Our Vision
We understand ourselves to be followers of Jesus Christ who have committed ourselves to serving Christ by cultivating mission, inclusion and community. In addition, as Presbyterians we are part of the Reformed Tradition which emphasizes the love of God, the grace of Jesus Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit and the freedom of the individual conscience.
Our Inclusion Statement
As Everybody’s Church, we strive to be a faithful, open and inclusive community. We welcome the participation of all people of any ability, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other life circumstance.
We strive to cultivate intentional and authentic relationships which sustain the deep spiritual bonds we experience with one another through Christ. We share a genuine life of worship, prayer, fellowship and service. The quality of our common life is such that all feel welcomed, included and fully engaged in the sharing of time, talent and treasure.
Authentic connection, in community, will invite us to know and to be known. In this community, we will be open to the possibility of new relationships; grateful for God’s grace at work in our lives; non-judgmental and empathetic in our extension of care; genuine in the sharing of our joys and concerns; accessible to one another in spreading the faith; vulnerable in our expressions of need; spontaneous in our welcoming of the other; accepting of our need for help; and responsible for the mutual well-being of our community.
Diversity of all kinds is invited, embraced and engaged.
Mission is a primary vehicle through which relationships are fostered and community connections are formed.
First Presbyterian Church is a member of the Presbyterian Church USA. We are a connectional church, composed of thousands of congregations who work together in order to make this world more and more like God would have it to be.
We are a Matthew 25 church. What does that mean?
Matthew 25:31-46 calls all of us to actively engage in the world around us, so our faith comes alive and we wake up to new possibilities. Convicted by this passage, both the 222nd and 223rd General Assemblies (2016 and 2018) exhorted the PC(USA) to act boldly and compassionately to serve people who are hungry, oppressed, imprisoned or poor.
This Emphasis led to the creation of the Matthew 25 movement. The movement asks congregations to engage in one or more of the following areas of service:
Focus #1 - Building Congregational Vitality
Focus #2 - Dismantling Structural Racism
Focus #3 - Eradicating Systemic Poverty
In August 2020, the Session (our governing body) voted for us to become a Matthew 25 congregation. The session believed that these three focuses are an extension of our current vision, that As Everybody's Church we commit ourselves to serving Christ by cultivating Mission (Eradicating Systemic Poverty), Inclusion (Dismantling Structural Racism) and Community (Building Congregational Vitality). We are exploring how we will engage these three focuses. In the meantime, you can find out more about the Matthew 25 movement by visiting the PCUSA website.
There is a set of books in our Library in the Fireside Room pertaining to Matthew 25 that individuals can check out to learn more. We started a Speaker Series in 2021 to educate us on Systemic Racism and videos of these events can be found on our YouTube Channel under the Playlist Matthew 25.
We are members of More Light Presbyterians.
We are members of the Michigan Presbyterian Black Caucus.
Do I have to know what I believe before I attend?
No, we have people in our faith family who know what they believe as well as those who are still trying to figure this God and Jesus thing out. We are an inclusive community on a journey to figure out what it is that God desires of us. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome.
