About UsTheological IdentityWho are we? What do we believe? What is a Presbyterian? What does it mean to be reformed? These are good honest questions that many people have about churches like Northpointe. We are thankful people ask those questions, and our goal is to answer some of those questions for you. As you look for a church to attend, a place to worship, and for a body of believers among whom you can find fellowship and spiritual encouragement, it is important that you understand what that particular church body believes. We Are EvangelicalWhen we say we are evangelical, it means we see ourselves as a part of the larger body of believers who hold to the historic orthodox fundamentals of the Christian faith: such as the existence of the triune God, God's creation of the world from nothing, the deity of Jesus Christ, the virgin birth, the substitutionary and vicarious atonement of Jesus Christ, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, the certainty of the second coming of Jesus, and the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible as the Word of God which is our only rule of faith and practice. We affirm our unity with those churches and denominations that confess these fundamentals even though we may disagree on other issues. We believe the kingdom is far bigger than us. We Are EvangelisticWe believe the gospel to be “the power of God for salvation,” (Romans 1:16). It is our responsibility to call unbelievers to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Every member of the church is to be salt and light in the community and one of our goals is to prepare our members to be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” (1 Peter 3:15). We are convinced there is no other name given among men by which we can be saved other than the name of Jesus Christ. So, our goal is to proclaim the name of Jesus and call people to believe in Him and trust in Him alone for salvation. We Are ReformedWe are the heirs of the historical event known as the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. We are committed to the theological principles that were the basis of that great event: the sovereignty of God, the depravity of man, the power of God in electing, calling, and regenerating His people, the need of personal faith and repentance for salvation, the efficacy of Christ’s death for all who believe, and the perseverance of the saints. We also believe in the need to be reformed continually, or transformed, by the power of the Word of God and through the work of the Holy Spirit, to holiness of life. We Are ConfessionalWe embrace the Westminster Standards (Westminster Confession of Faith and The Larger and Shorter Catechisms) as the system of doctrine that is taught in the Bible. These Standards are a written statement of what we believe the Bible teaches. We do not believe these Standards to be on an equal basis with the Word of God nor are they inspired. These standards are prepared statements of faith that scholarly and godly men composed to reflect the system of doctrine taught in the Bible. All officers of the PCA must take a vow that they subscribe to these doctrinal standards. Individual members do not have to subscribe to every distinctive in these standards, but only be able to give a credible profession of faith, desire to live a holy life, and make a commitment to support the life and ministry of the church. We Are CovenantalWe believe the Bible teaches that God relates to His people by means of a covenant. The fullness of this covenant is the Covenant of Grace that describes the one plan of redemption God has for His people and which runs throughout the Bible. A covenant is an agreement or an arrangement between two or more people. Most covenants (or contracts) we enter into today are agreements among equals. Not so with the biblical concept of the covenant. God is the one who makes the covenant, arranges the terms of the covenant, decides the stipulations of the covenant, and determines the requirements to be included in the covenant. We must accept the covenant God has made with us on His terms. Grace is undeserved favor. Therefore, the Covenant of Grace is a relationship which God enters into with man based on nothing man can add or contribute or do. It is all dependent on what God has done for us, especially through His Son, Jesus Christ. By God’s grace we are the recipients of the blessings of this covenant. It is the primary unifying aspect of the Bible and holds the central message of the Word of God together. We Are Committed to the Importance of the ChurchWe believe the church is a body of believers who profess a common faith in Jesus Christ, who unite together for worship, fellowship, and service. The local church is the visible expression of the invisible church that is made up of all who believe. The church is a body, a living organism, and is designed to grow spiritually and numerically. The church is made up of those who profess faith in Christ along with their children. Through the ministry of the local church, believers are to grow and to mature, to use their spiritual gifts, and to receive accountability, oversight, and encouragement. We Are PresbyterianWe believe in the Presbyterian form of church government. To be Presbyterian means to be ruled by elders. The elders are elected by the congregation and are given the responsibility of spiritual oversight of the local body of believers. Churches receive oversight by being committed to a group of other Presbyterian Churches in a particular geographical area know as the Presbytery. The Presbytery receives its oversight from the General assembly which meets annually. In the Presbyterian form of government the General Assembly is the final authority. How Can I Know God?The most important pressing question in the heart of man is, "How can I know God?" God created us in His image, and there is a void in the life of every person until they come to know, and have a relationship with, the living God. If you are struggling with how you can know God, the following may be of great interest to you. Who Is He?In order to know God, you must first know something about Him. Some knowledge of God is essential if you are going to have a relationship with God. We get our knowledge of God from the Bible. It is in His Word that God has revealed Himself to us and has told us about Himself. The biblical definition of God is summarized well in the answer to the 4th question in The Shorter Catechism, "What is God?" "God is a spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth." What Does That Have To Do With Me?Because God is holy, that creates a problem for us. The Bible says we are sinners. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." A holy God cannot have a relationship with sinful people. God is too holy even to look upon sin, much less to enter into a relationship with those who are caught up in it. His justice requires that He judge us for our sin and punish us for our disobedience. What Can I Do?The good news of the gospel is that God has satisfied His justice for our sin by the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. God sent His Son to die on the cross in our place, to take our sin upon Himself, and to pay the penalty that we deserve. As a result, God is able to forgive us of our sin and to adopt us as His children. The Bible calls that grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." So the answer is: There is nothing you can do. Jesus did it all for you and all you can do is trust in Him. Salvation is by grace through faith. It is as you believe in Jesus and have faith in His atoning sacrifice on the cross for you that you can be saved. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
What Do I Receive?When you place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you receive forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life. 1 John 1:9 promises that "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." John 3:16 says, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." What If I Am Not Sure I Am A Christian?God wants you to know that you belong to Him and to have confidence about your relationship with Him. I John 5:13 says, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." Continuing to practice sin, failure to read the Bible and pray, as well as lack of Christian fellowship and accountability can cause you to doubt your salvation. If you have doubts, look again to Christ and what He has done for you, repent of your sin, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you live in a way that pleases God. What’s Important to Northpointe?What Are Our Priorities?As a body of believers, we do believe Jesus Christ has given us priorities for this church. These priorities are based on biblical principles and determine who we are and what we do. WorshipJohn 4:23 We believe the highest act for which we were created was for the worship and adoration of God. God has made us in His image so we might have fellowship with Him. It is in worship that we find the fullest expression of our existence and find the fullness of our joy. At Northpointe, we are committed to uplifting and meaningful worship that glorifies God, encourages our hearts, and points us to Christ. DiscipleshipLuke 10:38-42 We understand that to follow Jesus Christ is to be His disciple. Discipleship is steady growth in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It involves a greater degree of spiritual maturity and more willing service to Jesus. This growth and maturity comes through the use of the means for grace. Those means of grace (or means of spiritual growth) are worship, the Word of God, the sacraments, prayer, and fellowship. The organized activities of the church are designed to help our body grow in its love for Christ and in its commitment to Him. Evangelism and MissionsMatthew 28:16-20 Jesus Christ has commissioned the church to go out and to make disciples. That is done by proclaiming and sharing the good news of the gospel. We are committed to proclaiming that good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ here in Meridian and helping to proclaim that good news around the world. ServiceLuke 10:30-36 We understand that the church does not exist for itself or for its own benefit, but it is to be involved in serving others. Jesus set the example for us by washing the feet of His disciples. We are concerned not only about spiritual needs, but also about the physical, social, and emotional needs in our community. We desire to find ways we can serve others with the grace of God. The Goal of our MinistryThe goal of our ministry is set forth in the answer to the first question in The Westminster Shorter Catechism: "to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." We desire, above all, to glorify God, to lift Him up, and to honor Him. Through our worship, our teaching, our fellowship, and our service we seek to give all glory and praise to God and to point people to Him. We also desire to enjoy God. The enjoyment of God is not something reserved for some future day when we get to heaven, but there are many rich blessings God has for us to enjoy right now. We want to enjoy all that God is, all that God has done for us through the work of Jesus Christ, and all that God is doing in us through the Holy Spirit. If our goals are the same as yours, if you desire these same things that we desire, perhaps Northpointe PCA is the church for you. Come join with us. Share in times of fellowship with us. Grow in grace with us. Serve the Lord with us. Yes, come glorify God and enjoy Him with us. |