“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
— John 1:14
What We Believe
Who is God?
God is love, eternally three Persons and one Being. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each coeternal, consubstantial, and coequal with one another. God is revealed to us in Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully human, incarnate by the power of the Holy Spirit and the courageous yes of Mary. Because of this, we know God as the One who gives himself. God is holy, complete within himself, all-powerful, all-knowing, and unchanging, and his nature defines the Good.
Who is humanity?
Humanity and all things, seen and unseen, were created by God out of the abundance of the divine love of the Trinity. Humanity is created in God’s image, meaning that each person is invested with profound worth and dignity, and charged with authority to care for and serve creation as God does. We do not live out our identity as image-bearers. But because we are created out of God’s extraordinary love, Augustine of Hippo says, “Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.”
What is the good news?
Because of humanity’s rebellion against God, all of creation suffers in bondage to the powers of Sin and Death, and all things were spiraling toward destruction. In Christ, God the Son entered creation as a creature, and brought God’s miraculous healing, abundance, and truth to real people. He died in sacrifice to take away the sin of the world, and defeated death by rising bodily from the grave. He lives today, human and God, at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the world and reign forever. John of Patmos said this of God’s plan for the world to come: “I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Look! The home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and be their God’” (Rev. 21:3). Jesus is still with us by the power of the Holy Spirit, who is active in this world, continuing what he started long ago.
Where We Fit
Biblical
We live under the authority of scripture, the true and authoritative witness to the Word of God incarnate, and interpret it by the guiding light of God revealed in Jesus, its true center. The Bible is a collection of different kinds of literature, written in different eras by different people, all truly inspired by the Holy Spirit to tell the one, unified story of God’s plan to live among us and make all things new.
Reformed
We believe in God’s sovereign, providential care for all things, his irrevocable choice to save, and his everlasting covenant promise to be faithful to his people. We celebrate God’s glory displayed in creation, salvation, and restoration. We are led by a humble, growing tradition in the PCUSA Book of Confessions, which we accept as a reliable and faithful exposition of what scripture leads us to believe and do.
Inclusive
We believe that correctly interpreted, scripture compels us to live out the gospel by the full and sincere welcome of women and LGBTQ people. Accordingly, we do not place restrictions on the Spirit’s calling to leadership, and we celebrate the gift of faithful marriage between two people of any gender.
Where We’re Going
Neighborhood ministry
It matters that we were called to be the Church at Michigan and Cullerton, and we are committed to loving our neighbors and preaching the gospel here in the South Loop.
Authentic & joyful worship
Our congregation loves its music, liturgy, and fellowship. We are seeking to revel in the abundant life of God by offering our praise and thanksgiving and receiving the gifts of Word and Table.
Warm welcome
Community is formed in warmth and self-giving. We believe that God is at work drawing people to himself, and we continually prepare to receive, embrace, and grow into the Church of tomorrow, making disciples of all people.