Welcome!
“Every church is different. Every true church is a
thing of beauty in its own unique
way.”
Class Material Available Online
• INSTRUCTIONS:– Go online. Password is “grace4you” – Go to www.christourhopechurch.com – In Search bar, type & enter “connecting” – Click on “Continue Reading”– Each session is listed & downloadable– HINT: At the back of each lesson, there is
an Answer Key for all fill-in-blanks.
Overview• #1- Jesus & The
Church• #2- The Gospel &
The Christian• #3- Beliefs &
Doctrinal Distinctives
• #4- Roots, Relationships & Rule
• #5- Mission & Ministries
• #6- Church Membership
Session #4: Roots, Relationships & Rule
• CHURCH HISTORY- In which branch of Jesus’ Church did Christ Our Hope originate?
• CHURCH AFFILIATION- What denomination and ministries does Christ Our Hope partner with?
• CHURCH GOVERNMENT- What are the leadership structures of Christ Our Hope?
Our Church’s RootsThe history of The Church
is like a mighty river…“There are lots of twists and turns, and at some points, the river appears motionless, but its upstream force is so powerful that the river is merely changing direction or reproducing itself into multiple streams going in various directions. Such is Christ’s Church: it has ebbed and flowed in world history yet continues to prevail. The Church flows in many streams and in many directions, yet its strength comes from the same powerful Source: Jesus Christ and His Spirit.”
Our Past Connections
EARLY CHURCH:Jerusalem Council(Acts 15; AD 48)
PROTESTANTREFORMATION:
Luther, Calvin, Knox (1500s)
WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY
(1643-1647)
AMERICANPRESBYTERIANISM
(1672-present)
Early Church Roots: The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)
• 1st Ecclesiastical Assembly of Christ’s Church (AD 48/49)
• Its purpose was to adjudicate a doctrinal controversy
• Participants included both Apostles & Elders
• Its decision was binding beyond just those local churches (i.e. in Jerusalem & Galatia)
Reformation Roots (16th Century): Luther, Calvin, Knox
• Martin Luther (1483-1546) rediscovered the Gospel & translated the Bible into German
• John Calvin (1509-1564) wrote The Institutes and pioneered Word & Deed ministry in Geneva, Switzerland
• John Knox (1514-1572) wrote the Book of Com-mon (Church) Order & founded Presbyterianism in Scotland
Westminster Roots (17th Century):Reformation in England
• Assembly met from 1643-1649
• Met 1,163 times, producing the Westminster (Doctrinal) Standards
• Was truly Inter-Denominational, including contri-butions from 120 pastor-scholars
Our Theological Heritage:CHRISTIAN
PROTESTANT
EVANGELICAL
REFORMED
PRESBYTERIAN
PCA
The Identity of the Presbyterian Church in America:
• The PCA is EVANGELICAL, REFORMED and…• “PRESBYTERIAN”:– πρεσβύτερος (“presbyterios”) = elder or bishop
– Simply refers to our understanding of the Bible’s
model for New Testament church government– Means we are an elders-led church:
The elders lead, guide and shepherd the flock
The PCA’s Mission:
The mission of the Presbyterian Church in America is to glorify and enjoy God by equipping
and enabling the churches of the PCA to work together to fulfill the Great Commission by
making disciples of all nations, so that people will mature as servants of the triune God, will
worship God in spirit and truth, and will have a reforming impact on culture.
The PCA’s Motto:
The PCA is simply one branch of Christ’s Church that seeks to be:
FAITHFUL to the Scriptures TRUE to the Reformed Tradition OBEDIENT to the Great Commission
of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28.18-20)
The PCA’s StructureWhereas “Evangelical” identifies our unified stance with the wider worldwide church, and “Reformed” identifies our stance on theology,… “Presbyterian” refers to our form of church order
and structure- our church’s government: PASTORS & ELDERS share the same office, yet have
different emphases“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy
of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” (1 Tim 5.17)
CHURCHES ARE CONNECTED for mission and accountability through a regional “presbytery”
Eastern Carolina Presbytery
Understanding Presbyterian Churches:
CONGREGATIONAL & Baptist Churches
PRESBYTERIAN Churches
EPISCOPAL & Roman Catholic
Churches
Authority Flow
“Bottom-Up”
“BOTH / AND”
“Top-Down”
Decision-Makers
All Individual Church Members
Qualified, Trained & Elected Men from
within the church
Appointed Bishops from outside the
church
Connections? NO Official Connections
CONNECTED while respecting local
church autonomy
STRONG HIERARCHICAL
Connections (no local autonomy)
Next time:
SESSION # 5-
Our Mission & Ministries
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