Our BELIEFS
01 God the Creator
We believe in God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth, who made all things good and sustains creation with love and purpose. God’s actions are intentional, yet God works through human choices without coercion, calling us to live faithfully and responsibly. We believe God exists in the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that in Jesus Christ, God comes to us in grace so we may belong to God and serve Christ in the world. Following Jesus, we seek thoughtful, faithful ways to live out God’s love in our time.
02 Jesus
We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Lord and Savior. In him we see the fullness of God’s love and the depth of God’s compassion for the world. Jesus came to live among us, teaching, healing, and showing us the way of God’s kingdom. He gave his life on the cross and was raised from the dead, conquering sin and death and offering new life to all. Through him we receive forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and the promise of eternal life. We follow Jesus as the one who leads us in faith, hope, and love.
03 The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who is always at work in the world and in the lives of God’s people. The Spirit comforts, guides, and empowers us, opening our hearts to God’s Word and calling us to follow Christ with courage and joy. The Spirit gives gifts to the Church so that together we can serve, love, and bear witness to the gospel. At First Presbyterian, we seek to be attentive to the Spirit’s leading in our worship, our daily lives, and in the ways we serve our community and the world.
04 The Bible
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, written through the witness of human authors and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells the story of God’s love and faithfulness, reveals the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, and guides us in how to live as God’s people. We turn to Scripture in worship, study, and daily life, trusting the Spirit to open our hearts and minds to God’s truth and to help us grow in faith.
05 The Church
We believe the Church is the body of Christ, both universal and local, made up of all who place their trust in Jesus Christ. At First Presbyterian, we gather as a family of faith to worship God, learn and grow together, share in fellowship, and encourage one another. We believe Christ calls the Church to live out the Great Commission by bearing witness to the gospel, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and nurturing disciples in the way of Jesus. As a community of love and service, we seek to reflect Christ’s presence in LaGrange and throughout the world.
06 Salvation
We believe that salvation is God’s gift of grace, offered to all through Jesus Christ. In Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, God has overcome sin and death and opened the way to new and abundant life. Salvation is not something we earn but something we receive by God’s grace. Through the Holy Spirit we are renewed, transformed, and called to live as disciples who share God’s love with the world.
07 Heaven & Hell
We believe that God’s desire is for all creation to be redeemed and restored. In life and in death, we belong to God, and we trust in the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Heaven is the fullness of life in God’s presence, where there is joy, peace, and wholeness. While Scripture speaks of hell as the reality of separation from God, we hold fast to God’s justice and mercy and the hope that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
08 ALL
At First Presbyterian Church, we believe every person is a child of God, created in God’s image and deeply loved. Therefore, we welcome all people as full participants in the life of our church. Our community seeks to reflect the love of Christ by being a place where all can belong, grow in faith, and share their gifts. We celebrate the diversity of God’s family and trust that God’s grace and mercy are for everyone.