Purpose

The reason Elizabeth Presbyterian Church exists on this planet: Helping people meet and walk with Jesus. This is a paraphrase of the Great Commission from Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Our purpose then is twofold – helping people to meet the Lord and receive his salvation, and then discipling them in their Christian walks, teaching them the ways of the Lord.

Mission

One of the most important elements of the vision for our church is "local and global mission." And the impact of our efforts reaches near and far. Ten percent of all income to the church is distributed to ministries around our region and the world. Here is a list of the ministries we help support.

Believe

ONE GOD – We believe in one God, eternal and loving, who reveals himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

GOD THE FATHER – We believe God created the heavens and the earth and everything that lives. He is almighty, all knowing, ever present. He is holy and righteous, in him there is no imperfection. He has dominion and authority over all the earth. And yet he has made it known that he loves each and every one of his children with the deep and personal love of a father.

GOD THE SON – We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, sent to redeem us from our sin. Born of a virgin and living a sinless life, he was fully man and fully God. To know what God is like, we need only to look at Jesus. By his teaching, by his miracles, wonders and signs, God revealed himself to us. And by his death on the cross he showed us God’s amazing love. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin. He was crucified, dead and buried. But he rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God where he presides over his Church. By his resurrection, we have the assurance of God’s victory over sin and death.

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT– We believe God’s reconciling activity in the world continues to this day through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit who confronts us with Christ’s Lordship of life and calls us to repentance and obedience to the will of God. The Holy Spirit baptizes and seals us at the moment of salvation. He dwells in us, ever working to conform us to the image of Christ.

HUMANKIND – We believe God created men and women to live in loving relationship with God and with one another, and that he calls us to demonstrate our love by obeying his commands. But through Adam’s disobedience, the original sin, the human race became alienated from God. We all have inherited a sinful nature and live in a state of separation from God, unable to remedy our lost condition on our own.

SALVATION – We believe that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s plan – since the beginning – to reconcile a lost world to himself. Through acceptance of Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, confession of our sins, repentence and commitment to a new life in Christ, we are forgiven and forever restored in loving relationship with our Creator. Salvation is achieved not by anything we do – not by our works – but by faith in Christ. It is a gift from God, made possible by Christ’s work on the cross.

THE CHURCH – We believe the Church is the living body of Christ, called to carry out his mission on the earth until he comes again. We are called to a life of sacrifice, manifesting his compassion and love to all who suffer. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and so the Church is called to spread the good news of salvation, leading people to repent and accept him as Savior and Lord, and nurturing them in their faith.

CHRIST’S RETURN – We believe that Christ is coming again. We wait and watch for the day, assured that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.