About Us
Welcome to First Presbyterian ChurchWe are “Worshipping, serving and living, with a fresh vision of God’s vibrant energy and grace for all.”
Value Statements
First Presbyterian Church of Holland expresses its core beliefs and values through the following statements:
We value creative worship in the Presbyterian tradition.
We strive to be nonjudgmental and respectful in our differences.
We unconditionally welcome all people to Christ’s table.
We welcome and encourage all members to participate in the leadership of FPC.
We encourage spiritual growth through worship, small groups, mission, experience, fellowship, prayer, discussion and honest questioning.
We value strengthening community through working, playing and eating together.
We value sharing God’s abundant grace and love in Jesus Christ today more than we value striving for salvation tomorrow.
We commit to outreach ministries through volunteering our time, talents and treasures.
We engage together in thoughtful Biblical and theological reflection on social and global issues, and encourage individual response.
We are proudly a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
We embrace the vibrant energy of our youth and nurture them to be leaders in the body of Christ.
Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with the French lawyer John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings crystallized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him. Calvin did much of his writing from Geneva, Switzerland. From there, the Reformed movement spread to other parts of Europe and the British Isles. Many of the early Presbyterians in America came from England, Scotland and Ireland. The first American Presbytery was organized at Philadelphia in 1706. The first General Assembly was held in the same city in 1789. The first Assembly was convened by the Rev. John Witherspoon, the only minister to sign the Declaration of Independence.
Some of the principles articulated by John Calvin remain at the core of Presbyterian beliefs. Among these are:
- The sovereignty of God = God is the supreme authority throughout the universe.
- The authority of Scripture = Our knowledge of God and God’s purpose for humanity comes from the Bible, particularly what is revealed in the New Testament through the life of Jesus Christ.
- Justification by grace through faith = Our salvation (justification) through Jesus is God’s generous gift to us and not the result of our own accomplishments.
- The priesthood of all believers = It is everyone’s job – ministers and lay people alike – to share this Good News with the whole world. That is why the Presbyterian Church is governed and led at all levels by a combination of clergy and laity, people of all genders and sexual orientations.
—- Did you know? The PC(USA) has been recognizing the ordination of women as ministers of Word and Sacrament since 1956. (Women are also ordained to the offices of deacons and elders.) AND in 2011 the PC (USA) celebrated the removal of all barriers to LGBTQIA+ ordination to the offices of deacon, elder and minister of Word and Sacrament.
