What We Believe

Mission

Humbly Receiving · Prayerfully Living · Joyfully Giving

Vision

We seek to be followers of Jesus Christ in the 21st Century. We encourage every church member and frequent attendee to:

  • Make worship a weekly priority

  • Pursue personal spiritual development

  • Make sacrificial service to others routine

Jesus Christ at the Center

We seek to grow closer to Jesus, to gratefully live in his mercy, and to carry his compassionate Presence into our homes, workplaces and schools.

We see our church as standing firmly in the context of the historic Christian church by fully affirming the central tenants of our Reformed tradition and not insisting on full agreement in less pivotal doctrines, beliefs, and practices. 

We belong to the Presbyterian Church USA and are informed by a deep and rich theological heritage. For insights on specific theological and social issues click here.

 We are governed by a democratically elected group from among our congregation and moderated by our senior pastor. We are directly connected to a regional body of 48 Presbyterian churches in the Seattle area and accountable to the national body of our 2 million member congregation. As Presbyterians, we cherish ecumenical relationships, educational pursuits, efforts to constructively heal society and culture, and the promotion of the Gospel of Christ for the physical and spiritual well-being and transformation of the world. Our Reformed roots stem from the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century.

Our Identity as Historically-rooted, Creedal, Nationally-connected

Finding Wisdom for Living Well

We see the Bible as our primary guide for understanding God, ourselves, and the world in general. We seek to be faithful in our calling to be followers of Christ and honoring our Reformed Tradition. We prize biblical scholarship and we also take into account the contributions of science, sociology, literature, the arts, current culture and personal experience when wrestling with how to think theologically and behave ethically in everyday living.

Welcoming All in the Spirit of Christ

In Christ’s name, we welcome and accept all whom God calls into our community. We strive to follow Christ’s teaching when he said, “Whoever comes to me, I will not cast out.” All ages, abilities, national origins, races, gender identities, and sexual orientations are welcomed and accepted into the community of worship, fellowship, and leadership at RPC.

We recognize that, as human beings, we display a great diversity of views and beliefs on controversial topics. These views and beliefs may vary widely and we understand that the Holy Spirit is leading each of us on a unique pathway. Even though our interpretations of scripture may differ, we affirm all who seek to be faithful to Christ and to the teachings of the Bible. We respect each other’s views and biblically-based beliefs and seek to understand opposing views and stay in community with other Christians.

Christ commanded us to love God and to love one another.  Unfortunately, we find it impossible to follow even with this simple, clear, statement from Jesus. We acknowledge that we are all sinners and that we fall short of the glory of God. We are redeemed, by the grace of God, only through faith in Jesus Christ.

Learning How to Do Life Together

We strive to know Jesus Christ, to actively love him in response to his deep love for us. We aim to create a gracious community where people are free to openly struggle with their convictions, free to respect differences in faith perspectives, and free to receive and give the love of God. We seek to find God in every part of our lives. We are dedicated to lifting up the Gospel of Jesus Christ as our template for meaning and direction in all aspects of life.

The Intention of Our Church

We believe that God works in and through people. God calls every believer to be a minister in the world by equipping us with spiritual gifts that emerge, grow and mature in community. We come together for discipleship that is rooted in faith, shaped in relationship, and expressed in action as we work out our calling in every area of our lives.

The Bible and the Holy Spirit

We strongly encourage biblical study and reflection. We seek to be open to the subtle and hidden work of the Holy Spirit, believing that our own growth in spiritual maturity will engage our hearts, unite our efforts, and summon our resources in making the world a better place.

Engagement with the World

We offer year-round mission giving to denominational offerings, local and international charities, youth sponsored mission trips, and yearly visits from missionaries and Christian social workers. We seek to be agents of Christ’s love to people outside our church walls and beyond our familiar borders.

For more information on several key historical Confessions of Faith, please see: