Interacting with Widely Distributed Churches
The Covenant Presbyterian Church meets at least twice each year. When Elders meet we hear news and reports about our sixteen churches. We also ...
A New Church is Born: Foothills Christian Assembly!
July 23, 2014
Founded in 2010, Foothills Christian Assembly is a Gospel-centered, Reformed Presbyterian assembly in North Augusta, South Carolina, embracing the comprehensive authority of all of God’s Word over all of life, proclaiming the doctrines of sovereign grace, enjoying reverent and exuberant family-uniting liturgical worship, and always rejoicing with optimism regarding Christ’s victorious Kingdom. Our recent union with our denomination, Covenant Presbyterian Church, brings us great joy and encouragement as we continue to grow together in faith and love toward Christ our Lord.
Gospel-Centered
The Gospel is the power of God, so believing and obeying the full Gospel of Jesus Christ is our only source of life, power and victorious living. By God’s grace and Holy Spirit power, we will fix our eyes upon Jesus together as an assembly, seeking to know Him for all of Who He Is, follow Him in all of His glorious Ways, and trust Him according to His astounding promises. Individually and corporately, we joyfully acknowledge that we are pitiful, hopeless creatures of decadence and wrath apart from our Heavenly Father’s initiating, intervening grace. And, we continue to embrace His mercy toward us as our only hope, every moment of every day. The eternal glory, infinite power, perfect life, fiery death, humiliating burial, vindicating resurrection, astonishing ascension, glorious enthronement, comprehensive reign, unlimited victory, and comforting Presence of our elder Brother, our God, Jesus Christ, serves as our breath, our life, our joy, our hope, our all in all.
Reformed Presbyterian
History, interpreted via the Word of God, shows us the gradual and upward march of Christendom over the earth. We rejoice in that recovery of Christendom that flourished during the 17th century in England and parts of Europe, and that sailed across the ocean to form our nation. We wholeheartedly embrace the Westminster Standards as the confessional stance of our church, happy to count ourselves in the line of continuing, historic, faithful, orthodox Christianity, along with our brothers and sisters in the CPC.
Comprehensive Authority of All of God’s Word over all of life
We love the Word of God. As the only source of self-attesting, infallible, inerrant truth about God, man, creation and history, we seek to saturate our minds, hearts, words, songs, prayers and lives in God’s glorious Word. As the ultimate standard for all of life and faith, we proclaim that all people in all places at all times are commanded to submit themselves cheerfully and completely to every jot and tittle of God’s Word, including not only the individual, family and church, but every other human institution, including the civil government.
Proclaiming the doctrines of sovereign grace
The deception of Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism continues to poison and weaken the visible church today. Like C. S. Lewis, we like our Christianity the same as our whiskey, straight. This strong stuff of pure grace salvation invigorates the heart, mind and soul because it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not some insipid, watered-down version carefully mixed to avoid offending the fallen palate. Calling the flesh what it is – dead, and receiving Christ’s grace as it comes – sovereignly bestowed; that’s what we mean when we talk about TULIP around here.
Reverent and exuberant family-uniting liturgical worship
Taste and see that the Lord is GOOD! His throne is a throne of GLADNESS!! His Presence in our midst is a SONG! He rejoices over us with exultation. O, let us rejoice and be glad and sing a new song with and to Him!! Let us bow down before our Maker. Our families gather together on the Lord’s Day to be in the Lord’s Presence, going after Him, according to His Word, accepting nothing less than encountering Him together. The children are always with us so we don’t forget what real worship is all about!! And, the bread is leavened and the wine is real. Come, let us enter His Presence with thanksgiving. Let us sing unto His Name with eternal joy.
Rejoicing with optimism regarding Christ’s victorious kingdom
Jesus destroyed the devil and his evil kingdom. This entire universe, seen and unseen, belongs to Jesus Christ, not the devil. We reject the pessimistic clouds raining down the constant drizzle of gloom and doom in today’s confused eschatological climate. Jesus Christ is the Owner and Ruler of this entire universe, and He is applying His Kingdom’s total conquest of darkness right now, from the Father’s right hand of power and glory. We rejoice to receive this position of dominion conquest from our reigning elder Brother, and our God, Jesus Christ, Lord of all.
So, we at Foothills Christian Assembly say our thanks and praise to God for graciously delivering us from our deep doom and haughty helplessness, and for delivering us into His Kingdom’s power, life, joy, meaning, victory and beauty. And, we further praise the Lord God for connecting us with a denomination devoted to the full Gospel of Jesus Christ! We anticipate many generations of service together, that the nations of the earth will all come to worship and serve the Living God.
