About Us
Why are we called an "Evangelical Presbyterian Church?"
- We are Evangelicals
An evangelical is a Christian who believes in certain essential truths. The word evangelical has the term "evangel" at the beginning which simply means "good news." Evangelicals primarily believe in the good news about Jesus as contained in the Bible, which we affirm to be the infallible Word of God, the only rule for what we should believe and how we should behave. We also affirm that the Bible teaches the historic doctrine of the Trinity - there is only One God who has eternally existed in three distinct but equal persons: Father, Son, and Spirit.
We believe that Jesus is the eternal Son who was conceived in the virgin Mary and had a complete and sinless humanity. We believe that Jesus' death on the cross was as a substitute for sinners and that He was physically raised from the dead after three days. We believe that salvation is based on God's favor toward us in Christ and is in no way merited by our works. We believe that a person can only achieve forgiveness of sins and a right standing with God by trusting in Christ alone. We believe that the Holy Spirit applies the benefits of Christ's salvation to every believer and that He personally dwells within them. We believe that Jesus will physically return to the earth to judge all men, and we believe in the reality of eternal heaven and hell.
- We are Presbyterians
Presbyterian belief and practice comes from the historical period known as the Reformation. The Reformed tradition is has a wonderful heritage of deep theology. Presbyterians heartily acknowledge the sovereign rule of God over all things. We also affirm the Scripture's teaching that people are by nature inclined toward sin, and are not naturally inclined toward a holy God. Thus, it is necessary for God to grant what the Bible calls new birth or life from the dead. God grants this to every person He has chosen, something that is not based on anything within the individual (this is often referred to as "election").
Presbyterians emphasize that our authority can only be found in the Word of God alone, that salvation from God comes to us by grace alone (totally unmerited favor), is in Christ alone, and is received by faith alone. Presbyterians also believe that God will preserve every person He has saved until the last day. A summary statement that encompasses the heart of the matter for Presbyterians is that in all things God alone gets all the glory. Presbyterians also believe that the officers that serve in the capacity of ruling officers within the church are elders (thus, the name comes from the Greek term for elder "presbuteros"). Presbyterian churches are also connected within other various regions and on the national and international level.
- We are a Church
Jesus has created an immense assembly of all who have truly trusted in Him. There are members that belong to this larger sense of the church all over our world. The term "church" is also used more narrowly to refer to a local assembly of professsing believers in Christ where the Bible is taught and preached, loving oversight and discipline is provided, and the sacraments are administered (Baptism and the Lord's Supper). LIGHTHOUSE is a church in this narrow sense of the term.
At LIGHTHOUSE we believe that every professing Christian should become a member of a local expression of Christ's church. If you are a Christian and do not have a church home, we invite you to consider enrolling in the "New Member's" classes to determine whether you should become a member of our church. We desire for every believer to be intimately connected to a loving Christian congregation so they might grow in their faith and utilize their God-given gifts.