Why another Church in Lynchburg and Forest?
Lynchburg , the city of hills, has also been called the city of steeples. It seems everywhere you look there’s another church. Does Lynchburg/Forest really need another church?
There are several ways to answer that question:
First, because Christians believe everyone should be in a church, as long as there are people without church homes, there will be a need for more churches. Census data indicates that 60 % of Forest residents have no church home.
Second, Lynchburg is the largest city in the south without a church in the conservative denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). It is the goal of the PCA to plant churches in all major cities of America, hence the desire to plant one in Lynchburg.
Third, we believe the Lynchburg/Forest area will benefit from a church with the particular ministry distinctives of Redeemer PCA.
What are those ministry distinctives, or elements which determine the way a church fulfills its mission? Let’s examine several:
1. The way people think about church. (back to top)
Most folks around here speak of “going to church.” At Redeemer PCA, we don’t think of church as a place we go, but rather, as what we are. In the New Testament, the church never identified itself with a building; the focus was always on the people. Churches were gatherings of people who, knowing that God had called them to be His own precious possession, sought to care for one another and to be a blessing in their communities.
But should we “go to church”? Certainly! Christians historically have loved to meet together once a week to worship God, to hear His word taught, and to be equipped for serving others. This is critical to healthy spirituality, and is one place for inquirers to investigate the claims of Christianity. But an equally vital aspect of the church is the participant’s experience of community beyond Sunday mornings. Because Sunday mornings appropriately focus on God in worship and His word in instruction, it’s difficult for people to connect in a meaningful way during the short Sunday morning time period. That’s why a church is healthy only when its participants gather at other times to encourage and pray for one another, to practice what the Bible calls “stimulating one another to love and good deeds.” In individual homes believers need to gather in smaller groups to bear one another’s burdens, and to partner together to extend the wonderful gospel message to their neighbors. None of us is called to fight the fight of faith alone, or to reach others with the gospel as an individual effort. We believe that Christianity is meant to be experienced at this smaller group level, though, unfortunately, few church-goers do.
To illustrate this point, think of the different kinds of folks who connect in some fashion with Christianity.
First, there are those who at some point in time responded to “an invitation” to become a Christian, but virtually did nothing beyond that. Perhaps they thought that merely saying a special prayer for salvation was all they needed, so on they went with their life, same as before. The Bible gives those kinds of folks no reason to believe they are true disciples.
Second, there are those who go to church on special occasions (Easter, Christmas, someone’s baptism, etc.) but have no significant connection with a gathering of believers. Again, the Bible gives these folks no reason to believe they are any different from someone who is not a Christian. The Bible warns “not to forsake your assembling together, as is the habit of some…”
Third, there are many people who go to church, perhaps even regularly, but lack any vital connection to other Christians in community. Church is a place they go. At a minimum, these folks are forfeiting a critical aspect of Christianity, what one passage calls “encouraging one another, day after day, lest anyone become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
Fourth, churches are full of serious believers who faithfully go to worship and who serve the needs of the church. Obviously, this is commendable. But if that is all their church experience is, they too neglect a huge element in the exercise of faith: prayer-centered fellowship, personal sharing, burden-bearing, and discipling: “And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer…”
When a Christian gathers to worship regularly, serves the needs of the church, and meets consistently with others for heart-sharing community, is he or she where the Bible says Christianity is lived out? Not quite! One of the purposes of community is the promoting of outward concern for others. “And when they had prayed they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” Jesus told his followers to make disciples of all peoples. Churches that only meet for worship and fellowship, while neglecting Jesus’ call to disciple all people, risk being irrelevant to their communities.
Let’s summarize. Why is the way one thinks about church so important? The church is people, not a building. You may need to drive 20 minutes to a facility to worship on Sunday morning, but that is just one aspect of being the church. Regardless of where the people gather, church happens as we gather in our homes for community, and extend the reach of God’s love to our neighbors outside the confines of the church building.
2. The way people think about God (back to top)
Redeemer PCA believes the Bible to be the written Word of God, infallible and inerrant in all its parts. As such, it is God’s self-revelation, our sole authority, the only reliable source of knowledge about God, and trustworthy interpretation of reality. But what kind of God does the Bible reveal, and how are sinful people made perfect for His holy presence? Christians haven’t always agreed on the answer. We believe the Bible reveals a God who is absolutely sovereign over His creation and all the affairs of mankind. Our theology, that summary of truths the Bible teaches, stands in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation. The Reformers taught that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, accomplished by Christ alone, for the glory of God alone- as revealed in the Scriptures alone.
3. The way churches are governed (back to top)
Presbyterians differ from many denominations in their representative form of government. Particular churches are shepherded by elders who are elected by the congregation. There is no hierarchy, yet churches are connected to one another. Elders from churches within a geographical region form a presbytery, and all the presbyteries form the national assembly. This system provides accountability at multiple levels, thus safeguarding denominational fidelity to its written doctrinal standards and the faithful conduct of its members and leaders.
4. The way a church worships (back to top)
Redeemer PCA believes that all of life is worship, in so far as all that we do should be to God’s glory and because of our delight in Him. Sunday worship services are most vital when God’s people worship Him daily in private devotion, and bring their “worship collateral” with them to the public assembly. When we meet corporately, worship should be given to God, through Christ, by the Holy Spirit, according to the means He reveals in His word. Therefore, He is the audience and no one is present to be entertained. Worship should reflect the joy and triumph of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the confident access believers have to the throne of God, and a holy reverence for the majesty of God. Our music blends the riches of Christian hymnody with grace-centered contemporary choruses.
There are other issues which make churches distinct. For example, Redeemer desires to equip young people with a carefully developed Christian worldview, and to serve college students on the various campuses in town. We want to provide a home away from home where college students enjoy the benefits of the family of God. We also want to see Christianity influence the arts.
We invite you to experience Redeemer PCA. Yes, yet another church in the city of steeples, but by God’s grace one which we pray will glorify God in its fulfillment of its Biblical purpose, and give you life-transforming community with like-minded believers.