Will you ask for my money?
In order to prevent people from feeling pressured to give, we don't pass a plate during the service. In the New Testament we see two principles for giving in the church: it should be done privately (Matt 6:1-4) and without compulsion (2 Cor 9:7). To maintain impartiality, our pastors don't know what people give, and we operate with financial transparency. Visit our donate page to learn more.
Will Church leadership interview me or my kids?
If you decide to officially join our church a couple of our elders will sit down with you and your family and ask three questions: (1) How did you come to know Jesus? (2) How is God working in your life right now? (3) What are ways you are interested in helping out at the church? These questions help us get to know you a bit when you become part of our community. Outside of this, neither you nor your children will ever be required to sit with church leadership and answer questions about your personal life. You are always welcome to invite us into your life for assistance and prayer, but that is your choice.
Are you the one true church?
No, Christ's church is not contained within any particular church or denomination or group. All those who hold to the essentials of the faith are part of that universal church that exists throughout time and across the world. (Ephesians 4:1-6) We are just a small fraction of all of God's people. We regularly pray for churches from other denominations and countries.
What are essential beliefs?
The essentials of Christian belief are contained in the historic Christian creeds, such as the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. These are summaries of the basic Christian teachings and have held the test of time. They have been accepted throughout history and across cultures. The creeds serve as a check and balance to ensure we stay focused on what is truly important instead of what is the hot topic of the moment. Holding to these creeds also connects us with believers from other cultures, believer from the past, and to future believers. We believe it would be foolish, and possibly arrogant, to say that all who have come before us are wrong, and that we are the first people to have the truth.
What about homosexuality?
Everyone rests on some type of authority to decide what is moral or not. This could be friends, yourself, your culture, etc. At JVC we want God’s Word (the Old and New Testament) to be our ultimate authority, and we believe his Word says that homosexual acts are sinful. But this sin is often set along side other sins like adultery or gossip–reminding us that everyone is a sinner, Jesus demands change from all of us. While the details of our sin may differ, we all need Jesus just as much as the next person. Check out this short video for more information about our views on homosexuality and this one for some teaching on our beliefs on transgender issues.
Are you part of a denomination?
Yes, we are part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). A Presbyterian Church is an elder-led church. The elders are elected by the congregation to oversee the church. Our churches are connected to other churches in our denomination through regional presbyteries. These presbyteries are overseen by the locally elected elders. To learn more about how a presbyterian form of government stresses accountability and plurality check out this article.
Are there different types of Presbyterian Churches?
Yes, there are several Presbyterian denominations within the United States. We are part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). You can see a comparison of our denomination with the larger PCUSA denomination here.
Do you believe in the Trinity?
Yes. Though the word “Trinity” is not in the Bible, it is a term used to describe how God is shown in the Bible. Our shorter catechism gives a helpful definition of the Trinity, "There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory." Though this teaching of the oneness and threeness of God may seem paradoxical to us, we know that God's ways are higher than our ways.
What translation of the Bible do you use?
We do not endorse any one particular translation of Scripture. Each translation has its own benefits, and we are thankful to live in a time when so many good translations are available. We read from the NIV in our services. Our pastor often translates the Scripture from the Hebrew or Greek as he prepares the sermon. Some common translations that we recommend are the ESV, KJV, NASB, NKJV, NIV and NLT.