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 Battle Cries of the Reformation
Soli Deo Gloria! To God Alone be the Glory!
Solus Christus! Christ Alone!
Sola Scriptura! Scripture Alone!
Sola Gratia! Grace Alone!
Sola Fide! Faith Alone!
Purpose Statement of the ARP
Who We are in Christ, Facing the 21st Century. We, the
members of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, in order to carry out
God's mission and move forward together into the next century, profess our
life together in Christ and our desire to set forth a united strategy for
the work of His church. We express our desire to continue to be a
Presbyterian and Reformed church, committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ
and to the Bible as the Word of God.
Rooted in and shaped by a living tradition, we are part of the new creation
in Christ which God is bringing into existence. Therefore, we are committed
to:
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The worship of the Triune
God.
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The Holy Scriptures as the
basis for our faith and activity.
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Unity with other believers
in Christ.
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Total Stewardship of life -
time, talents, and money - including tithing through the local church.
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Excellence in education and
equipping leaders for tomorrow.
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Loving and caring for one
another and for other people.
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Spreading the Gospel to all
parts of the world.
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Evaluating and changing
church structures and priorities in order to meet the challenges of the
future while preserving the best of the past.
To this end and in humble reliance upon the enabling power
of the Holy Spirit, we covenant together to pray steadfastly that God will
open doors of opportunity so that we may declare the riches of Christ.
"Let us not grow weary in well-doing,
for in due season we shall reap,
if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9)
-Minutes, 1990 General Synod, Page 363; reaffirmed by the
General Synod June 13, 2001.
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Our foundational doctrinal statements are found in The Standards of the
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, which we hold to be "the system of
doctrine which is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone" (Associate Reformed Synod,
May 31, 1799). From time to time position statements are written to address
specific topics of concern. The ARP Seal contains a number of elements
symbolic of our faith. The Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed and the Ten
Commandments, as shown below, are included in our Bible Songs book as
elements of worship.
The Lord's Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy
will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
The Ten Commandments - Exodus 20:1-17
And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have
brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of .
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Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
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Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or
any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the
earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not
bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy
unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
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Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in
vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in
vain.
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Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days
shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the
sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor
thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy
cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the
Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested
on the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and
hallowed it.
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Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be
long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
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Thou shalt not kill.
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Thou shalt not commit adultery.
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Thou shalt not steal.
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Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbour.
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Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou
shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his
maidservant, nor his ox, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
The Apostles' Creed: I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; Who
was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell*;
the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and
sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall
come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy
catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness
of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
*That is, He continued in the state of the dead and under the
power of death till the third day.
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About Our Worship
OUR WORSHIP SERVICE is a worship of God, not man.
Therefore, the Order of Worship is purposed to bring glory to God, NOT man.
The saints' participation in the worship service is designed for all praise
to go to God, not to preachers, musicians, artists, missionaries, church
leaders, children, etc. Decorum concerning dress, instrumentation and
presentations will assist in disallowing performances and enhance our
awareness of God's admonition: "Let all things be done properly and in an
orderly manner." We rely upon the Holy Spirit to assist us in establishing
an environment that encourages and advances your entry into the transforming
presence of the living Lord Jesus Christ. |
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