Celebrating Christ. Serving the City.
We are a resource church for the city that celebrates the grace of God in Jesus Christ (the gospel), embraces the riches of the Historic Christian Faith, nurtures a community of believers and seekers, and mobilizes ministries to bring about personal, social and cultural renewal in Denver and around the world.
The Gospel
We are a “gospel-centered” church. This is our first and primary mission principle. The gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter God’s kingdom, but the way we make all progress in the kingdom. We are not justified by the gospel and then sanctified by obedience. The gospel is the way we grow and are renewed. Every program and activity in our church will be evaluated in light of whether it flows out of the gospel, points people toward the gospel, and helps people grow in both their understanding and application of the gospel.
Historic Christian Faith
We are broadly catholic, emphasizing what C.S. Lewis called “mere Christianity” – those timeless truths held in common by the whole Church. Although we are a church that is distinctively and joyfully Reformed we are committed to celebrating our Reformed heritage without becoming sectarian. We are also evangelical. We use “evangelical” in its historical sense – affirming the doctrines of historic Christianity as summarized in the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds, as well as robust confidence in the Bible as God’s reliable and authoritative Word.
Community
We take seriously its call to minister to all people regardless of where they are on their spiritual journey. We expect our church services and programs to include both Christians seeking to grow in their faith and those who are not committed to Christianity. We want people to feel like they “belong” before we expect them to behave or believe like committed Christians. We desire the first thing people encounter in our church to be Jesus and his Gospel – not a particular stance on social issues. We strive to be a missional, outwardly focused church that will be passionate about addressing those who are not Christians with intelligence, warmth and respect, knowing that every person deserves respect and dignity as one who is made in God’s image.
Renewal
Because “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1), we are committed to ministering in our city, region and the world to help bring about spiritual, cultural, and social renewal for God’s glory. We seek to accomplish this by empowering members of the church to carry out various ministries inside and outside the church. We will seek to educate, challenge and encourage all “ministers” (Christians) to identify, develop, and use their gifts. City Pres specifically seeks to establish and strengthen relationships with outside organizations that share our vision for transforming the city and its people through ministries of word and deed, acknowledging that both are crucial for genuine change to take place. Additionally, we will support work that is transformational, striving to address not just the results of suffering, but also its causes.
City Presbyterian Church is a member church of Reformed Church in America (RCA) and a founding member of the City Classis.
