What is a Reformed Church?
The word Reformed points to our church’s identity rooted in a 16th century church renewal movement known as the Reformation. At its core, the Reformation was a back-to-the- Bible movement which brought renewal to a church that had wandered from the fundamental teachings of scripture. The five “solas” remain essential and dynamic features of a modern Reformed perspective: Scripture alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone, by faith alone, glory to God alone.
Why do you have creeds and confessions?
Creeds and confessions have been a rich blessing to the church for centuries. Their purpose is to provide a faithful summary of the basic teaching of the Bible. They also help believers defend the Christian faith. Because they explain the fundamentals of the Christian faith, they are a helpful tools in teaching and discipling new believers. The creeds and confessions do not possess the same authority as the Bible, because unlike the Bible, they remain human documents.
Why do children included in the worship service?
Children are received as a rich blessing from God, and are considered as part of the church from birth. Including them in the worship service makes that real. It might seem simpler to have children and adults worship separately, but we believe that corporate worship–where the whole congregation listens, sings, prays and receives God’s benediction–is typical of what we find in the Bible (Deuteronomy 31:12, Ezra 10:1, Nehemiah 8:2). Interaction between the generations has proved to be a great blessing to us.
Why become a church member?
Church membership is an important part of Christian discipleship. The Bible teaches that to follow Christ means that we also join ourselves to His church (Hebrews 10:22-25); Acts 2:47). Membership is the way we commit ourselves to the local expression of Christ’s church in a formal way. Being a church members offers fellowship, opportunities for service, pastoral oversight and accountability to other church members. If you want to know more about the process of becoming a member of our church see any elder, Pastor Theo or send message to pastor@cloverdalecanrc.org.