Philosophy of Ministry

Our Purpose for Ministry

The First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh exists as a community of believers to glorify God and enjoy Him by finishing the unfinished task of fulfilling Christ's Great Commission. We shall seek to do this through Worship, Leadership, Outreach and Discipleship.

Our Pattern for Ministry

We believe God has called First Reformed to... Worship.

Worship is the Church's ultimate priority. Matthew tells us that the first thing the disciples did when they saw the resurrected Jesus was to "worship" Him. One of the great tragedies of the modern church is that with the loss of its greatest priority comes a loss of effectiveness in other areas of its work. We believe that when we make biblical worship the top priority, God will bless our work.

The people of God ought to be true participants in worship. The congregation is not an audience but a collection of worshipers. Therefore our worship is really a dialog with God. He calls, and we respond. Worship is the collective expression of the people's praise; therefore, we make every effort to stress the corporate aspect of Christianity in its Lord's Day observance. Through the use of historic creeds and common prayers we can express that the Church is indeed the "family" of God.

We believe God has called First Reformed to... Leadership.

Jesus has been given "all authority;" but as the Scriptures point out, He has also given the Church authority (Matthew 16.19). The New Testament presses the importance of submitting to the authority of the Church:
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you (1 Thessalonians 5.12,13 and Hebrews 13.17).

Three things mark a True Church: right preaching of God's Word, proper administration of the sacraments, and faithful exercise of discipline. Discipline is the exercise of the Church's authority and leadership to instruct and guide its members.

We believe God has called First Reformed to... Outreach.

First Reformed strives to reach the ends of the earth (Acts 1.8) with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through a combination of world, national and local mission efforts. Outreach (i.e. making disciples) begins with evangelism. Effective evangelism is often first relational, as we get to know our neighbors, witnessing before them daily in word and deed through Christ-like friendship. To finish the unfinished task, the Church must stimulate enthusiasm for the Gospel in believers - an enthusiasm that overflows to those around them in their everyday lives.

A willingness to seek the conversion of the lost in word ought to be matched by a willingness to love, give and serve through the mercy ministry of the Church. While that mercy ministry's first aim is the care of the Church, the people of God ought to be characterized by a benevolent and generous spirit toward all people that mirrors the attitude of Christ before a lost and dying world.

In addition to the central focus of our local ministry, we also have the duty to work with the larger Church of Jesus Christ in joint ministry efforts, consistent with our Reformed philosophy of ministry, in national and world missions. Christ's Great Commission is the fulfillment of the promise given to the saints in the Old Testament that they would be a blessing to all nations.

We believe God has called First Reformed to... Discipleship.

When outreach bears fruit, new believers must then be equipped to live the Christian life. In other words, converts must become disciples . Scripture teaches us that the work of the Church is the job of all its members (Ephesians 4.7-16); but if the Church is to be an every-member ministry, saints must first realize that God gives them the gifts for ministry. The Minister's teaching and training are directed toward the end that each member of the Church will discover his or her Spiritual gifts and grow to the point where they themselves can minister actively and effectively and humbly in an alienated, lost and dying world.

A key element of discipleship is the environment in which it takes place. Looking at the early Church's practice, we find that disciples were made in an environment of close fellowship: "They devoted themselves to...the fellowship. Every day they continued to meet together…. They broke bread in their homes and ate together..." (Acts 2.42ff). The word Luke uses for "fellowship" is koinonia, which has to do with participation or sharing. According to the New Testament record, if the Church is to carry out the process of making disciples, it must see itself as the Family of God that provides a nurturing atmosphere for growing disciples.

Our Promise for Ministry

Christ outlined the Church's unfinished task: worship, leadership, outreach and discipleship. This is how First Reformed is going to the nations, teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded us. This is how we are showing that we are His disciples.

Jesus concluded His Great Commission with an empowering promise: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28.20). One of Christ's names is Immanuel - which means "God with us" (Matthew 1.23). Jesus promised His presence wherever two or three gather in His name. He repeated that promise at the end of His earthly ministry. And so His promise is not simply to be present with us when we worship Him, but also to be with us as we go in His name. We do not need to attempt this task in our own strength. We have the Lord's power at work within us and His promise to be with us always as we finish the unfinished task of testifying to the Gospel of God's grace.

12900 Frankstown Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15235, Phone: 412-793-7117 Fax: 412-793-7267