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About Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Our History
Christ Community Presbyterian Church began as a three-family Bible study in September 2001 in Simsbury. God had relocated two families from the south and led them to worship at the Presbyterian Church of Manchester (PCM), some 40 minutes away. At PCM they met another couple who had been moved to Avon after living in Manchester for fifteen years. As an extension of God’s kingdom ... Read more >>>
Our Vision, Purpose and Mission
The purpose or vision of Christ Community PCA is to promote a Biblical vision of authentic Christianity by planting churches - throughout Connecticut - where people delight supremely in God. We seek earnestly to accomplish our vision by:
- Praying - fervently, faithfully, consistently, expectantly with a kingdom focus.
- Worshiping - reverently, joyfully, Biblically by publicly and privately ascribing glory and praise to God.
- Teaching - Biblically, theologically, experientially, and practically all of God’s inspired word.
- Evangelizing - locally and globally by graciously offering the love of God in Christ to all who will listen.
- Serving - people in need consciously and tangibly by acts of kindness and deeds of mercy
- Multiplying - disciples and churches deliberately, intentionally, and consistently.
Our mission as a local covenant community is to encourage one another to grow and mature in the Christian faith by studying the wisdom of the Old and New Testaments from a Reformed perspective and by praying for and edifying one another. We desire to reach out to other like-minded Christians to celebrate the truths of God’s word and to form a church. And, we communicate the hope and love of Jesus Christ to our community by hosting Bible studies, seminars and other community events.
Our Statement of Faith
- The Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
- There is one God, eternal and self-existing in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who are to be equally loved, honored, and adored.
- All mankind participated in Adam's fall from his original sinless state and is thus lost in sin and is totally helpless.
- The Sovereign God, for no other reason than for His own unfathomable love and mercy, has chosen lost sinners from every nation to be redeemed by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit and through the atoning death and resurrection of His son, Jesus Christ.
- Those sinners who the Spirit quickens, come to believe in Christ as Savior by the Word of God, are born again, become sons of God, and will persevere to the end.
- Justification is by faith and through it the undeserving sinner is clothed with the righteousness of Christ.
- The goal of God's salvation in the life of the Christian is holiness, good works, and service for the glory of God.
- At death the Christian's soul passes immediately into the presence of God and the unbeliever's soul is eternally separated from God unto condemnation.
- Baptism is a sign of God's covenant and is properly administered to children of believers in their infancy as well as to those who come as adults to trust in Christ.
- Jesus Christ will return to earth, visibly and bodily, at a time when He is not expected, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
- The Gospel of God's salvation in Jesus Christ must be published to all the world as a witness before Jesus Christ returns.
- We believe the Westminster Confession of Faith accurately portrays the truths of the Bible.
About the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)
The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) was formed in 1973 to be a denomination that is "Faithful to the Scriptures, True to the Reformed Faith, and Obedient to the Great Commission."
The PCA is an Evangelical and Reformed Presbyterian denomination. By Evangelical, we mean that we emphasize the Gospel (the good news of salvation) through faith in Jesus Christ, as well as affirming other orthodox Christian doctrines and holding to the inerrancy of Scripture.
By Reformed, we mean that we are connected to the teachings of the historic church and the doctrinal beliefs recovered by the Reformation. These doctrinal beliefs are expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. All officers of the Presbyterian Church in America must personally subscribe to and uphold the teachings of the Westminster Confession of Faith.
By Presbyterian, we describe our representative form of church government. Local churches are governed by a "Session" of "presbyters" (elders), elected by the members of the congregation. Representatives of local churches within a geographical area comprise a "presbytery." Representatives of presbyteries meet annually at "General Assembly." Thus, through the combined efforts and resources of all of the churches, we are enabled to advance God's Kingdom much more effectively. The Committees and Agencies of the PCA help lead this Kingdom work.
The Mission of the PCA is to glorify and enjoy God forever by equipping and enabling the churches of the PCA to work together to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples of all nations, so that people will mature as servants of the triune God, will worship God in spirit and truth, and will have a reforming impact on culture. We desire to take the message of Jesus Christ's atoning love on the cross to every nation so that God's elect will come to trust in Him alone for their salvation from sin. We want to show compassion, render mercy, and love and serve people from every ethnic group, nation and socio-economic level.
The following are links to partner churches within the Southern New England Presbytery:
The following are links to agencies within the Presbyterian Church in America denomination:
Session of Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Ruling Elder
Ruling Elder
NOTE:
Click on name of staff or session member to send email to that individual
Brad is a 1985 graduate of Princeton University with a B.A. in Economics. He served for a number of years as Senior Vice President, Manager of Corporate Services Marketing, for the Wachovia Corporation in Atlanta, GA. Brad’s first love, however, is music and worship, which has been his ministry focus for more than 20 years. After completing a Master of Church Music at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2003, Brad joined our team with a wealth of experience directing adult and youth choirs, as well as instrumental ensembles. Brad and his wife, Cara, have been married for more than 20 years and have two children, Taylor and Madeline.
Director of Children's and Youth Ministries
Jarrett earned a Master of Divinity degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, and served an internship as youth director with a PCA church in the Metro St. Louis area, before relocating in Fall 2007, to New England to serve with Christ Community. He and his wife, Hillary, reside in West Hartford, and are parents to a son, Wesley.
Jarrett was ordained on October 19, 2008, as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and installed as Assistant Pastor at Christ Community.
Diaconal Ministry of Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Deacon
Staff of Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Pastor Baker is an ordained minister in the PCA and has been in the ministry for 25 years. A graduate of the University of Alabama, he received his Master of Divinity degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. Prior to being called to Christ Community PCA, he was Senior Pastor of Golden Isles Presbyterian Church for 10 years; while there, he also served as Board Chairman of The Whitfield School from 1994-2002. Pastor Baker has been actively involved in foreign missions to Central America, Africa, The British Isles, Asia and the Far East. He is a regular contributor to Come Follow magazine (Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship) and produces a weekly e-mail devotional, Forget None of His Benefits (read now). Al and his wife, Wini, have been married over 35 years and have three grown children, Andrew, Allen and Jeff, and three grandchildren.
