Elmhurst Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church, USA. Being part of this larger body is a significant part of our identity. It forms and shapes how we work together in mission and ministry.

Presbyterians are part of a segment within Christianity called the Reformed tradition. This movement began in Geneva, Switzerland in the sixteenth century. The Reformed churches were founded on the simple confession that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that salvation comes through him by faith and not by good works or by the mediation of the church. The Bible was taken as the sole rule of faith and practice, not church tradition or authority. These were revolutionary beliefs at the time. Reformed churches spread through Europe, to England and Scotland, and then to the American colonies.

Presbyterian churches were an important part of the development of the new United States. Many of the civic values of the new nation were influenced by Presbyterians, including the formation of the new form of government. Presbyterians were prominently represented among the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the framers of the Constitution. Our denomination was founded in Philadelphia in 1789.

The Reformed branch of Christian faith shares with other traditions the fundamental Christian beliefs contained in the Apostles Creed and other early formulations of theology. Presbyterians embrace three concepts in particular.

Presbyterians believe that all life is lived under God for God’s glory. God is the creator of all that is, and no part of life can be excluded from God’s rule. Everything we do, from our work to our leisure, is done with God’s direction and blessing. Presbyterians emphasize the stewardship of life as a gift from God. One aspect of this is the importance we give to the thoughtful understanding of faith.

Since the world belongs to God, Christian life is lived in engagement with the world. Presbyterians do not withdraw from culture to live in dedication to God. We are actively involved in business, science, art, education, family life and the many other ways that people live in culture. We each have a calling to serve God where we live and in what we do. The vocations of God’s people are important ways the church reaches into the world.

Presbyterians place great emphasis on the life of the Christian community. The church is the “body of Christ” and is a living entity. It is called into being by Jesus Christ, making it more like a family than an organization. Its members are connected to one another, regardless of race, education or economic and social class. We are responsible for and accountable to one another. These values are reflected in the way we govern ourselves and make our decisions.

Other Christian traditions share these beliefs, but place emphasis on them in different ways. The Reformed way of being Christian has brought meaning and purpose to the lives of countless people for nearly five hundred years, and continues to be influential in our world today.

For more information you can visit the Presbyterian Church USA website at;

http://www.pcusa.org/

or the Chicago Presbytery at;

http://www.chicagopresbytery.org/