...that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love... that you may have
the power to comprehend... the love of Christ.
Ephesians 3:17-19 NRSV
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Stained Glass Window |
The purpose of Westminster Presbyterian church is to be a family of faith serving Jesus Christ and sharing the message of God's love. We seek to sustain and support our members in their efforts to live in relationship with Christ. We engage in dialogue with scripture and with one another in order to hear the voice of God and to see the image of Christ's church, trusting in God's Spirit to lead and teach us. We are committed to spiritual growth as well as faithful service to the community and to the world. Affirming diversity as a gift, we welcome all to join with us in our journey of faith.
Westminster's Commitment to Peacemaking
The Session of Westminster has adopted the Presbyterian Commitment to Peacemaking. One expression of that commitment for our congregation is the Westminster Peace Prize, which has been given annually in recognition of the efforts of an organization or individual to foster peace and reconciliation locally or in the world.Presbyterian Church's Brief Statement of Faith
In life and death we belong to God.
Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
The love of God,
And the communion
of the Holy Spirit,
we trust in the one
triune God, the Holy One of Israel,
whom alone we worship and serve.
We trust in Jesus Christ,
Fully human, fully God.
Jesus proclaimed the reign of God:
preaching good news to the poor
and release to the
captives,
teaching by
word and deed
and blessing the
children,
healing the
sick
and
binding up the brokenhearted,
eating with outcasts,
forgiving sinners,
and calling all to repent and believe the
gospel.
Unjustly condemned for blasphemy
and sedition,
Jesus was crucified,
suffering the depths of human
pain
and giving his life
for the sins of the world.
God raised
Jesus from the dead,
vindicating his sinless life,
breaking the power of sin and
evil,
delivering us from
death to life eternal.
We trust in God,
whom Jesus called Abba, Father.
In sovereign love God created the world
good
and makes everyone
equally in God's image
male and female, of every
race and people,
to live
as one community.
But we rebel against
God; we hide from our Creator.
Ignoring God's commandments,
we violate the image of God in
others and ourselves,
accept lies as truth,
exploit neighbor and nature,
and threaten death to the planet
entrusted to our care.
We deserve God's condemnation.
Yet God
acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation.
In everlasting love,
the God of Abraham and Sarah
chose a covenant people
to bless
all families of the earth.
Hearing their cry,
God delivered the children of
israel
from the
house of bondage.
Loving
us still,
God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant.
Like a mother who will not forsake her
nursing child,
like a
father who runs to welcome the prodigal home,
God is faithful still.
We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of
life.
The Spirit justifies us by grace
through faith,
sets us
free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor,
and binds us together with all
believers
in the one
body of Christ, the church.
The same
Spirit
who inspired the
prophets and apostles
rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture,
engages us through the Word
proclaimed,
claims us in
the waters of baptism,
feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation,
and calls women and men to all ministries
of the church.
In a broken and fearful
world
the Spirit gives us courage
to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to
Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in church and
culture,
to hear the
voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice,
freedom, and peace.
In gratitude to God,
empowered by the Spirit,
we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks
and to live holy and joyful
lives,
even as we watch
for God's new heaven and new earth,
praying, Come, Lord
Jesus!
With believers in every time and place,
we rejoice that nothing in life or in death
can separate us from the love of God in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Copyright © 1991 by the Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This document is part of the Book of Confessions, which is in turn Part I of the Constitution of the Church. Used with permission.
The great ends of the church are:
The proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;
The shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God;
The maintenance of divine worship;
The preservation of the truth;
The promotion of social righteousness; and
The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the whole world.
Book of Order, G-1.0200
Westminster Presbyterian Church Stained Glass Window
The window in the front of the sanctuary was designed and constructed by John Vanderburgh of Zeeland, Michigan. It embodies the spirit and function of the church in its theme: Christian Witness and Service.
The Lamp symbolizes the foundation of Christian witness and service: "Your word is a lamp to my feet". Psalm 119:105
The Torch symbolizes the purpose: "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16
The Praying Hands symbolize
Christian service:
"Pray without ceasing" 1
Thessalonians 5:17 as does the
Hand With Cup: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was
thirsty and you gave me drink...". Matthew 25:35
The Raised Hand symbolizes Christian witness: "You will be my witnesses ... to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8
as does the Hand and Staff: "I beseech you as pilgrims ... to have conduct yourself honorably among the gentiles, ...that they may see your honorable deed and glorify God ...." I Peter 2:11-12
The curved lines in all directions symbolize the hope that Christian Witness and Service will be effective in all facets of life.
The letters IHC and XP are abbreviations of the Greek spelling of Jesus Christ.
To find out more what the Presbyterians believe, see the Presbyterians Today site which highlights many articles. The Presbyterian Creeds and Confessions also give information on the Presbyterian view of the world.