The First Congregational Church of Chester

Transcription

1 The First Congregational Church of Chester Church Profile Provided for: Pastoral Candidates

2 The First Congregational Church of Chester Brief History The First Congregational Church of Chester (FCCC) was founded by the descendants of English Puritans who first settled Southold, Long Island after leaving England to escape religious persecution. They came west to New Jersey and settled in what was to become Chester, where they organized our church in 1740 and built the first house of worship here in The current Sanctuary is the third building on the property and was built in We are among the earliest churches west of the Hudson River. We are an independent, Bible-believing, Christ-centered, Spirit-led fellowship with a long history of serving the Lord, a vibrant present, and a commitment to the future generations who will worship and praise Him in this place. Governance FCCC is an independent, congregationally-governed church. Independent, in that we are not affiliated with either of the 2 major Congregational denominational organizations, or any other denominational organization. Congregationally-governed, in that we strongly uphold the notion that our beliefs, and how we function as a church, are to be determined by the local church - the congregation. The various functions of the church are overseen primarily by 3 elected Boards: Deacons, Trustees, and Christian Education. Numerous other individual positions and committees also exist to facilitate specific tasks and responsibilities. About Us At FCCC we have a single goal to fully experience Jesus Christ in a real way, every day! How do we achieve this goal? We experience Jesus by knowing, growing, and showing His love and joy in our lives daily. We experience Jesus in a wide variety of ways. Through: A blend of contemporary and traditional worship where all are involved in the praise of our Lord. A commitment to the study of the Word of God. Believer s baptism by immersion and infant dedication. Monthly celebration of the Lord s Supper. An emphasis on providing enriching opportunities for our children and youth. A belief in the power of prayer and a dedication to prayer in all we do. A belief in the value of the small group setting. A strong and vibrant dedication to missions, at home and abroad. Our commitment to our home-based missions of God s Fund and Dayspring Haitian Ministries. The opportunity of serving one another, our community, and our world as Christ would. 2

3 What We Believe A Foundation in Christ Commitment to Jesus Christ is foundational to everything we do at FCCC. Our ministry is built upon seven consistent tenets of the historic Christian faith that are captured in our Church Doctrine. These central affirmations define us, explain our motives, and support our purpose and vision. They sum up our worldview, express our devotion to God, and provide the framework within which we carry out our work. Apart from them, it is not possible to grasp the full significance of our multifaceted ministry. These seven tenets are the summation of the statement of faith we call the Doctrine of the First Congregational Church of Chester: We believe the Bible to be the unchanging, inerrant Word of God. We believe in One God, Who is the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ is God, who humbled Himself and became a human being for our sake. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross to pay for our sins, rose from the grave to have victory over death, rules from Heaven today, and will return again for His church. We believe that the only way to eternal life with God is through faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that when Jesus left to return to Heaven He left us the Holy Spirit who lives within us and ministers to us in power. We believe all people will have eternal life, those who accept Jesus will have eternal life in Heaven with Him, and those who do not will experience eternal separation from God in Hell. We believe in the unity of all believers, in all places, across all times in the fellowship of the Church. Our Mission Our Mission is to follow Jesus Christ by knowing, growing, and showing His love and joy in a genuine way every day. Our Vision FCCC exists to bring glory to God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31b) Additional Scriptural Basis: (2 Corinthians 3:7-11; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Zechariah 14:21; John 17:4-5: Colossians 3:15-17; 1 Peter 4:11) Spiritual Dynamic that Drives our Vision We, the people that form the First Congregational Church of Chester, seek to bring glory to God our Father by remaining steadfast to a Christ-Centered, Bible-based, Spiritled theology and practice of ministry. Christ-centered (John 1:1-2; 14; Philippians 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 3:10-11) Bible-based (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 12:6; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 24:35; Hebrews 2:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:13) Spirit-led (John 14:15-18; John 14:25-26; 1 Corinthians 2:10b-16) 3

4 Initiatives Driven from Our Vision Our Vision and Spiritual Dynamic declare that we exist to bring glory to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The desire of our hearts as a people of God is to accomplish this most incredible mission through our fellowship. Therefore we eagerly embrace God s call for new and visible manifestations of our desire to bring glory to His name; we therefore commit ourselves to the following vision initiatives: 1. A family atmosphere that encourages the worship of God. We are not professionals or performers when it comes to worship; we are God s people, called by His name, humbled and committed to worshipping Him. We exist to bring glory to God in our worship of Him and worship to an audience of One! (Luke 19:40) 2. A commitment to fresh, applicable, study of God s Word. We exist to draw nearer to the heart of God through our study of His Word and the application of His Word in our lives. We bring glory to God by allowing His Spirit to teach us more of Him and to be able to take that teaching and apply it to our daily lives within and outside of the Church (2 Timothy 2:15) 3. A commitment to a strong and essential grounding in prayer. We believe that a strong grounding in prayer is essential to our growth as a body of Christ. We commit to make prayer a primary component of our lives as individual followers of Jesus and as a family gathered in His name. We commit to bathe all that we consider and all that we do in the power of prayer. We bring glory to God when we seek His guidance and submit to His leadership in thought and action. (Luke 11:1-13) 4. A commitment to a multi-generational approach to ministry that incorporates the entire family in the process of growing disciples. We exist to be a physical manifestation of the Body of Christ in our community and to offer our families the opportunity to grow in that Body. We bring glory to God by growing in our desire to follow Him and our availability to be used by Him both as individual members of the Body and as a collection of believers gathered together. We believe that the best way to grow together is to meet together and we are committed to growing together through worship, Bible study, prayer gatherings, and fellowship as outlined in Acts 2: A strong belief in the gifting of the Spirit and the use of those gifts to bring glory to God. We believe, in the words of the Apostle Paul, the body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. We believe that the Church is made up of many parts and that each part is essential to the whole. We exist to encourage our members to discover and utilize the Spiritual gifts they have been given by God for the growing up of the Body of Christ. We bring glory to God when all the parts of the Body work together for the good of the whole Body. (1 Corinthians 12) 4

5 6. An outlook that seeks to bring the Word of God to the specific missions fields to which He has called us. We exist to bring the life-changing Word of God to others by committing ourselves to His instruction to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. We bring glory to God in our individual and collective desire to share our love for Him with the specific mission fields He has chosen for us to minister within. (Matthew 28:19) Values That help drive and derive from our Vision In light of our Vision and the Spiritual Dynamic that drives it, the following Values grip us as we reflect and pray over our specific circumstances and membership in this mission field God has given us. How we relate to each other as a Church Family: 1. Building lasting friendships that strengthen our faith. 2. The importance of meeting together for building caring, faith-sustaining relationships. 3. The spiritual shepherding by Deacons and lay leadership of all our people. 4. A strong attention to bringing children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 5. A spiritually dynamic youth ministry that equips our young people for courageous Christianity. 6. Honoring and caring for the senior members of our congregation. 7. Building strong marriages that model the relationship between Christ and the church. 8. Biblical counseling for individuals, marriages and families in need, partnering with other professionals when necessary. How we relate to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: 1. Making prayer the center of all our efforts in ministry and worship. 2. Personal Bible reading, reflection and memorization among all our people. 3. Recognizing the indispensable role of teachers and parents to impart biblical truth to the children and adults alike. 4. Understanding the importance of unity in the essentials and liberty in the peripherals. 5. Studying sound Biblical doctrine so that we will be able to mature in the faith. 6. People who are humble and teachable before the Word of God. 7. Recognizing the truth that God is in control. 8. People who are passionate about the things of God. 9. Being generous, cheerful givers to the missions and ministries of the church. 10. Being honest, financially accountable and above reproach in all our dealings. How we relate to the Larger Christian Movement & Mission in the World: 1. Support ministries to the needy within our midst. 2. Empowering all people in our fellowship to be salt and light at all levels of society home, work, school, and community. 3. Equipping members of the church family to support and help grow new believers that God brings forth in our midst. 5

6 4. Commitment to missions work being done in our neighborhoods and around the world, both monetarily and in prayer. 5. Careful, clear, fair biblical thinking about contemporary issues and culture. 6. A strong commitment to the biblical model of pro-life and pro-family How we relate to Corporate Worship: 1. A public worship that communicates the supremacy of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all of life. 2. A commitment to fervent, biblical, Spirit-anointed, God-glorifying and personally helpful preaching. 3. The critical importance of both head and heart in our worship experience. 4. Appreciation for both the traditional elements and the newer components of corporate worship. 5. Striving to be a place of freedom and full participation of the body in worship. CONGREGATIONAL MAKEUP We are a family of Spirit-led, God loving people. We have a current membership list of about 150 individuals, made up of a broad range of age groups and economic backgrounds. Our average Sunday attendance is between 90 and 100 adults and up to 20 children under the age of 16. Over the last several years, we have experienced modest growth. We may be a small congregation, but we are very active in terms of church programs, including Bible studies, Fellowship opportunities, Ministries and Mission support. CHURCH PROGRAMS Bible Studies We believe very strongly in the importance of studying God s Word, and strive for everyone to be involved in at least one Bible Study. We currently have 8 active Bible Studies that meet on a weekly basis. They represent a variety of study styles and meeting times. In addition to these Bible Studies, our Christian Education efforts are enhanced by our subscription to Right Now Media and their seminars and studies viewed both by individuals and small groups in our congregation. Fellowship Opportunities Fellowship is core to the life of our congregation. We have a long list of current fellowship opportunities and we are always open to trying new things. Currently, our fellowship opportunities include the following: Sunday Potluck Lunches Monthly Girls Night Out Monthly Men s Current Events Breakfasts Semi-Annual Women s Retreat Annual Men s Retreat Annual Church Picnic Annual Believer s Baptism Celebration Annual Pig Roast community outreach Adult night out All of our fellowship events are well attended and additionally serve as an outreach opportunity to our community. 6

7 Ministries We also have a variety of ministries designed both to meet various needs of our congregation and community, and to provide opportunities for our church family to minister. Our Children and Youth Ministry is going strong with a Sunday School for children up to 5 th grade, a Youth Group for Junior High children in 6 th through 8 th grade, and the Senior High Youth Group of 9 th through 12 th grade. We also offer a mid-week enrichment program called the Kids Club for youth age 4 through 5 th grade. Finally, we offer a Summer Vacation Bible School. We have an active Prayer Ministry which includes a Mom s-in-touch and an facilitated Prayer Chain. Our Care Ministry provides much needed meals, transportation, child care, household chores, and visits/companionship to members of our Church Family and community as needed. Lastly, The Table is a monthly fellowship opportunity open to the community to gather together and share in a home cooked meal. Missions As a congregation, we are very committed to missions, and tend to focus our support on smaller or local mission opportunities where we can feel or see a real impact. In fact, approximately 25% of our total church giving receipts are directed to support various mission projects. Our primary missions include the following: Dayspring Ministry Outreach to the Light & Peace Mission in Haiti providing financial support and spiritual fellowship through visits and funding of school, orphanage, medical program and special projects. God s Fund A fund used at the discretion of the pastor and/or Deacons to provide financial support for those in need within the congregation and in the community. Bible Basics International Short wave radio ministry that translates the Gospel and broadcasts to remote locations of the world. Assorted Missions Including two Christian rehab centers, a prison ministry for young men, a local Christian College, and other individual missions. CHURCH FACILITIES At FCCC, we are blessed to have beautiful, campus-like facilities that include a blend of stately, historic structures and more modern buildings. Four buildings comprise the campus: the Sanctuary, the Chapel, Pilgrim Hall, and the Parsonage. FCCC is located one block from quaint, historic downtown Chester. 7

8 The Sanctuary The current Sanctuary was built in 1856, and was preceded by two earlier houses of worship dating back to It is a traditional center-aisle design with seating for people. The interior features fascinating Troupe L oeil ( trick of the eye ) style painting. In addition, there is a beautifully painted and recently refurbished antique organ, originally installed in Beneath the Sanctuary is Zezzo Hall, a multi-purpose room and full kitchen used for various fellowship gatherings, Bible studies, church meetings and community events. 8

9 The Chapel The Chapel is a free-standing building primarily comprised of a multipurpose room (Bible studies, youth activities, fellowship gatherings, etc.) and the Nursery. Pilgrim Hall Built in 1963, and renovated since, Pilgrim Hall has a gym, a kitchen, several classrooms and an office on the main floor. These facilities are used by our Youth Groups, Sunday School classes and Kids Club as well as various community programs. The lower level houses the Church Offices, Library, meeting and storage rooms. 9

10 Parsonage The Parsonage is conveniently located on the church grounds and features a kitchen, living room, dining room, family room, study, and full bath and laundry area on the first floor, with four bedrooms and a full bath on the second floor. The parsonage also has central air conditioning. There is a quaint wrap-around porch and a 2½ car garage. Community FCCC is located in Chester, NJ. Greater Chester is actually comprised of Chester Borough (the center of town) and Chester Township (the surrounding area). Chester is approximately 50 miles west/northwest of New York City and would be considered on the outer-edge of communities commutable to NYC. Chester is principally a bedroom community with little industry, and boasts an excellent public school system with some of the highest standardized test scores in the state and nation. The combined population of The Chester s is approximately 10,000. Surrounding communities, include Mendham, Long Valley, Mt. Olive, Bernardsville and Bedminster. Downtown Chester can be described as Main Street, U.S.A., and is comprised of local shops, antique stores, restaurants, parks, and even a gazebo. It is a major weekend tourist destination and hosts annual craft fairs, peach festivals, apple festivals, antique car shows and other street festivals. For full demographic profiles visit and 10