Presbyterian Church of Manchester- Presbyterian Church of Manchester
Presbyterian Church of Manchester Presbyterian Church of ManchesterEvery orthodox Christian church believes in the core doctrines historically embodied in the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds. Traditional Presbyterian churches like ours also subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith. But more can be said about any particular Presbyterian Church. This list of values is an attempt to further describe the Presbyterian Church of Manchester(PCM). We Value the Gospel
The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. We believe the Protestant Reformation recovered a precious insight into the heart of the Gospel. That insight has been summarized in what has been called “The Five Solas”. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as taught in the scriptures alone, for God’s glory alone. At PCM that message is at the heart of all the preaching and teaching. We Value a Reasoned Faith
There has been a great deal of debate over the relationship between faith and reason over the last 2,000 years. At PCM it is assumed that believing in God is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. Indeed, we think God gave us our minds and he wants us to use them when we think about him. Reason helps Christians understand their faith; it also helps unbelievers believe the faith. Those are two of the reasons we value a reasoned faith at PCM.
Because God is sovereign he is the first one we should turn to when in need. Furthermore, the most important things that need changing in the world we can’t change. At the top of that list is the human heart. That is why we pray. At PCM we stress prayer in worship, in our ministries, and in our homes. We strive to pray at all times. And to reinforce the practice of prayer we set aside time for prayer meetings. We Value the Fellowship of the Local Church
Focusing on God and using your mind for his glory should not make you cold and indifferent to people. It should produce just the opposite effect. At PCM we believe understanding God’s grace will make us so grateful our hearts will be enlarged and made more loving. We strive to express that love in our fellowship.
In an entertainment crazy culture it is easy to think that the church is just one more place to be entertained. But the reverse is true. We are not the audience; it is more accurate to say we are the performers. But even that is not entirely right. We don’t try to entertain God when we worship him – we worship him to glorify him. The very name “worship service” should provide a clue that everything done in worship is done for the service of God. The delightful surprise is that when we truly worship him we get something better than entertainment – we get joy. We Value Spiritual Formation
When God saves his people he does all the work. But when he saves them he also begins a good work in them. God uses Bible reading and prayer, Sabbath worship and the sacraments, among other things, to perform that good work. He uses these things to form us and make us more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Reformation helped to recover the Biblical doctrine of “the priesthood of all believers.” That doctrine teaches that God has tasks for all his children to perform. Since those tasks are varied, God gives a variety of gifts to his children to perform those tasks. Because God wants his children to work together, he never gives any child everything needed for the job. At PCM those are reasons why we value our gifts and we value each other. We Value Redemptive Outreach
Scripture teaches that the world was sold to sin but God has bought it back in Christ. Redemptive outreach happens when Christians evangelize those living under the slavery of sin; it also happens when they perform works of mercy to those suffering the pain of sin’s rule; and finally, it happens when Christians perform every deed in every sphere of life with the purpose of bringing that sphere under the life-giving rule of the Redeemer King – the Lord Jesus Christ.
When the Lord Jesus calls people to follow him he is calling them to join an adventure. Good stories have happy endings. But to enjoy the story one must pass through all the twists and turns of the plot. A good author doesn’t tell a reader how everything will work out – the reader has to trust the author and wait to find out how things will end. The same is true of the Gospel. Since God’s people are still living through a story God is telling, they have to trust the Author and walk by faith and not by sight. Along the way there will be victories followed by set-backs and seemingly hopeless dilemmas followed by last-minute rescues. Sadly some of the best characters will die before the end. But God gives faith and courage to follow Christ all the way to the last chapter. The way God does this is by giving a glimpse of the happy ending. That glimpse comes by the proclamation of the Gospel – the good news that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead.