Our Beliefs
What do we believe?
Northpointe Presbyterian Church's fundamental commitment is to the inerrancy and the authority of the Word of God. We believe the sixty-six books of the Bible are God’s verbal revelation of himself and in the Bible we find who God is, what God is like, how we can know God, and what God expects of us. Our subordinate standards are the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
We are evangelical.
When 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 evangelistic.
We 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; therefore, 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 Reformed.
We 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 confessional.
We 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 covenantal.
We 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 church.
We 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 Presbyterian.
Northpointe is a part of the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA). We 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.
Northpointe is a member of the Mississippi Valley Presbytery, which receives its oversight from the General Assembly. The General Assembly is made up of all the teaching and ruling elders within the PCA and is the final authority.