What We Believe
Jesus Christ at the Center
We seek to grow closer to Jesus, to gratefully live in his mercy, and to carry his compassionate Presence into our homes, workplaces and schools. We see our church as standing firmly in the context of the historic Christian church by fully affirming the central tenants of our Reformed tradition and not insisting on full agreement in less pivotal doctrines, beliefs, and practices. See the Brief Statement of Faith.
Our Identity as Historically Rooted, Creedal, Nationally Connected
We belong to the Presbyterian Church USA and are informed by a deep and rich heritage of ten historic Christian Confessions*. We are governed by 11 people democratically elected from among our congregation and moderated by our senior pastor. We are directly connected to a regional body of 55 Presbyterian churches in the Seattle area and accountable to the national body of our 2 million member congregation. As Presbyterians, we cherish ecumenical relationships, educational pursuits, efforts to constructively heal society and culture, and the promotion of the Gospel of Christ for the physical and spiritual well-being and transformation of the world. Our Reformed roots stem from the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.
Finding Wisdom for Living Well
We see the Bible as our primary guide for understanding God, ourselves, and the world in general. We seek to be faithful in our calling to be followers of Christ and honoring our Reformed Tradition. We prize biblical scholarship and we also take into account the contributions of science, sociology, literature, the arts, current culture and personal experience when wrestling with how to think theologically and behave ethically in everyday living.
*For more information on several key historical Confessions of Faith, please see: