God's vision for First Church
Beliefs
First Church is part of the Reformed tradition: we are reformed and always reforming. We believe that God continues to speak through the Holy Spirit, and we strive to discern how God is calling us to love God and love our neighbors at this time and in this place. We are guided by the Bible, historical creeds, and the reformed confessions of the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, and Canons of Dort.
Bible
We believe the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible, and holy Word of God. The Spirit of God directed human authors to write these books so we know who God is and how we can live with and for God in all we do. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
Trinity
We believe God is one living and true God who mysteriously exists in perfect community as three equal and fully divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person of God, while having different but complementary roles, has the same nature, characteristics and being, and is worthy of equal praise and obedience. (Matthew 28:19-20; John 1:1-4; Genesis 1:1-2)
Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration
We believe God created our good and beautiful world and all that is in it. And we believe that God allowed sin and brokenness to enter this world. While that might cause pain and confusion, God never abandoned or ignored the creation. God has worked throughout history to redeem the broken creation, ultimately through the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit continues this work of redemption from now until when Jesus will return to fully restore all of creation to align with God’s righteousness and justice.
Baptism & Profession of Faith
In infant baptism, we publicly acknowledge and celebrate the grace of God, freely offered to us before we were even aware or able to move toward God. Parents and the congregation promise to nurture the children with Christian care and teaching, showing them the love of Jesus. When a person who was baptized as a child comes to claim faith in Jesus for themselves, they make a public profession of faith. This is a celebration of God’s action in their lives and a commitment to living with and for Jesus. For those not baptized as children, adult baptism includes a public profession of faith. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-39; Acts 16:15,33; John 4:42)
Communion
During communion, when we eat the bread and juice, we remember the life and death of Jesus Christ and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, bringing life to all. Yet we do more than remember, we also encounter and experience God’s presence and grace through the Holy Spirit. Children as well as adults are welcome to participate in communion and receive this gift of God’s grace. (Luke 22:14-21; Matthew 19:13-14)
The Church
We believe that as God’s people, we are called to come together to worship and to serve. We value both unity and diversity in the body of Christ, knowing that the diversity of the church is the embodiment of God’s creativity. The Church has the greatest impact when we are able to fully utilize the gifts of all God’s children. At First Church, we strive to be a community that celebrates thoughtful conversations amidst differing viewpoints, knowing that in Christ, all things hold together. (1 Corinthians 12, Colossians 1)
First Church Distinctives
Seeking Racial Justice & Welcoming Refugees
God created a richly diverse, God-glorifying world. As fallen people in a fallen world, our sin results in broken relationships and unjust structures; because of this, we lament the racism of the past and its current presence in our relationships and the systems in which we participate. We join together as children of God and servants of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit to stand against racism, seek justice, and participate in reconciliation. We strive to live out our call to love and extend mercy to our neighbor, regardless of their citizenship or ethnicity, and to extend God’s welcome to those fleeing violence as refugees. (Genesis 1, Galatians 3:26-29, Colossians 1:15-23, Revelation 7:9)
LGBTQ+ Inclusion
We invite all members of our church family to full participation in the life and ministry of the congregation. Neither sexual identity nor being in a same-sex relationship will impact a person’s membership or ability to fully participate at First Church. With humility, knowing that our church family holds a variety of interpretations regarding same-sex marriage and some of us are in a place of uncertainty, we trust that our unity in Christ is strong enough to hold us together to further God’s kingdom. (Ephesians 4:1-6, Colossians 1:17)
Women in Leadership
We rejoice that God has given each person gifts to serve within and beyond the church. We affirm and are greatly blessed by women in leadership at all levels of church life. The God-given gifts of women enrich our life together, contribute to the flourishing of our ministries, and enable us to truly live out our calling as God’s image bearers in this world. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Ephesians 4:11-13, Galatians 3:26-29)
Caring for God’s World
We affirm that God is the Creator of all things. We rejoice in and celebrate a world that reveals God’s glory, yet we confess we have allowed this creation to be broken through the misuse of resources. We are called to be stewards who rebuild, restore, and renew what is broken in our communities, nation, and world. (Gen 1:20-24, Lev 25:1-7, Isaiah 61, Rom 1:20)
Values
Within our Strategic Plan, First Church has identified these fundamental values as the sustaining, motivating, and catalyzing components of our church and vision.
Word of God – we place the written Word of God at the center of all aspects of life and ministry.
Worship – we gather to praise and be shaped into effective disciples of Christ.
Holy Spirit – we believe in an active Spirit who mysteriously moves us to be innovative and creative in our pursuit of God’s will.
Prayer – we seek to teach, challenge, encourage, and inspire everyone to experience God’s presence through prayer.
Compassion – with humility, we respond to human needs in our midst and seek to affirm the image of Christ in all we encounter.
Justice – we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, and as we share God’s love, we seek to work together thoughtfully and intentionally for a fairer, more just society.
Place – we have been called to our part of the city, so we seek to join God’s activity among neighbors in pursuit of a flourishing community for all.
Welcoming – We seek to be a community of unconditional love and belonging, where faith is explored together.
Love – We gratefully receive and seek to share God’s unconditional love and grace.
OUR HISTORY
First Christian Reformed Church (First Church for short) opened its doors on March 19, 1857, as one of the first four churches in our denomination: the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). Check out this video that provides a broad overview of our history or continue to read below.
A new church and a new denomination
Our story began when members of Second Reformed Church (now part of Central Reformed) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, left to begin a Sunday Bible study in protest of beliefs and practices that they felt were unacceptable. This group joined with similar groups from three other Reformed congregations to form a new network of churches that eventually grew into the CRCNA.
The places we've called home
Our church started its life in a small building on the northwest corner of Ionia and Weston (close to the present-day Van Andel Arena). Our second church building was also in downtown Grand Rapids, on Spring Street (later renamed Commerce Street). The cornerstone for our third church building was laid in a neighborhood just outside downtown Grand Rapids on October 7, 1911. And while that building has been expanded, redecorated, and reshaped quite a few times over the years, we've been worshiping in the same slice of southeastern Grand Rapids ever since.
A penchant for starting things
First Church has always had a penchant for starting things. In addition to the part First played in founding the CRCNA, this congregation gave birth to six daughter churches in Grand Rapids. First Church also played a significant role in the establishment of Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary. Our pastor, Rev. Boer, was called to be the first teacher of ministers in our denomination. His teaching position eventually developed into Calvin Theological Seminary, from which came Calvin College.
A legacy of faithfulness
We praise God for his faithfulness to this church in all the details of our church life and the lives of our church's members throughout the generations. We pray and trust God will continue to use his people at First Church to build his kingdom here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and around the world.
Telling the History of First Church
God's faithfulness can clearly be seen over the years. You will be blessed to see the story of First Church unfold, starting in 1857!