Reformed Principles

1. Inspiration and Authority of Scripture - All Scripture is God breathed (II Tim. 3:16) and is the standard for all matters of life and faith.  Semper reformda is a motto by which we state that the church is always being reformed according to the Word of God.
2. Covenantal Understanding of Scriptures - Between both testaments and throughout all ages of history there is one covenant of grace revealed and applicable to God and His people.  It may take different forms in different periods of biblical history, for instance, the covenants of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and Christ.  But the one promise that is repeated throughout is "I will be your God and you shall be my people."
3. The Sovereignty of God in our Calling - Our salvation from beginning to end is in God's hands.  God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) and will bring that 'good work' in us "to completion by the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6)  We respond to God's calling (Rom 8:30) by the work of the Holy Spirit.
4. Justification by Grace through Faith - Known as the great rallying point of the Reformation, this statement claims that out of no merit of our own do we receive salvation, but only through the atoning and loving work of Christ on the cross.  Even faith is a gift (Eph. 2:8-9), and through it we are awakened to a life of service and good works.
5. The Holy Spirit - The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, is the creator of new birth (John 3), the shaper and sanctifier of the church (Acts 2) and the supplier of truth, power, fruit, and gifts to believers.  Word and Spirit work together to guide the church through the ages.
6. The Priesthood of All Believers - The Reformers recognized the role of all believers in the ministry of the church, and that ordained offices (minister of the Word and Sacrament, elder, deacon, and teacher) are functional in nature.
7. Engagement with the World - Each person is called (vocatio) by God not only to service in the church, but to service in the community in whatever role he or she plays.  The wife in her kitchen, the farmer in the field, the worker in the factory are doing the work of God every bit as much as the preacher.  The Reformers believed that God's people are to minister in the world in the areas of art, science, government, health, etc. - in short, all areas of life in order to redeem culture and witness to the Lordship of Christ over all of life.
8. An Ethic of Gratitude - All that we are and have belong to God.  We live our lives gratefully, following the law, knowing that this is his world, and we exist to bring glory to him.

What We Practice

Martin Luther: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity"

In Essentials - Unity  Eph. 4:4-6  "There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

In Non-essentials - Liberty  Rom 14: 1, 4, 12  "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.  Who are you to judge someone else's servant?  To his own master he stands or falls.  And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God."

In All Things - Charity  I Cor. 13:2 "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."