“Resurrection”

The word “Resurrection” in our name reflects our conviction that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cardinal doctrine of the Christian faith. Here are some of the glorious biblical truths about the resurrection of Christ and what it means for this life and the life to come:

1. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11: 25). By our name we want to point first and foremost to the One who is the source of all life for those otherwise dead in their trespasses and sins.

2. Jesus also spoke of believers as those who have “passed from death to life” (John 5:24) and who already possess eternal life. By our name we want to point to our own experience of salvation: eternal life in Christ.

3. The resurrection of Christ has shaped the very rhythm of life for God’s people, as we set aside the first day of the week for rest and worship, and as we greet one another as Christians have from ancient times: “Christ is risen…He is risen indeed!” By our name we want to keep reminding ourselves why we gather for worship on Sundays: in celebration of his victory over death on our behalf.

4. The resurrection of Jesus was the “firstfruits” of the future coming day of the resurrection of all God’s people (1 Cor. 15:20), when he will “transform our present lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3.21). By our name we want to help keep our eyes on the glory of that last day amid the weakness, pain, and death we experience in this present life.

5. The final resurrection will come as part of God’s final renewal of all things, when these words are fulfilled: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21: 3-4). By our name we want to keep the hope of heaven itself before us.

6. The doctrine of the bodily resurrection of Christ, along with the coming resurrection of all his people, is of “first importance” in the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3), and apart from the resurrection all “preaching…and faith are in vain (15:14). By our name we want to proclaim our commitment to the historic Christian faith, and our joy in Christianity as a “resurrection religion."

“Presbyterian”

The word “Presbyterian” in our name reflects our desire to identify with the great work of God in the Protestant Reformation of the 16 th century, and with the Presbyterian tradition that emerged from that broader movement.