Welcome to the online home of Huntersville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church! It is our purpose:
This is what we collectively refer to as the Four C’s.
It is our purpose to CELEBRATE the work and person of Christ, to diligently COMPREHEND God’s Word, to develop rich COMMUNITY among our members, and to demonstrate practical COMPASSION to a hurting world.
As our purpose statement says, it is of primary importance for us as the people of God to celebrate Him. We believe that worship is the primary motivator for all of the other things that we do as a church. That is, our celebration of God leads us to better comprehension, richer community, and a well-rounded ministry of compassion.
Worship is to be God-centered! Our worship service is designed to reveal God through the ministry of the Word and the presence of the Holy Spirit. When God is revealed, we respond to Him! Our response to our great God is our worship. Worship should give the sense that God is high, holy and distant –that God is transcendent. Worship also ought to instill a sense of God’s nearness to his children – that God is imminent.
We believe that our worship should not only be God-centered, but simple and reverent. Everything that we do should point the worshipers to Christ, be God-honoring and edifying to the saints.
Worship should also be word-centered. In our service, you will hear God’s Word read and preached. We sing and pray God’s word. And we are bound to worship according to God’s Word.
We also believe that our families should worship together in their homes. We strive to provide encouragement and resources to families so that they may daily lead their families to the throne of God.
Finally, we believe that all of life is to be lived for the glory of God. All of our actions should bring praise to our Creator.
We believe that God conveys grace to us in many ways. One way is through the fellowship of the saints. And so we strive to eat together, to meet together, and to grow in the word together. Much of our fellowship takes place around the ministry of the Word. But we like to have fun as well by offering: Beach Retreats, Camping Trips, Youth Retreats, Congregational Dinners, Festivals, Lunches, Workdays, Teas, Bonfires, Luncheons, Sr. Adult Trips, and so much more.
We are a multi-generational church! We have each span of generations well represented from newborns to centenarians! We strive to minister to all age groups and have all age groups minister to one another.
We believe that God has called us to take the faith given to us and to carry it into the world. We also believe that God calls us to care for one another, but also for the stranger in the world.
We support one another in the church body through sickness, weakness, and needy circumstances.
We encourage each of our members to take the Gospel to their spheres of influence, acting as salt and light in the world. Every encounter with people is a potential moment for the redemptive work of God. We are the image of Christ in our schools, at work, in our neighborhoods, at the gym, etc. Personal evangelism and engagement of the world is a must for each Christian!
We support local agencies that bring the Gospel to bear in local settings. We partner with pastors who are starting new churches, with campus ministries, with crisis pregnancy centers, and with local interests who are meeting redemptive needs in our local area. We encourage our people to serve where God has called them, often in unofficial places of ministry – yet they represent Christ’s church! Our denomination has a national missions board that plants new churches and revitalizes old ones.
Finally, we actively support foreign missions around the world. Our denomination has its own foreign board of missions, which we support along with various missionaries who are sent by them into the world. We also support a number of missionaries who are not affiliated with our denomination.
In addition to the Sunday Worship service where God’s Word is taught and preached, we offer various ministries to help us better understand the Word as it applies to our lives: men’s ministries, women’s Bible studies, children’s ministries. Check our calendar and schedule of events to see where you can plug in and deepen your relationship with our Lord.
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, a conservative evangelical Christian denomination, has been faithfully preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ for over 225 years. Its roots are traced to the Reformation, particularly the work of John Calvin and John Knox. Scottish immigrants who came to America in search of religious freedom brought the Christian faith to these shores.
The ARP Church of today began as a primarily rural denomination concentrated in the Southeast, but has followed the flow of people into urban centers, across the country, and into Canada. With just over 250 congregations, relationships are strong between individual churches as well as members. We stand firm on the tenets of Reformed theology as stated in the Westminster Confession of Faith, but our worship styles range from traditional to contemporary.
We are EvangelicalWe take our stand with all those who believe in the fundamentals: the existence of the triune God, the deity of Jesus, the virgin birth, the substitutionary and vicarious atonement of Christ, the physical resurrection of Christ, the sure return of Christ, and the infallibility, inerrancy and divine authority of the Bible, which is a faithful and true guide to what we are to believe and how we are to live. We joyfully affirm our unity with those from every tradition and denomination who hold to these fundamentals, including those true believers in Christ who, for whatever reason, find themselves members of denominations or churches with which we might have certain disagreements.
We are EvangelisticThis means we take seriously the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Without compromising the sovereignty of God, we affirm the responsibility of each person to repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and our responsibility to extend the Gospel invitation as a call to salvation to everyone who hears its message.
We are ReformedThe word reformed can be defined simply in three ways:
We are connected in history to the Reformed Presbytery, a group that left the Church of Scotland in 1743, because the King of Scotland would not sign the Solemn League and Covenant, which affirmed that Christ alone was head and king of the church, not the civil magistrate.
These distinctives can be summarized by our glad affirmation of the responsibility of every person to repent and believe, and that it is God who, by His sovereign electing grace, draws men and women, otherwise dead in sin, to faith in His Son. By this faith alone are God’s people justified.
Reformed distinctives include the sovereignty of God in His creation, providence and election of believers apart from any merit of their own; the irresistible grace of God provided for and preceding the faith of the individual; the sufficiency of God’s grace apart from which man is dead in sin and wholly defiled in all his faculties of soul and body; the efficacy of Christ’s death for all those who believe in Him by grace; the safe-guarding of all those for whom Christ died for eternal life. We seek to hold to our reformed convictions humbly, recognizing the sincerity and earnestness of godly men and women who have other positions.
This means that we have a written confession of faith, which we believe to be a good and accurate summary of the Bible’s teaching. Our confession consists of the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. These documents are not without flaw; yet we believe they do contain carefully worded summaries of the Bible’s content. All officers and pastors of Huntersville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church must vow that they hold to these standards and are required to indicate to the Session or Presbytery where they take exceptions.
To say we are covenantal means we believe that the unifying principle of the Scriptures is the one covenant of grace that God made with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and finally, and most importantly, in Jesus Christ. The covenant is a pledge or bond of loyalty that God made to His people through each of the above named persons. The covenant is a relationship of loving loyalty that God has initiated with us as His people throughout human history. To speak of the unity of the covenants means that there is one way and one way only to salvation in both Old and New Testaments; that is, by faith alone in Jesus Christ. This covenantal understanding of the Bible is in distinction from any system of organizing the Scriptures that would attribute differing ways of salvation to a succession of historical Biblical eras.
We believe that the Kingdom of God is not only a future hope but is also a present reality. We believe that the ascension of Jesus Christ means that He is presently reigning from Heaven and therefore we are called upon to honor and obey Him in every area of our personal lives and to plant the banner of Christ’s Kingdom rule in every area of human endeavor. Christ’s present heavenly reign is at the heart of our Purpose Statement as a church: “It is the purpose of Huntersville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church to deeply celebrate the person and work of our Savior, to diligently comprehend God’s word, to develop rich community among our church family and to demonstrate practical compassion to a hurting world.” Or, to say it another way, “Our purpose is to glorify God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as led by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. We strive to be an instrument by which His name is glorified among the peoples. To this end, we commit ourselves to be a worshipping community, a nurturing fellowship and a reflection of God’s love to the world.”
We are PresbyterianThis word refers to our form of governance. We are a church that is Presbyterian in government, as opposed to congregational or Episcopal. We believe that the most clear Biblical pattern is for churches to be governed by presbyters (elders) who rule jointly in what are called church courts: sessions, presbyteries and the Synod. In our church, our Elders and Pastors collectively make up the Session, who oversee the spiritual health and the governance of this particular church.
We believe that as we come to appreciate these distinctives, we will grow to love and honor the Lord Jesus more fully and understand more richly what it means to live by grace.
Nevertheless, acceptance of all these distinctives is not required for membership in our church. One can join and be a participating member of our church without holding to any but the evangelical distinctive. Ruling and teaching elders and deacons, however, must hold to all these distinctives; and while there is room for exceptions to be taken, to be ordained as an elder or deacon in Huntersville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church means that one can affirm that these descriptive terms apply to themselves.
Likewise, teachers must affirm their willingness to teach according to the confessional standards of our church and agree to discuss with the pastors any area where they disagree. Teachers who agree to be gracious in matters where they take exceptions to our confessional standards may receive approval to teach by our Session, which must approve all teachers.
In the Reformation era, Martin Luther had a sponsor whose name was Frederick of Saxony. Frederick was a prince and a 16th century entrepreneur who funded many of Luther’s projects. He was a man of warm heart and deep conviction. On his coach, he had emblazoned these Latin words: suaviter in modo, fortiter in re, which means, “gentle in manner, strong in truth”. This is what this church desires to be: warm, gracious, inviting, open and non-judgmental; yet holding strong convictions that always come directly from the Bible. It is our absolute and unwavering conviction that to be strong in truth without being gentle in manner is unbiblical. It is also our profound conviction that to be gentle in manner while not adhering to scriptural truth is also unbiblical. By God’s grace, we will be both as we press on in the Lord’s grand design.
More details about our beliefs, including our Confession of Faith, may be found HERE on our Denomination’s Homepage
In order to be ‘saved’ you have to ask, “saved from what?” We are sinners in the sight of God, no matter how “good” a life we lead it is not enough to stand before our God who demands perfection under His law.
Only through the work of the Holy Spirit, God’s gift to us, can we see that we are in need of a Savior. Only through the gift of Christ, freely given to us, can we be seen as righteous – sinless, blameless – in the eyes of God.
How can you be saved?
Confess that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23). This means that even though you try to do your best, you still fall short because you are a sinner. Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Salvation is the gift of God to you. That’s the way He planned it.
Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, He is the Son of God, and that He alone can save you. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given at its proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Isaiah 53:6 says that “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus took our sins upon Himself when He died on the cross. He paid the penalty for our sins so that we would not have to. He was raised from the dead, showing that He has victory of sin and death. Romans 10:9 says that “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Acknowledge that salvation will be yours if you put your faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 says that “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.” This clearly indicates that God gives the gift of faith first. Then you take the faith He has given you and place it in Christ you will be saved by faith alone–there is nothing more for you to do.
Ask Jesus Christ to come into your life and be your Savior and Lord from this day forward, and forever. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” This is what is known as “new life in Christ,” or as John 3:3 puts it, being “born again.”
Accepting Christ is the beginning. As we learn in Colossians 2:6-7, “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” After accepting Him, be obedient by following Him in baptism and by uniting with the church. When you do, you will find that life truly does have new purpose and meaning.
If you DO have a relationship with our Lord and Savior, do you know who you are in him?
“You are… ( go ahead… read these out loud… )
…a child of God (Romans 8:16) ..redeemed from the hand of the enemy (Psalms 107:2) ..forgiven (Colossians 1:13-14) ..saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8) ..justified (Romans 5:1) ..sanctified (I Corinthians 6:11) ..a new creature (II Corinthians 5:17) ..a partaker of His divine nature (II Peter 1:4) ..redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13) ..delivered from the powers of darkness (Colossians 1:13) ..led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14) ..a son of God (Romans 8:14) ..kept in safety wherever I go (Psalms 91:11) ..getting all my needs met by Jesus (Philippians 4:19) ..casting all my cares on Jesus (I Peter 5:7) ..strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10) ..doing all things through Christ Who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13) ..observing and doing the Lord’s commandments (Deuteronomy 28:12) ..an heir of God and a joint heir of Jesus (Romans 8:17) ..heir to the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14) ..blessed coming in and blessed going out (Deuteronomy 28:12) ..an inheritor of eternal life (I John 5:11-12) ..blessed with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3) ..healed by His stripes (I Peter 2:24) ..exercising my authority over the enemy (Luke 10:19) ..above only and not beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13) ..more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37) ..establishing God’s Word here on the earth (Matthew 16:19) ..an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelations 12:11) ..daily overcoming the devil (I John 4:4) ..not moved by what I see (II Corinthians 4:18) ..walking by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7) ..casting down vain imaginations (II Corinthians 10:5) ..bringing every thought into captivity (II Corinthians 10:5) ..being transformed by a renewed mind (Romans 12:1-2) ..a laborer together with God ( I Corinthians 3:9) ..the righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:21) ..an imitator of Jesus (Ephesians 5:1) ..the light of the world (Matthew 5:14) ..abiding in the Vine, Jesus (John 15:4) ..surrounded by favor as with a shield (Psalm 5:12) ..letting the peace of God rule in my heart (Colossians 3:15) ..like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water (Psalm 1:3) ..sheltered under the wings of God (Psalm 91:4) ..kept (garrisoned round about by squadrons of angels) by the power of God (1 Peter 1:5) ..washed whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7) ..acknowledging God in all my ways, and He is directing my paths (Proverbs 3:6) ..dead to sin, but alive to God (Romans 6:11) ..made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27)..not of this world (John 17:14-16)..filled with all joy and peace in believing (Romans 15:13).”
