Even though all Biblically committed churches share much in the way of core beliefs, every church still has values which are unique. St. Giles has five values which are far reaching in how they shape our community. Our five core values are Evangelical, Reformed, Charismatic, Presbyterian, and Complimentarian.
“Evangelical” is not a political statement, at least as far the Bible is concerned. The word “evangel” means “good news”. At the very center of who we are is a belief that God has good news for us . . . that Christ died for our sins and reconciles to God all who put their trust in Him. We believe that this good news is not just for us, but that we are called to share that message of God’s grace in Christ to all around us. (“Jesus was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God”, Romans 4:25)
“Reformed” means a commitment to five essential truths . . . Scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, and for the glory of God alone. We are grateful that part of who we are grounds us in historic Protestant Christianity. In an era wherein churches seem to be constantly shifting their views and beliefs in light of some new “revelation” or political trend, we embrace the stability and wisdom that comes over 500 years of Biblical thought and church life. (“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private or personal interpretation. 1 Peter 1:20")
“Charismatic” means that we believe God still speaks to people personally and guides us day by day. He’s not just up in heaven, but with us here and now. Part of his Presence and guidance comes through what Scripture calls “the gifts of the Spirit”. Essentially, we believe the God still does miracles and that he uses ordinary people to do so. Our belief in the Presence of God through His Holy Spirit also means that our worship services are dynamic, warm, and faith filled. (“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed . . . to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good”, 1 Corinthians 12:1, 7).
“Presbyterian” does not mean that we’re a bunch of stodgy old guys with no heart. Actually, “Presbyterian” is a word taken directly from the Bible itself. It means “led by elders” and the meaning is clear. We’re not about one person, one personality, or one leader. St. Giles is led by a team of elders, elected by the congregation, who shepherd the church. We believe that team leadership expressed through a council of elders is not only Biblical, it also paves the way for a much healthier church life. (“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.”, Titus 1:5)
“Complementarian” means that we are committed to the historic and Biblical view of gender summed up in “In the image of God he made them, male and female he made them”. In holding this we hold that gender is binary, heterosexual, sacred, co-equal, and unique in their make-up and roles within God’s design. (Genesis 1:27-28) For those who are married, husbands are called lead their families in a manner grounded in the love and character of Christ himself. Wives are committed to honor and support their husbands as the Church does with Christ. Those who are single are called to relate to men and women as brothers and sisters in Christ. As fully equal to men, women serve in a wide variety of leadership and ministry positions at St. Giles. As a complementarian church that hold the historic Biblical view of gender, we hold that the offices of pastors, elders, and deacons are reserved for men. (Ephesians 5, 1 Timothy 2-3, Titus 1).