe
Our Vision
First
CRC of London will be a loving community where
people Discover Christ and Grow in Him.
Worship
Mission
Mission for worship of God’s people,
always and everywhere:
Our mission in worship
is to live out our God-created communal connection
to Him by our allegiance & worship of
Him. Worship is the authentic God meeting
his authentic people. Our access to God is
through the Son and so our purpose is to discover
Christ and grow in Him. Worship is Trinitarian:
remembering the Father’s faithfulness,
celebrating the Son’s sacrifice, and
being empowered by the Spirit’s presence.
All worship is directed by the Living Word
of God.
Vision
A vision for worship at First CRC, London
We hope
to be led by God to worship Him in ways that
are ancient & future, creative & expressive,
and deeply owned by those who seek to discover
and grow in Christ.
Outreach
As a church located in the heart of London,
we are committed to being a downtown and regional
presence, responding to the broad range of needs
of our community.
Relationships
Our aim is to be a caring and welcoming community,
involved in small groups as well as larger fellowship.
Everyone is intentionally challenged to share
their lives, laying their burdens down and finding
comfort in Christ.
Teaching
Because of the goodness and greatness of our
God, we are continually learning. We grow as
disciples through Christ-centered teaching,
in which we learn about Christ and His world,
and are encouraged to trust in Him.
Service
Aiming to be Christ-like disciples, our service
to others is a reflection of our love for God.
Organization
Our aim for clarity and efficiency within our
organizational structure will allow our leadership
to enjoy the freedom to be bold in Christ. This
in turn will enable us to joyfully carry out
the ministries of our church.
Physical
Structure
We are committed to developing facilities that
meet the needs of the broad range of daily ministries
of our church. Our building developments aim
to respect people, our neighbourhood, and the
environment.
Our Beliefs
Biblical Standard
The beliefs and doctrine
of the Christian Reformed Church are based on
the Holy Bible, God's infallible written Word
contained in the 66 books the of Old and New
Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely,
verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit
and that it is the supreme and final authority
in all matters on which it speaks.
Beliefs: Doctrinal Standards
The Christian Reformed
Church subscribes to the following confessions:
The
Belgic Confession
The
Canons of Dort
The
Heidelberg Catechism
Beliefs: Ecumenical
Creeds
The Christian Reformed Church subscribes to
the following three creeds:
The
Apostles' Creed
The
Athanasian Creed
The
Nicene Creed
Where We Fit Within
the Family of Churches
The Christian Reformed
Church calls itself Christian because it forms
one small part of Christ’s church on earth.
It recognizes as fellow-Christians all people
who accept the teachings of the Bible as they
are summarized so beautifully in the Apostles’
Creed. This includes believers from many denominations
such as Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran,
Baptist, Presbyterian, and Pentecostal. We may
disagree with these believers on some practices
or teachings. But we recognize them as sisters
and brothers in Christ if they believe in God
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and if they
confess that Jesus died for their sins, rose
from the dead, and ascended into heaven.
Together with other Protestant
churches, the CRC teaches that:
- the Bible is our only
reliable guide to what we should believe and
how we should conduct our lives (2 Tim. 3:14-17).
It is God’s unfailing Word to us. It
shows us who God is by telling us the great
things God has done. The Bible leads us to
a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
- God saves us by grace,
by his acts of kindness and love that we do
not deserve. Our own efforts cannot rescue
us from sin. Only Jesus’ sacrifice on
the cross can make us right with God (Eph.
2:8-10). The good we do is the result of our
salvation, not its cause.
- we can be saved only
by faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18).
The CRC calls itself
Reformed because it stands in the tradition
of the Reformed churches. These churches follow
the teachings of the sixteenth-century church
reformer John Calvin. Calvin struggled valiantly
to return Christianity back to its biblical
roots. CRC teachings are closely akin to Presbyterian
and other Reformed churches, and it enjoys solid
relationships with many of them.
